Pension Campaign at SickKids a Success

After years of being pushed aside, staff at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto have joined the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). 

Until now, SickKids staff were left as the sole contributors to their retirement plans, leaving many retiring into poverty while their health-care colleagues at other locations retired with financial security.  

“This success was a long time coming, and it's so rewarding to see the staff at SickKids finally get the justice they deserve,” says ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss. “I’m proud of the ONA members and staff who showed up to support this campaign.” 

One of two Ontario hospitals not with HOOPP, SickKids refused to contribute to staff for years, instead choosing to give themselves a “pension holiday.” SickKids contributed to the pension plan only twice since 1997 – in every other year, they saved the money for themselves. 

SickKids workers, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union (OPSEU) organized a series of actions, townhalls and petitions over months to pressure their employer to join HOOPP. ONA members and staff supported them the whole way by publicly calling on the employer to do the right thing, leafleting to raise awareness about workers’ key issues and by joining SickKids staff in direct actions, like rallying outside the hospital. 

“This win is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together to hold employers accountable,” adds Ariss. 

HOOPP will undoubtedly be an improvement on the previous pension plan. A worker earning $45,000 at the end of their career with 30 years of service can expect to receive annual payments of $25,560 through HOOPP, about $8,000 more than their previous plan. Read more about HOOPP here. 

SickKids employees will join HOOPP on December 29, 2025.