On the morning of February 23rd, over fifty nurses and supporters turned up to picket organized by the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) outside of the emergency department at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) in solidarity with other pickets across the province. It’s worth noting that nurses in Ontario and Canada are not permitted to strike, but they can picket, as they are deemed highly essential workers. Regardless, nurses on shift at PRHC frequently came out on their breaks to join the picket before returning to work.

The ONA, the provincial union for over 68,000 registered nurses (RNs) and over 18,000 affiliated students, continues their contract talks for a better collective agreement between nurses and the province. In the midst of the Ford government’s push to privatize the healthcare sector, ONA is asking for better wages and a commitment to improving working conditions. Additional concerns also include addressing the chronic burnout in frontline workers, resulting in staffing shortages, and the declining quality of patient care as a result of workplace conditions.

ONA’s bargaining team has made the state of nursing clear, epitomized by the gradual erosion of nurses’ base salary over the last decade. In a February 3rd communication with other ONA bargaining units, Rachel Muir, RN, chair of the Hospital Central Bargaining Team cited a $12,790 decrease in baseline pay.

Staffing shortages and the decline in quality of patient care are a direct result of decreased wages and addressing this has been a big rallying point for ONA. ONA Interim Provincial President, Bernie Robinson, RN, pointed to the Ford government and its “unconstitutional” Bill 124 wage cap in the first day of talks between ONA and the province. 

“By increasing wages, it is more likely that we can retain nurses considering leaving their jobs, and that many nurses who have left the system these past few years may be recruited back into our hospitals. This would ease the nursing shortage and improve patient care,” Robinson said in a statement on January 30th.

In this round of talks, ONA’s focus has largely been on the rising cost of living in relation to stagnating wages for nurses in the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic that saw hospitals and long-term care facilities become front-line battlegrounds for disease control. 

“My hope is that the OHA and the hospitals understand where our members are coming from and are forthcoming to make changes that reflect the value and dedication of our membership,” said ONA Chief Negotiator, Steve Lobsinger on January 26th. 

“We are in the midst of the worst nursing crisis that Ontario has faced in decades,” he continued. “The results of ONA’s Have Your Say Bargaining Survey made clear that our members experience extreme workloads that impact providing safe patient care. Our next agreement needs to deal with workload problems with safe staffing as well as additional supports. Our proposals outline concrete ways in which hospitals can retain and attract nurses, while reducing the reliance of agency staff.”

The picket was joined by representatives from OPSEU and CUPE, who represent other healthcare providers such as RPNs, PSWs, and paramedics. The event lasted two hours and had great support, as those among the numbers were from the Catholic Teachers Association and the Labour Council. ONA and local nurses were in considerable numbers during the education workers’ picket against Bill 28 back in November.

Some nurses on the scene provided critical first-person experience to Arthur. Kelly Henwood was on the frontline as PRHC’s grievance officer for ONA. A nurse with over forty years under her belt, Henwood hopes the public is aware that “healthcare is in trouble” and that with the way things are going, healthcare in Ontario is “going to get worse.”  

“We are standing up and letting the people of Ontario know,” she said. She also cited the need for a “respectful contract” and reassured students that regardless of the current circumstances, nursing is “really a wonderful, wonderful profession.”

Registered nurses present at the picket were adamant on students holding steadfast in this tumultuous period in the profession and “remain hopeful that things will improve.” Many nurses are pushing for “better mentoring for new grads” by bringing attention to staffing shortages and how hospital staff across the province are too strung-out to mentor new nurses, citing how “nobody has the patience, nobody has the time.”

Registered nurses in the emergency unit have also made a critical point for public knowledge, saying that people only become aware of the issues nurses face when their treatment and care is directly affected meaning the public doesn’t understand how bad working conditions for healthcare workers have gotten until they have to come to the emergency room.

“We urge the public to show support for nurses and health-care professionals in our fight for a better deal,” said Bernie Robinson. “Ontario’s hospital nurses and health-care professionals are united in their resolve to achieve a better deal that will ensure Ontarians get the care they need and deserve.”

Hopefully, as bargaining comes to its heat, the province will hear nurses’ rallying cry of “We won’t take it anymore, we know what we’re fighting for! Better staffing, care, and pay! Are you listening, OHA?”