Health Worker Protests in Canada: A Descriptive Analysis of Protest Events From 2021-2022

We analyzed protest events undertaken by health workers in Canada in 2021 and 2022. Our analysis focused on the quantity and distribution of protests within Canada, policy demands expressed by organizers and the temporal sequence of protest events.

Our data came from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project, which includes a dataset with all health worker-involved protest events in specific jurisdictions, including Canada. Using an existing taxonomy of policy demands for protest events, we analyzed specific types of protests, protest demands and temporal trends.

Over our study period, ACLED identified 157 health worker protests. Events took place in all provinces, with Ontario recording the highest proportion (~40%). The majority of protests focused on working conditions and remuneration (57%), followed by public policy (26%) and health services delivery (21%). The most frequent subcategories were compensation (n = 48), anti-vaccination mandates (n = 38) and understaffing/patient overload (n = 19).

Canadian health workers expressed concerns on policy issues ranging from opposition to COVID-19 mitigation to underinvestment in health systems. Identifying and recognizing these drivers and developing targeted policy to address them through inclusive and sustained engagement with health workers will contribute to long-term solutions.