Our friends at the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) are bargaining an important contract this year covering 60,000 hospital professionals. We invite members to join the Society contingent at the ONA and Ontario’s healthcare professionals rally next Wednesday, Jan. 29 in support of nurse-to-patient ratios.
The Ontario Nurses Association has been an important ally in Society campaigns. When Legal Aid Ontario lawyers campaigned vigorously for collective bargaining rights, ONA supported our actions. Now it’s our turn to express solidarity.
ONA members have been working in difficult and strenuous conditions, with hospitals experiencing service closures, delays in patient care, excessive staff workloads, and understaffing causing workplace safety issues. Patients and staff alike are suffering.
To help address these issues, ONA is calling for registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. As bargaining gets underway, this is a major proposal that could improve healthcare delivery across our communities.
ONA has an uphill battle ahead – sitting at the other side of the bargaining table are hospital CEOs who have been working closely with the Ford government to intentionally understaff public hospitals and replace public hospital services with private clinics. The erosion of public healthcare is taking a major toll on healthcare professionals. Public pressure and community solidarity is needed now more than ever.
Let’s send a message to Premier Ford and the province’s hospital employers that Ontarians deserve adequately staffed hospitals.
Watch the compelling video message from ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss on the status of bargaining.