Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Collective bargaining is officially underway for the Ontario Health unit, and while the work of collective bargaining is supported by the union’s elected leadership, professional staff, legal counsel, and subject matter experts, at its core is always a team of members—and in this case, that’s Kristen McMartin and Alexis Schaink.
Kristen and Alexis are both experienced activists, having served as Bargaining Team members during multiple previous rounds of bargaining, and as Delegates, with Kristen also having served as a Workplace Representative. They are returning to the bargaining team this time around, they said, because they are proud to advocate for their colleagues’ best interests, and so they can secure the best possible deal for all Ontario Health members.
A strong contract for Ontario Health is not only important for the workers themselves but, because of the nature of the service they provide, for all Ontarians. “The work of the AMAPCEO-represented staff at Ontario Health impacts the healthcare system's quality and sustainability,” says Alexis. “As a group of specialized, scientific professionals who apply principles of evidence-based medicine, being unionized has supported our decades-long contributions to protecting public healthcare services for all Ontarians.”
Kristen agrees: “Our work informs the government about the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of new technologies and whether they should be publicly funded in Ontario. Being unionized supports this [work].”
Both members of the Bargaining Team urge their colleagues at Ontario Health to stay tuned for actions they can do to support bargaining. “The Employer is not proactive in taking care of their employees,” Kristen points out, which is why activism around bargaining is so important.
According to Alexis, AMAPCEO members, like the Bargaining Team, will need to stand together and “amplify our collective voice and influence to negotiate fair wages, better benefits, and working conditions.”
Members of Ontario Health can stay up to date on the latest bargaining developments by keeping an eye on their email inbox and visiting amapceo.ca/bargaining/ontariohealth.