Ontario’s 60,000-plus hospital nurses and health-care professionals are facing an uncertain future after five days of contract talks between the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) ended without a deal.
ONA President Erin Ariss said the union entered the discussions determined to secure a new agreement, especially given that the last contract was negotiated 14 years ago. However, she said the proposals from the OHA would harm both the workforce and patient care.
“What the OHA has tabled would have unimaginable consequences for the nursing and health-care professional workforce and devastating outcomes for patients,” said Ariss.
Key among the union’s demands is the implementation of registered nurse staffing ratios, which Ariss said would improve patient access to timely, quality care and alleviate staffing shortages in hospitals.
Staffing ratios have been a contentious issue as the province grapples with challenges in retaining health-care workers. Ariss accused hospital CEOs and the provincial government of undermining public hospitals through chronic understaffing, saying it opens the door to privatized, for-profit health care.
“Hospital CEOs and the Ford government have been intentionally understaffing our public hospitals to justify selling off public services to private, for-profit clinics,” she said.
The OHA has not issued a statement on the talks or the union’s allegations.
The ONA has announced plans for escalating actions in the coming weeks, with mediation scheduled for January 29 and 30.
ONA represents more than 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals across various sectors, including hospitals, long-term care, public health, and community clinics.
