Nurses with Public Health Sudbury and Districts Head to Conciliation: Health Unit Nurses Trying to Avoid a Strike

SUDBURY, Sept. 23, 2019 – Following two days of failed negotiations, public health nurses, registered nurses and nurse practitioners with the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) are heading into conciliation talks with Public Health Sudbury and Districts tomorrow in an attempt to avoid a strike.

“Our dedicated members are deeply disappointed that a negotiated settlement has not yet been reached,” says ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN. “We are committed to reaching an agreement with this employer without being forced to withdraw our services. A strike would disrupt the vital services that our members provide to the 165,000 residents in Greater Sudbury as well as the districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin.”

McKenna notes that the contract for these nurses – who provide a wide range of services for approximately 165,000 residents – expired last March.

“Our highly skilled health unit nurses promote health and resilience in students, prevent chronic disease and injury, collaborate with community partners – including workplaces and daycare centres – to promote health and disease prevention,” says McKenna. “These nurses provide vaccination clinics, monitor for, investigate and control infectious disease outbreaks, provide sexual health clinics, monitor and test for blood-borne infectious disease such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and B, and promote harm-reduction strategies, such as needle exchange programs. They also provide prenatal care and support for high-risk families, breastfeeding clinics, and visits to new parents so that the youngest members of the community receive a healthy start to life.”

ONA expects this employer to “negotiate a fair collective agreement that values the care nurses provide to their community,” says McKenna. “No nurse ever wants to be forced to withdraw services, and we believe this employer does not wish to see services withdrawn either. The community’s health and wellness is too important, and we hope to see respectful and productive conciliation tomorrow.”

ONA is the union representing 65,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as more than 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

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For more information:

Sheree Bond (416) 964-8833, ext. 2430; cell: (416) 986-8240; shereeb@ona.org

Melanie Levenson (416) 964-8833, ext. 2369; melaniel@ona.org