Silas: Canada needs public health care investment, not austerity April 28, 2026 (Ottawa, ON) – A one percent increase in public health care spending would raise real GDP in Canada by billions of dollars in the first year alone, according to a new study commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU). Drawing on […]
Read MoreThis opinion-editorial was originally published by the London Free Press on April 25, 2026. Silas: We need more nurses, not fewer, working at LHSC LHSC plans to cut 288 registered nursing positions, reducing care from RNs by more than 560,000 hours each year Ontario’s Health Minister Sylvia Jones should know that nurses in Ontario are […]
Read MoreSilas: Retaining NPs is critical to keeping the momentum of this growing workforce April 15, 2026 (Ottawa, ON) – Although the nurse practitioner workforce has doubled over the last decade, a new report from the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) reveals a growing strain in the profession. In a study of more than 1,300 […]
Read MoreSilas: Investing in prevention is critical to make violence-free health care workplaces a reality April 14, 2026 (Ottawa, ON) – Nearly all nurses have experienced violence or harassment at work in the last year, reveals a new national survey of 4,703 nurses across health care settings. The survey found that 95% of nurses have experienced […]
Read MoreThe Canada Health Act Services Policy comes into effect today, rightly ensuring that medically necessary services are to be covered under provincial and territorial health insurance plans, whether provided by a physician or another regulated health professional such as a nurse practitioner. “Nurse practitioners are a growing workforce with the potential to ease the primary […]
Read MoreIt is with great sorrow that members of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions mark the passing of former politician, activist and global HIV/AIDS advocate Stephen Lewis. His work and advocacy around preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa and ensuring access to quality health care will be recognized and celebrated by all Canadians. Stephen […]
Read MoreSilas: Public health care is not only vital to Canadians’ well-being – it is also foundational to our economy. March 30, 2026 (Ottawa, ON) – In the face of worsening trade and economic threats from the United States, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) has released a new report outlining the economic benefits of […]
Read MoreThe Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions is alarmed by the federal government’s decision to impose out-of-pocket co-payments on refugees and refugee claimants accessing care through the Interim Federal Health Program, effective May 1. These changes represent a significant cut to a program that exists to ensure some of the most vulnerable people in Canada can access […]
Read MoreCarney must defend public health care before it’s too late By Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions Op-ed published by iPolitics on March 19, 2026: https://www.ipolitics.ca/2026/03/19/carney-must-defend-public-health-care-before-its-too-late/ In December, the Alberta government passed the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (no. 2). The innocuously named legislation is a direct attack on the Canada […]
Read MoreThe Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU), representing 250,000 unionized nurses and nursing students from across the country, stands in solidarity with the people of Cuba amid the dire humanitarian crisis facing the country and its health care system. Inhumane pressures imposed on Cuba by the United States have placed additional strain on its already […]
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