MEDIA ADVISORY: Southlake Regional Health Centre RNs, Health-Care Professionals to Hold a Vigil to Call for an End to Violence Against Women

NEWMARKET, ON., December 8, 2020 – Wearing face masks and dressed in black, front-line registered nurses (RNs) and respiratory therapists (RTs) from Southlake Regional Health Centre will hold a vigil later today to remember women who have been impacted and lost their lives to violence and to call for an end to workplace violence against nurses and health-care professionals. They will demand their employer implement stronger measures to stop the violence against nurses and health-care professionals.

Experiencing continuing incidents of workplace violence, the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) Local 124 members have organized the vigil, which will include a silent visual action and remembrance gathering. The RNs and RTs will hold signs detailing the impact of workplace violence. RNs and RTs will speak at the vigil.

As health-care-professionals – especially nurses – are a female-dominated profession and Southlake Regional Health Centre has been the site of multiple incidents of violence, this vigil aligns with the UN’s  International Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, established in 1993. With this declaration comes the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence that run between November 25 and December 10. Southlake recently pleaded guilty and was convicted on two out of nine provincial offenses related to workplace violence.

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: Candlelight Vigil (including a silent visual action and a socially distant remembrance gathering)

      
WHEN: Tuesday, December 8, 2020, 3:30 to 4:30 pm

WHO: Registered nurses and respiratory technologists, members of ONA Local 124, other ONA members, other union members and public supporters       

WHERE: Davis Drive (between Roxborough Road and Prospect Street)

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For more information:

Jill Moore: 416-953-8596