Ontario Nurses' Association, Algoma Public Health working on new collective agreement
A total of 85 public health nurses, registered nurses and nurse practitioners at Algoma Public Health Unit began mandatory conciliation Friday with their employer as they seek to negotiate a new collective agreement.
The 85 Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) members have been without a contract since April 1 of this year.
"The work of our dedicated and skilled nurses is absolutely vital during the COVID-19 pandemic," ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN, is quoted as saying in a news release.
"They have worked in case and contact management –including monitoring clients for any changes in condition – supported community partners such as workplaces and schools, and delivered vaccinations in a mass immunization program."
In addition to pandemic work, McKenna said nurses provide clinical services to the approximately 119,000 residents in the District of Algoma (including Wawa, White River, Elliott Lake, Blind River, and Thessalon).
Services include Healthy Babies/Healthy Children visits, lactation consultation services, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, HIV/AIDS rapid testing, affordable birth control, infection control of communicable diseases, immunization clinics and smoking cessation supports.
"The nurses who work at Algoma Public Health Unit are dedicated to ensuring the best health for their communities," McKenna said.
"From pandemic response to prenatal support for mothers and support for families, youth services, seniors' services, control and treatment of infectious diseases, their care and knowledge continues to be there for people whenever they need it."
To date, ONA has had six days of negotiations with the health unit.
"Nurses have been through a tremendous amount of ongoing change to their working conditions during the deadly global pandemic, leading to increasing amounts of stress, exhaustion and burnout," McKenna said.
"We expect the employer to come prepared to offer a fair contract so nurses can continue to deliver excellent services to the community. ONA members always prefer to reach a negotiated settlement, and we encourage this employer to not force nurses to strike."
ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care, public health, the community, clinics, and industry.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.