“Still Fighting” ONA Launches New Ad Campaign as COVID-19 Second Wave Begins

TORONTO, October 9, 2020 – The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is launching a new public awareness campaign on Thanksgiving Monday, reminding Ontarians that front-line registered nurses, nurse practitioners, registered practical nurses and health-care professionals are ‘still fighting’ on the front lines of the pandemic – despite the enormous challenges they are facing.

“Our nurses and health-care providers have never stopped providing care to those who need it, despite what they have had to overcome throughout the pandemic – and even before the pandemic, to be honest,” says ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN. “Nurses in long-term care continue to face understaffing, underfunding and a host of issues. They have also seen their residents and their colleagues become infected with the virus, and mourned the staff and residents who did not survive; hospitals have cut front-line RNs during the worst pandemic in a century; and this government has passed several pieces of legislation that penalize the female-dominated profession of nursing, limiting their pay increases, overriding their collective agreements and Charter rights; they have also seen government opening the home-care sector to privatization.”

McKenna says that despite everything, nurses are fulfilling their professional obligations to advocate for their patients, clients and residents.

“Throughout the pandemic, our members have been there for their patients and they continue to do so while fighting to defend quality care, even as they have been under attack,” McKenna says. “This profession deserves the respect of every Ontarian, of their employers and this government. They are there for others and have earned the gratitude.”

The ONA campaign launches with radio ads and includes social media and television ads. You can view the ads here:  http://nursesknow.ona.org.

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.

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For more information:

Sheree Bond (416) 986-8240 shereeb@ona.org