Union hosts rally against 101 cuts at Queensway-Carleton Hospital
Posted Aug 20, 2026 01:30:53 PM.
Last Updated Aug 20, 2026 01:30:17 PM.
Union workers at the west Ottawa hospital rallied against the cuts coming after the hospital confirmed last month it would cut 101 jobs at the facility.
On Aug. 19, off-duty staff at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital took up residence outside to protest the 87 nurses, seven housekeepers and four emergency department care aides losing their jobs.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) staged the rally as it says the hospital is feeling the crunch of wait times that are only expected to get worse heading into cold and flu season.
“The latest provincial data from June 2026 shows that only 17 per cent of emergency department patients at Queensway-Carleton were admitted within the eight-hour target time,” the union says in the release.
According to data, the average wait-time was 17.4 hours in June, an hour longer than the previous month.
CUPE, along with the Ontario Nurses Association and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, are asking the province to increase funding for hospitals to address the issues.
In a statement to CityNews, the Queensway-Carleton said it is facing financial pressures, which is why the decisions to cut the jobs were made.
“Like many hospitals, QCH has faced rising costs — for drugs, food, supplies, salaries, electricity and other operating needs. Over the past year, we have carefully reviewed every aspect of spending, identified savings, expanded revenue, and looked for other ways to address the budget gap. Together, these actions have helped reduce the gap and delay workforce impacts. Unfortunately, they have not fully resolved the challenge,” the communication notes.
The hospital is undertaking a phased approach that it says will see the reduction of 160 positions, but the addition of 119, resulting in a decrease of 1 per cent to its workforce.
“There will be no reduction in patient care hours,” it highlighted. “Some areas will see changes to the mix of roles as part of the interprofessional model of care — guided by best practices and professional scopes of practice.”
The union places the blame on the lack of funding for the increased issues within hospitals.
Hilder Langwa, a patient care aide and president of the local CUPE, said that staffing ratios have been a concern at the hospital.
“Our members are deeply concerned about what this means for them. Will cuts continue?” she said. “These layoffs won’t just impact the livelihoods of the dedicated nurses, patient care aides and housekeepers…it will also have a huge effect on the level of care patients receive when they need it most.”
