The Service Employees International Union applied to the Ontario Labour Relations Board for a determination of whether the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph is a 'hospital' within the meaning of the Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act (HLDAA).
The Motherhouse contains an infirmary that receives government funding and provides care to sick and elderly sisters.
The Board, following its previous decision in Maison Mere, found that the Motherhouse is not operated for the purpose of providing a home for the aged or a hospital, but rather serves as the communal home and nerve centre for the religious order.
The Board advised the Minister that the HLDAA does not apply to the Motherhouse.
A dissenting Board member would have found the facility to be a hospital.
