This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
“When will management at CAMH come to their senses and acknowledge that assaults and violence are escalating and that they have put ineffective measures in place to prevent more workers from becoming seriously injured?" — Nancy Pridham, OPSEU Local 500 President
Toronto (27 October 2016) — The vicious attack on a nurse at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) on October 23 is the latest example of violence growing out of control at the facility, says the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).
“When will it stop?” said Nancy Pridham, President of OPSEU Local 500, which represents about 1,500 health care workers at the Queen St. West institution in Toronto.
“When will management at CAMH come to their senses and acknowledge that assaults and violence are escalating and that they have put ineffective measures in place to prevent more workers from becoming seriously injured? For executives at CAMH, the violence is treated as nothing more than ‘business as usual.’”
Latest attack is part of rising tide of violence in mental health facilities
On October 23, a registered nurse at CAMH was seriously assaulted as she left a room, and was then punched in the face and dragged into a second room where a patient continued the beating.
The incident is merely the latest example of a rising tide of violence against workers in Ontario mental health facilities this year. Pridham dubbed 2016 as “the year of violence against mental health workers.”
CAMH is ground zero for violence and assaults. In April, a worker was attacked in a dining room and suffered a concussion after taking blows to the head. In August, a cleaner suffered a broken nose while inside a patient’s room. Earlier this month, a worker had her brassiere yanked by a patient. It was left to a workplace colleague to call police to investigate after management was slow to respond.
“These examples are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Pridham. “Scarcely a day goes by without one of our members, or others working there, reporting some form of harassment, assault or violence. I put responsibility for inaction and indifference squarely at the feet of CAMH executives.”
Need to expand PTSD legislation to include employees of psychiatric workplaces
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President of OPSEU/NUPGE said the provincial government should expand the legislative definition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to include employees of psychiatric workplaces.
“The evidence is clear: workers inside mental health facilities are just as prone to suffer from PTSD as other first responders,” said Thomas. “If the government takes this issue seriously, it will immediately amend the legislation to protect all workers in mental health and health care facilities, too many of whom arrive at work each day worried whether they will end the day injured or dead.”
OPSEU/NUPGE and the Ontario Nurses' Association are planning an information picket next week in Toronto to bring attention to workplace violence in mental health facilities.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 370,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE