Bruyère Health rallied by 1,400 petition signers seeking reversal of 55 job cuts
Staff presented signatures from health-care workers, patients and the public Wednesday as the hospital's union warns the cuts will degrade patient care and stretch remaining nurses.
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Bruyère Health workers rallied Wednesday and presented a 1,400-signature petition to management, demanding the hospital reverse its decision to eliminate 55 front-line positions announced in February.
The cuts include 46 personal support workers and 9 registered practical nurses. The union said these positions represent 30 percent of the workers who directly assist patients.
Hundreds of employees attended the September 10 rally. Douglas Currier, president of CUPE 4540 and a registered practical nurse of 30 years, said conditions were already strained before the cuts. "Even before these cuts, it was really tough to get the jobs done that had to be done," Currier said. "I've never seen such a drop in the ability of staff to properly do the job and the job they want to do because there's just not enough numbers. The whole infrastructure appears to be crumbling."
Currier said the cuts to personal support worker positions have shifted the burden of providing personal care onto nurses who are already stretched thin by their own workload issues.
Bruyère Health, which operates Saint-Vincent Hospital, Elisabeth Bruyère Hospital, Bruyère Health Greystone and family medicine clinics, said in a statement that the staffing adjustments are related to positions added during the COVID-19 pandemic. "These adjustments reflect the transition from pandemic-era staffing levels and are being made to align with Ministry of Health expectations and staffing models used by similar health-care organizations," the hospital said, adding it remains committed to "safe, high-quality and compassionate care."
The job cuts are part of a broader trend. The union reported about 2,000 layoffs across Ontario's hospital sector, with nearly 600 in Ottawa alone. The Ottawa Hospital announced 400 cuts earlier this year affecting primarily nurses and front-line health workers. Queensway Carleton Hospital cut 101 positions in July, including 87 nurses. The Royal announced 15 positions eliminated, affecting almost exclusively nurses and personal support workers.
What specific metrics does Bruyère Health use to measure whether patient care quality has been affected?
Has the Ministry of Health reviewed the cuts independently, or is the hospital's interpretation of ministry expectations the only record?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many job cuts is Bruyère Health making?
Bruyère Health is eliminating 55 front-line positions: 46 personal support workers and 9 registered practical nurses.
When did workers rally against the cuts?
Staff rallied on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, and presented a 1,400-signature petition to management.
What percentage of direct patient care workers do the cuts represent?
The 55 eliminated positions represent 30 percent of the workers who directly assist patients at Bruyère Health.
Why does Bruyère Health say it is making these cuts?
Bruyère Health stated the staffing adjustments are related to positions added during the COVID-19 pandemic and reflect the transition from pandemic-era staffing levels to align with Ministry of Health expectations.
