The Ontario Nurses’ Association is hoping it can negotiate a fair and respectful contract with the Regional Municipality of York.  The contract would cover 250 dedicated Public Health Nurses out of the 65,000 total the union represents.

The nurses are responsible for providing a variety of public health services, supporting disease prevention, supporting child developing, and protecting the community in general.  They also focus on preventing illness by promoting a healthy lifestyle for patients.

According to the union’s president Vici McKenna, RN, “Our Public Health Nurses work to keep their community healthy and safe.  Our highly educated and highly skilled nurses run vaccination clinics, including influenza vaccinations, provide pregnancy counseling, prenatal support and support for high-risk families.  They run breastfeeding clinics, partner with multiple community agencies and provide visits to new parents to our youngest community members get a healthy start to life". 

Nurses have been working without a contract since April 2017 and have participate in five days of bargaining and two days of conciliation.  Agreement has been reached concerning some issues, but there are still a number of factors that are not settled.

If mediation fails, the union will go on strike beginning in February.

According to McKenna, the Regional Municipality of York is demanding the nurses make concessions.  She says the professionals do not want to go on strike, but if their employer continues to be aggressive and make demands, they will have no choice.  Based on the outcome of the five previous negotiation sessions, the nurses feel insulted and disrespected.  They are hoping the current mediation feels different and that an outcome can be reached.