Hope to avoid being forced on strike: ONA
Nurses working for Peterborough Public Health in Peterborough, Ont., are heading into mediation talks on Nov. 26.
“As nurses, we never want to be forced to withdraw our vital services, including disease outbreak control, ensuring new families can care for their infants, and providing injury prevention and health education at schools,” said Vicki McKenna, ONA president.
Without a contract for more than a year, Peterborough public health nurses have already completed four days of negotiations and one day of conciliation with their employer — none of which has resulted in a new collective agreement. They will be in a legal strike position as of Nov. 28, said the union.
These 31 members of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) care for 130,000 people in Ontario communities.
ONA represents more than 65,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.
