MEDIA ADVISORY: Front-Line Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, and Health-care Professionals Call for Repeal of Bills 124, 195

Nurses to hold protest at MPP Lorne Coe’s Whitby office Friday

WHITBY, Ont. (July 23, 2020) – Front-line registered nurses, registered practical nurses and health-care professionals will hold a peaceful protest tomorrow to encourage the repeal of Bill 124 and Bill 195.

The rally will be held on Friday, July 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at MPP Lorne Coe’s Whitby constituency office.

Bill 124 is wage-suppression legislation that was passed by the Ford government late last year. It negatively impacts female-dominated professions including registered nurses, registered practical nurses, nurse practitioners, and health-care professionals. Bill 124 limits wage increases to a maximum of one per cent total compensation each year for three years. It interferes with Charter rights to freely bargain, and it is gender biased.

Bill 195 is legislation giving the government broad rights to override the collective agreements of workers for up to two years though the state of emergency due to COVID-19 may be over. This could result in nurses and health-care workers seeing their vacations cancelled, being redeployed to other areas or providers with little warning, and a total disruption of any work-life balance for those who particularly need it.

ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 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.

WHAT:    Peaceful protest by nurses and health-care professionals to stop Bills 124 and 195

WHEN:    Friday, July 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE:  Lorne Coe, MPP’s Office, 101-114 Dundas Street East, Whitby, ON

-30-

For more information:

Amy Marie Prentice: 905-424-9049

Nikki Skillen: 905-718-0503

Shelly Ormsby: 416-276-6193