More than 4,400 nurses in Ontario nursing homes will have their next contract decided by an arbitrator after provincial bargaining broke down this week.
The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) says its members walked away from the table April 29 after nursing homes employers presented what the union called regressive proposals. Nurses’ main demands include wage parity with hospital nurses and safe working conditions.
“During the past two weeks of bargaining for more than 4,400 ONA members, nursing homes employers came to the table with concessions and regressive proposals so out of touch with front-line realities that they can only be described as insulting,” said ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN. “Nursing homes CEOs report strength and profit to their shareholders, yet the cupboard is bare when it comes to nurses and health-care professionals and the residents they care for every day.”
Wage gap at centre of dispute
The ONA says employers failed to address a wage gap between nursing homes nurses and those doing similar work in hospitals and municipal homes for the aged. The union says for-profit nursing homes giant Extendicare earned more than $96 million in profits last year.
“Nursing homes CEOs refused to budge at all on their disrespectful position on key issues such as wage inequity, relying on arbitration instead of meaningful bargaining to settle a new contract,” said Ariss. “The lack of meaningful bargaining with thousands of nursing homes members is further proof that the current system of relying on arbitration strips workers of their power to win important health-care improvements, ultimately hurting patient and resident care.”
Arbitration process
Legislation in both the nursing homes and hospital sectors prohibits workers from taking job action such as strikes. When bargaining fails, disputes go to binding arbitration — a process where a third party makes a final, enforceable decision on contract terms.
“The current system relies on arbitrators who have never worked a day as a health-care worker to determine what our contract terms will be,” said Ariss. “Health-care workers and residents deserve better. We will continue to fight for better working conditions, respect and for the residents we care for.”
Arbitration hearings for nursing homes bargaining members are scheduled for June 15 and 16.
The ONA represents 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as more than 18,000 nursing student affiliates. Its members work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics, and industry.
