Public-Health Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health Nurses, Registered Nurses Attempting to Avoid a Strike
October 26, 2017
GUELPH – Public Health Nurses and Registered Nurses (RNs) working for Public-Health Wellington Dufferin Guelph are entering conciliation talks with their employer as they seek a new contract.
The 72 Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) members have been without a contract since May 1.
“Our dedicated and skilled nurses provide a full range of services to promote health, healthy infant and child development, and protect our communities from communicable and infectious disease outbreaks such as influenza,” says ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. “Among the services our nurses provide to the approximately 285,000 residents of Wellington Dufferin Guelph are clinical services such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C testing, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, immunization clinics, and parental counseling.
“Public Health Nurses and Registered Nurses are dedicated to ensuring the best health for their neighbours,” she said. “From prenatal support for mothers and support for high-risk families, to youth services and inspections of long-term care facilities, their care and knowledge is there.”
ONA has had three days of negotiations with the employer and the two sides will begin conciliation on October 27.
“As nurses, we expect the employer to come prepared to offer a fair contract to our skilled and knowledgeable Public Health Nurses and Registered Nurses so they can continue to deliver excellent services to their community,” says Haslam-Stroud. “ONA always prefers to reach a negotiated settlement, and we encourage this employer to not force our nurses to strike.”
ONA is the union representing 65,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as almost 16,000 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: Ontario Nurses’ Association
Sheree Bond (416) 964-8833, ext. 2430; cell: (416) 986-8240; shereeb@ona.org
Melanie Levenson (416) 964-8833, ext. 2369; melaniel@ona.org
