Ontario Nurses’ Association Adamantly Opposed to Today’s Anti-Vaccine Protests

September 13, 2021

September 13, 2021 (Toronto, Ontario) – The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is adamantly opposed to and not endorsing or supporting the anti-vaccine protests taking place outside of five Greater Toronto Area hospitals today.

“Ontario’s nurses and health-care professionals are dedicated and exhausted professionals, who are continuing to care for extremely sick patients under challenging conditions as the pandemic’s fourth wave rages on,” says ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN.

“As a union, ONA is not opposed to peaceful protests, but there is a time, place and subject – and what we are seeing today definitely isn’t it,” she adds. “We know from previous protests on the streets in front of hospitals, that nurses and health-care professionals, along with their patients and their families, were harassed entering the facilities, and we implore these protesters to ensure their safe passage. Hospitals must be safe zones for patients, families and staff.”

Health-care workers deserve our utmost respect and deep gratitude for everything they have done to get us through the past 18 months of the pandemic. And their patients – some of the most vulnerable in the province – are innocent bystanders.

ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 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.

For more information: 

Ken Marciniec: (416) 803-6066 (cell); kenm@ona.org


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