Nurses Hold Community Day of Action for Better Care, Ask Ontarians to Join the Fight

TORONTO, April 23, 2023 /CNW/ - Registered nurses (RNs) and health-care professionals in many locations across the province are out in their communities today, asking the public to support them and join in their fight for better care.

Nurses are calling for a better contract for 60,000 members working in the hospital sector, with better staffing and wages so they can provide better care for Ontarians. The action comes as ONA's negotiations for a new contract with the Ontario Hospital Association ended without an agreement, leaving the parties heading to arbitration soon.

"Simply put, our patients need and deserve better care," says ONA Interim Provincial President Bernie Robinson, RN. "Despite the fact that they are exhausted and many are burnt out, our members are still making use of what little precious down time they have to talk to their communities about the truth of what's happening to health care.

"Our nurses and health-care professionals are in the streets to fulfill their role as patient advocates, to put an end to the practice of Ontario's hospitals operating with unsafe staffing levels that harm patients. The failure to properly invest in our public hospital system is hurting those who rely on quality care."

The nurses and health-care professionals have organized the events to inform people of the very real threats to their health care and explain how the failures of the Ford government and hospital CEOs are hurting the care of those who need it.

"As front-line nurses and health-care professionals, we're informing people of the threats to their health care and making it easy for them to take steps to bring back better care for all," says Robinson. "We are asking Ontarians to join us in the push for better funding for public health care, and a better contract for those who provide that care."

Robinson notes that in the last budget, the Ford government moved funding and care into the hands of private, for-profit providers. "Sending our public taxpayer dollars to those who want to profit from vulnerable Ontarians who need care is unacceptable," says Robinson. "We are asking people today to sign our petitions and voice their opposition to the destruction of our public health-care system. We simply cannot stand idly by while our health-care system is destroyed."

ONA is the union representing 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.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association