ONA will not back down...my first 30 days

Our collective work and perseverance in these first 30 days as your Provincial President is what gets me up in the morning, even as we face the toughest of odds to make change.

I – along with our strong and fierce Board of Directors – have an unyielding desire to improve your work lives and the care of our patients, residents and clients, no matter how difficult the fight may be. Working on the frontlines of health care is akin to chaos at the best of times and we are telling all who will listen.

We ARE in the media – every single day. Since January 1, we have been telling your stories that have been featured in newspapers, on TV and radio, local publications and blogs. It is your stories that matter to our communities, and we will continue to loudly voice our challenges and concerns. And it’s not just me who is speaking with the media; your Board members are hard at work sharing the challenges all health sectors are facing, right across this province. Since the beginning of 2022, ONA has been highlighted in more than 50 articles, features and newscasts – and we will not slow down.

We ARE in constant contact with our labour partners because what we all stand for – fairness, equity, and respect for workers – must continue to be front and centre with the government. ONA actively participated in four emergency labour and government stakeholder health events, each one shining a much-needed light on untenable working conditions and ONA’s solutions for fixing the crisis we are facing.

ONA is changing. We are tougher, more direct and we will not be intimidated to let government officials – including Premier Ford and our elected MPPs – know where ONA stands on the issues and what we stand for. I am meeting with Premier Ford and Minister Elliott this week and – make no mistake – I am ready to demand better. They are our elected officials, and it is their job to listen and act.

Join me with courage and conviction to tell our communities that our health-care workplaces are broken. New energy and new ideas and new money – yes money – are required to begin to repair what’s shattered. Repealing Bill 124 is an important start, and I am proud to report that our Bill 124 action has surpassed the 68,000 mark – that’s one submission for every ONA member! This is an amazing milestone that could not have been reached without you. Thank you for your drive to get this out on social media and into the inboxes of decision-makers.

It is your determination that inspires me; seeing members organizing and pushing back right across the province. We all have a part to play in telling it like it is. The naked truth. This is what you demand of ONA, and what I will strive to do everyday.

And we are just getting started.

Cathryn Hoy, RN
Provincial President