Proposed changes to By-law No. 60 regarding annual registration fee

Pretty bold proposal by the CMRITO, especially at a time when we are already short technologists! I’d be interested to see a detailed breakdown of their “financial goals” and see how (or even if) they would benefit any of us paying into the college. Talk about the straw that may break the camel’s back for some of us in this field already!

No, find other cost cutting solutions with transparency. Tech Salaries are not going up because OHIP fees for DI exams have not increased in decades. Technologists are being squeezed between employers and CMRITO.

This is outrageous! You hold us hostage as we have to be registered to work in Ontario. I have been considering retiring - this may be the last reason I need. How is this justified in this economy!

Such an increase creates undue financial strain on many registrants who are struggling right now to support their family household in such an economy. Any proposed increase for the purposes intended should be half of what is now being proposed and should take effect only following this upcoming year. Please reconsider for everyone’s sake.

The present fees is hard to manage. I can’t even think of paying any more. CMRITO should rather consider lowering the annual fees for the members. CMRITO should find other ways to meet the financial requirements like investing in different businesses, providing paid trainings, renting Imagaging equipments and so one. It is unfair to put us under such financial burden. I totally disagree with any sort of fee raise Thanks

I am sure the CMRITO would expect a negative response. Is this a case of aim high, then review the backlash, then put in place a lower number to appease us all? You would have been more wise to present options - being part of the decision to empty our wallets would be a good thing. Your yearly review states that you are over 12,000 members strong. Highest number ever. A $173 increase equates to over $2,000,000. What are your goals? What will you be doing with that money? All your meetings are remote, your office remote... are you still paying rent downtown? A 36% increase is very steep and many wage increase do not even come close. You need to be more directly transparent with this proposal. All imaging technologists deserve to know. This also seems like a $$$ grab for four of our professional groups that had previously paid into the OAMRS & CAMRT - both by default. For one year after their divorce, you want to seize the difference between the associations fees for those of us that chose membership with one of them. Is the college in deficit without the increase? If so, why? How many more employees have you hired and what were your salary increases? Were they in line with what your registrants received? You claim we will still be lower than 21 other regulatory bodies. More transparency - share them! Let us see it for ourselves. We are required to be registered to work in this province and we pay to protect the public. I completely agree with the importance of a regulatory body, but if this is approved as is, it is at our expense and without our agreement. I would also like to see the CMRITO directly respond to the overall feedback you receive and answer the questions we all have posed. At minimum, that would be respectful.

Huge NO

This amount is too large an increase at once. It would have been less strain on us if it was gradual small increases. Also, in my opinion, considering that the college hardly did anything for it members during the pandemic, this is very disappointing.

For that comparison chart, you should also list the average wages of each profession. We understand that the size of the college membership is a part of the story, but what technologists earn relative to our regulated counterparts is a missing piece. Probably a good idea to include your financial documents as part of the messaging especially if you are using a generalization to support your reasons why you want such a high fee increase. And for the record, I do not approve.

I do not agree with the proposed changes to the CMRITO annual registration fee, I believe it should remain as is

Seriously?? Where is the accountability for the need to raise fees by so much?? As members we are requesting a breakdown of where our hard earn money is being spent and find this fee increase absurd.

It seems irresponsible to decide that an increase in fees is needed to maintain financial stability. Please provide a budget breakdown about how the fees from all members is currently being used.

If your intent with this 37% (taxes not included) increase to annual fees was to create a rift between you and the already overworked and underpaid technologists, then unfortunately, job accomplished. Please elaborate on what the $643 we will be paying you will be used for? Please provide a breakdown so we can see how it it will benefit us as workers, or if it provides any useful resources or elevates patient care in the work field. We have a right to know how the money is being used. Especially when Nurses, who have a larger number than us, only had to pay $340 in 2024, whilst we pay $470 as ultrasound technologists. Or how other provinces in Canada have their CAMRT members paying $295 per year, and that includes liability insurance for them, whereas we do not get ours from CMRITO, and that is an additional large sum payment we must make in a year. You mentioned financial stability, there must be other options you can explore where changes can be made on your end or elsewhere to improve costs. Such as your location being in the most expensive city in Ontario. Options like working from home for those who do not need to go into office to complete their jobs if possible. We are already overtaxed, living in an overpriced economy. Asking us to pay such a large sum in one month is discouraging and stressful when we are already in a field that causes physical and mental stress. Full times jobs are not easy to come by either, even with the shortages, most technologists are working part time, and do not get the same benefits as full timers, while we work multiple jobs to get by, especially when trying to live off a solo income. Please take into consideration how this impacts all the workers on our end as I feel this decision did not take us into consideration at all and disregards the work we do. Thank you for your time and allowing us to share our thoughts to these changes.

This is a huge jump in the annual fee. Would like more of an explanation as to why this jump is necessary and more transparency as to why the financial goal is needed. If you are asking for an extra $173 per member, assuming around 12k members, that's an extra 2 million a year. Why is an extra 2 million needed per year? Please explain.

The proposed change seems rather steep, an almost 200$ increase. Can there be other perks to being a member of the CMRITO, such as discounts on education and insurance similar to the CAMRT? Otherwise the proposed change doesn't benefit members, only the CMRITO itself.

I feel this is a ridiculous increase considering the fact that since the last increase indicated, there has been a large increase in the amount of registrants due to the fact ultrasound technologists were added to the college. In today's world, it is a struggle to keep registered technologists in the profession to begin with nevermind adding a large cost increase to the career. It is also an expensive world that people are having a difficult time paying bills and putting food on table for their families so to add an additional cost in order to maintain registration and regulation in a career seems quite ludicrous to me.

Dear CMRITO, I strongly disagree with the proposed increase in annual fees for several reasons: 1. **Membership Growth**: With the growing number of members, the fees should be reduced, not increased. This aligns with how other regulatory bodies, like the nursing college, have managed their fees. More members should mean that the costs are distributed more broadly, benefiting everyone. 2. **Additional Expenses**: CMRITO members are already required to obtain liability insurance and training from external parties, unlike other regulatory bodies, such as the Quebec College, which include these in their fees. There’s no clear justification for the fee increase when members are expected to bear these additional expenses. 3. **Financial Burden on Part-Time/Casual Workers**: The proposed amount is excessive, especially for those working part-time or casually. It disproportionately impacts individuals who do not have a full-time income to support such an increase. In light of this, I suggest the following alternatives: 1. **Two-Tier System**: Implement a fairer two-tier fee structure that accommodates part-time and casual workers, so they are not unfairly burdened by the same fee as full-time members. 2. **Office Relocation**: Consider relocating the main office to a location outside of the main city to reduce rental costs. This could help in lowering the fees for members. 3. **Explore Other Cost-Saving Measures**: Given the impact of inflation on all healthcare workers, CMRITO should explore other cost-saving strategies instead of increasing fees, to ensure fairness and affordability. Thank you for considering these points.

The rationale to fund further governance initiatives was not address. I would like to understand what other areas of spending were reviewed before considering the fee increase to members. The virtual or remote work model for the cmirto has not been presented nor has having office space in a leas urban center been considered. At a time where human health resources are at critical capacity, making such a substantial increase to professionals who are already burnt out maybe determental to sustainable practise. If the cmrito was not in to credit members the $90, the minutes from the meeting should be made publicly available so the current members you are asking to pay this fee have further insight into the desicion making at the time. I also think an analysis of the current paid positions at the cmritoand job duties performed per position should be clearer

I am against the augmentation of fees. Doesn’t make sense that the fees would rise that much. I do not understand why so high.

I believe this proposed change is absolutely NOT justified in any manner and quite ridiculous! If this organization’s main mission is to protect the PUBLIC and NOT PROFESSIONALS, then it only entails that the government should provide this necessary “funding.” Why are the PROFESSIONALS being penalized? If this change is brought upon to serve the public interest, then the pandemic serves as a great reminder that WE MUST PROTECT OUR HEALTHCARE WORKERS FIRST IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS AND SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC. Additionally, this annual fee increase will have a huge impact on the motivation of new hires and students applicants. Other provinces have joint membership with CAMRT for which the annual fee is A LOT LESS in comparison for example in British Columbia.They also have added benefits like professional liability insurance and further education opportunities. Why are we being penalized heavier for just practicing in Ontario? Another fact is also that, this annual fee NEVER DECREASED either when diagnostic medical sonographers were added to be mandated under this body. We had more members, so shouldn’t the fees have deceased? In short, this pay increase neither serves the public nor the professionals. I am absolutely AGAINST the pay increase!