Ona Update: Summer 2018
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109045-2(August 3, 2018 / ona_work13:31:44) of the union summer_p01.pdf .1 ONA UPDATE: SUMMER 2018 The following is a summary of ONA’s key activities and successes since the last “The Work of the Union” update in spring 2018. 109045-2(August 3, 2018 / ona_work13:31:46) of the union summer_p02.pdf .1 Bargaining/Labour Relations LLAfter 10 intense days of negotiations to keep workplaces free from violence, Services in Oakville reached a settlement with the Ontario Hospital Association including domestic violence; and the with their employer during conciliation. (OHA) with little movement, along with requirement for hospitals to provide ONA LLLitigation of the controversial vac- three days of mediation, ONA headed with lists of vacated positions monthly. cinate-or-mask policy introduced to arbitration for a renewed contract for LLTo provide details of the arbitration at many Ontario hospitals is continu- our 61,000 hospital members. award, ONA held a special sector meet- ing with the Toronto Academic Health LLDuring arbitration, ONA expertly argued ing with hospital leaders so they could Sciences Network group of hospitals, for proper wage increases and norma- take information back to their members. which agreed to another central arbi- tive improvements to benefits and pre- LLONA received a major victory at the tration process and to be bound by the miums, and standardizing the wage grid Ontario Court of Appeal on the issue outcome of a lead case (St. Michael’s for nurse practitioners (NPs). of layoff rights, overturning the judi- Hospital), and we are hopeful for a deci- LLWe also provided additional information cial review of a decision by Arbitrator sion before the 2018 flu season. about hospital funding that came to Felicity Briggs, after a large urban hos- LLAn arbitrator ordered full reinstatement light after the arbitration hearing, which pital closed 11 beds on one of its unit, and compensation for Bargaining Unit we believed needed to be considered. thereby arbitrarily reducing the total President Melissa Wraith following her LLArbitrator William Kaplan issued his hours of work available for regular part- dismissal for trying to obtain informa- award several months later, providing time nurse. tion from her employer about an attack wage increases above what the OHA LLONA continues to watch the changeover on an ONA member at Alexandra and was offering; new coverage for mental of community care access centres to Marine General Hospital. health services by a psychologist, regis- Local Health Integration Networks very LLCanadian Blood Services has been tered psychotherapist or social worker; carefully as we are concerned they have removed from the right-to-strike sec- the requirement for new grads who do failed to truly integrate patient care. tor, meaning bargaining disputes will be not pass the NCLEX to be placed on LLIt came down to the wire, but the five settled at arbitration; ONA is reviewing unpaid leave and not terminated; clari- full-time and two casual RNs at the options for group bargaining with their fication of the obligation of employers Central West Specialized Developmental employers. Canadian Blood Services Bargaining Unit Presidents with ONA staff 2 ONA UPDATE: SUMMER 2018 ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION 109045-2(August 7, 2018 / ona_work11:16:00) of the union summer_p03rev.pdf .1 LLAs one of only 17 parties granted stand- Neutral Comparison System (GNCS) to ing in the Long-term Care (LTC) Inquiry, be applied and the disclosure of male which was initiated in light of the tragic job classes. murders of eight vulnerable LTC residents LLAs ONA has finalized the GNCS with the in Woodstock and London nursing homes, OHA to be used to evaluate all ONA job ONA is participating in and monitoring classes and potential male job classes all aspects of the inquiry and providing within the hospital sector, the next step frequent updates to members and staff. is to develop a questionnaire that will LLDuring the inquiry, testimony emerged be completed by members and to select that the employer did not share vital the representative sample sites for com- ONA’s long-term care nurses are following information about Elizabeth Wettlaufer’s the LTC Inquiry closely petition of that questionnaire. performance with ONA, along with the LLLitigation with the community care role of for-profit nursing home owners, forming well, earning an investment access centres (Local Health Integration the failure of multiple players to listen return of 11.5 per cent after all expenses Networks) stemming from ONA’s May to nurses, the urgent need for more RNs last year, topping the 10.3 per cent in 2016. 2014 Application to the Pay Equity in the LTC sector, the lack of training for LLThanks to ONA lobbying, members work- Hearings Tribunal continues, with hear- coroners, and budget cuts resulting in ing in primary care received their second ing dates scheduled for August and fewer coroner investigations. wage and/or benefit enhancement while November. LLIt is great news for ONA members after some are now entitled to HOOPP. LLONA is currently making strategic deci- the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan LLONA provided a submission to the Pay sions regarding next steps to ensure NPs (HOOPP) announced that its funded Equity Hearings Tribunal for partici- announced by the government for long- status at the end of 2017 remains at a pating nursing homes to deal with the term care are in our Bargaining Units. very strong 122 per cent. jurisdiction of the tribunal to issue an LLHot topics and funding in long-term care LLThe Ontario Municipal Employees order on outstanding issues between (LTC) were the focus of our most recent Retirement System (OMERS) is also per- the parties, including the Gender LTC teleconnects. Government Relations/Work with Allies LLONA launched our newest provincial LLWe continue to support the Ontario campaign, RN Proud, which raises public Association of Interval and Transition awareness about the skills, experience, Houses, whose membership includes education and compassion RNs dem- emergency shelters for abused women onstrate every day in their work, while and their children, housing programs asking the provincial government to hire and community-based women’s ser- 10,000 RNs over the next four years to fill vice organizations, with a donation of current vacancies in hospitals. $10,000 annually for the years 2018, 2019 LLThe multi-faceted campaign consisted and 2020. of transit shelter ads featuring ONA LLIn preparation for the provincial elec- members highlighting the role RNs play tion, ONA prepared and enacted a cam- in health care, print ads, a social media paign, Nurses Know, Nurses Vote, which campaign and a revitalized dedicated was comprised of three weeks of phone website chock full of statistics. banks in our five regions, a postcard LLONA joined forces with the Registered on the three party platforms, literature Nurses’ Association of Ontario to hold for the candidates, robotexts, a mailed a media conference at Queen’s Park to letter, an email blast, and social media launch Nursing Week, calling on all pol- and website postings to help members RN Proud campaign transit ad itical parties to commit to making RN understand how the outcome of this staffing a health-care priority. election will impact their working con- CONTINUES ONA UPDATE: SUMMER 2018 ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION 3 109045-2(August 3, 2018 / ona_work13:31:47) of the union summer_p04.pdf .1 ditions and their ability to provide safe, quality patient care, and “patchy” pharmaceutical insurance system that is fixable, encourage them to vote for health care. were presented. LLWith the RN share of nursing employment falling from 76.4 per cent in LLIn a meeting with NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, ONA 2003 to 69.8 per cent in 2017 and Ontario failing to meet the internation- President Vicki McKenna explained that the biggest al best practice ratio of 1:4 RNs for patients in hospitals, ONA President challenge for our members is the erosion of their work, Vicki McKenna met with (then) Minister of Health and Long-Term Care more layoffs, vacant positions not being posted/filled, Dr. Helena Jaczek and (then) Premier Kathleen Wynne to ask the gov- and RNs being replaced by RPNs in the hospital sector. ernment’s support for three ONA goals: ensuring the right care provided LLA continuing grant from ONA to the Stephen Lewis by the right care provider, protecting the safety of health-care workers, Foundation of $70,000 in June 2018 and $70,000 in June and supporting marginalized and disadvantaged women. 2019 will assist families and communities in sub-Saharan LLIn the lead-up to the provincial election, McKenna also asked the Africa infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS. same of representatives from the PC and NDP parties. LLThe government set up an advisory committee for health-workforce planning, and ONA is an active participant. LLONA President Vicki McKenna and First Vice-President Cathryn Hoy came out to support the Ontario Health Coalition’s (OHC) Time to Rebuild media stop outside Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital, where OHC Executive Director Natalie Mehra highlighted two key asks for all pol- itical parties leading up to the provincial election: an immediate and significant infusion of funding for Ontario’s hospitals, and a commit- ment to open 30,000 new long-term care beds as quickly as possible. LLOne week before the provincial election, ONA urged PC leader Doug Ford to release a fully costed platform, which received widespread media attention. Joint ONA/RNAO media conference on RN numbers LLA letter to the editor, signed by a number of organizations repre- senting more than 100,000 health professionals, including ONA, urged that Dan’s Law be passed to end a three-month waiting period for access to OHIP for Canadian residents who move or return to Ontario.