ONA Front Lines September 2014
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Transcript of ONA Front Lines September 2014
IN THIS ISSUE . . .E4From ONA President
Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN
E5From ONA First Vice-President
Vicki McKenna, RN
Vol. 14 • No. 4SEPTEMBER 2014
egotiations have broken down for a renewed contract for ONA’s 3,000 members work-ing in 174 provincial nursing homes.Our Nursing Homes Central Negotiating Team completed two weeks of bargaining
with the employer in downtown Toronto during the weeks of June 16 and June 23, 2014. Mediation also took place with the assistance of well-respected mediator/arbitrator Kevin Burkett on June 25 - 26.
During those two weeks, the team put forward proposals that address the priorities of our nursing home members, as identified in our most recent Have a Say bargaining survey. Unfortunately, this has been a challenging round, with little agreement from the employer on any substantive issues. In fact, the participating nursing homes tabled a number of regressive proposals, including the gutting of our staffing language that protects
The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association
continues on page 3
N
Members of the Nursing Homes Central Negotiating Team prepare for bargaining during a
week-long orientation session at ONA’s provincial office this past April. As a result of the
recent breakdown in talks, arbitration is scheduled for October 22-23, 2014.INDEXUp Front ........................................................ 3Member News ............................................. 6ONA News ..................................................12OH&S ............................................................16Queen’s Park Update .............................17Student Affiliation ..................................18Education....................................................19Human Rights and Equity ....................20OHC ...............................................................21Awards and Decisions ...........................22
ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION85 Grenville St., Ste. 400Toronto ON M5S 3A2Special Pull-out Feature:
Challenges and Rewards of Home Care Nursing
Included with this issue:THE WORK OF THE UNION: Summer Update
Nursing Homes Contract Talks Break Down
SEPTEMBER 20142 www.ona.org
Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN
President, VM #2254 Communications & Government
Relations / Student Liaison
Vicki McKenna, RN
First VP, VM #2314Political Action & Professional Issues
Pam Mancuso, RN
VP Region 1, VM #7710Human Rights & Equity
Anne Clark, RN
VP Region 2, VM #7758Labour Relations
Andy Summers, RN
VP Region 3, VM #7754Occupational Health & Safety
Dianne Leclair, RN
VP Region 4, VM #7752Local Finance
Karen Bertrand, RN
VP Region 5, VM #7702Education
Michael Balagus
Chief Executive Officer / Chief Administrative Officer
How to contact your 2014 ONA Board of Directors
Call ONA toll-free at 1-800-387-5580 (press 0)
or (416) 964-8833 in Toronto and follow the
operator’s prompts to access board members’
voice-mail. Voice-mail numbers (VM) for Board
members in the Toronto office are listed below.
ONA Provincial Office
85 Grenville St., Ste. 400
Toronto ON M5S 3A2
Tel: (416) 964-8833
Toll free: 1-800-387-5580
Fax: (416) 964-8864
E-mail: [email protected]
ONA is the union representing 60,000 registered nurses and allied
health professionals and more than 14,000 nursing student affiliates
providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the
community, clinics and industry.
www.ona.org
Design: Artifact graphic design (artifactworks.ca)
Printed by union labour: Thistle Printing Limited
Copyright © 2014 Ontario Nurses’ Association
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic,
mechanical, photocopy, recording, or by any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher
(ONA members are excepted).
Editor: Ruth Featherstone
Features Editor: Melanie Levenson
Send submissions to:
Communications and Government Relations
Intake at [email protected].
Contributors: Sheree Bond, Erna Bujna,
Nicole Butt, Mary Lou King, Katherine Russo,
Lawrence Walter
EHamilton 2 King St., W., 2nd Floor Rear Dundas, ON L9H 6Z1 Tel: (905) 628-0850 Fax: (905) 628-2557EKingston 4 Cataraqui St., Ste. 201 Kingston, ON K7K 1Z7 Tel: (613) 545-1110 Fax: (613) 531-9043ELondon 1069 Wellington Rd. South,
Ste. 109 London, ON N6E 2H6 Tel: (519) 438-2153 Fax: (519) 433-2050
EOrillia 210 Memorial Ave., Unit 126A Orillia, ON L3V 7V1 Tel: (705) 327-0404 Fax: (705) 327-0511EOttawa 1400 Clyde Ave., Ste. 211 Nepean, ON K2G 3J2 Tel: (613) 226-3733 Fax: (613) 723-0947ESudbury 40 Larch Street, Unit 203 Sudbury, ON P5E 5M7 Tel: (705) 560-2610 Fax: (705) 560-1411
EThunder Bay #300, Woodgate Centre,
1139 Alloy Dr. Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6M8 Tel: (807) 344-9115 Fax: (807) 344-8850ETimmins Canadian Mental Health
Association Building 330 Second Ave, Ste. 203 Timmins, ON P4N 8A4 Tel: (705) 264-2294 Fax: (705) 268-4355EWindsor 3155 Howard Ave., Ste. 220 Windsor, ON N8X 3Y9
Tel: (519) 966-6350 Fax: (519) 972-0814
ONA Regional Offices
The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association
Vol. 14 • No. 4SEPTEMBER 2014
ISSN: 0834-9088
www.Facebook.com/OntarioNurses
www.Twitter.com/OntarioNurses
www.youtube.com/OntarioNurses
Front Lines can be accessed
on our website at
www.ona.org/frontlines
UP Front
SEPTEMBER 2014 3www.ona.org
continues from cover
Nursing Homes Contract Talks Break Downnurse-patient ratios and nursing hours of care, and benefit and sick leave concessions
– all of which would greatly hamper our abil-ity to provide quality resident care.
While ONA is currently booking additional mediation dates with Mr. Burkett, if a settlement cannot be reached, we have agreed to proceed to arbitration on October 22 - 23, 2014 with Louisa Davie as the Arbitration Board Chair.
“We are frustrated and disappointed that we were not able to achieve a settlement that reflects the valuable services you provide to the residents in your homes,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “Instead, we were faced with bargaining with an em-ployer that continues to make a profit and pay its shareholders, but does not want to ensure we are able to provide quality care with appropriate hours of resident care or pay us a respectable salary.”
It is already difficult to recruit and retain nurses in the province’s nursing homes because they receive lower wages, benefits and pensions than their comparators in not-for-profit homes for the aged and hospitals in Ontario, and we are concerned the situa-tion will only get worse if a decent contract is not put on the table.
“Despite this setback, your team remains strong and united in achieving a contract that respects your value and the care needs of nursing home residents,” added Haslam-Stroud. “We will never waiver from that goal.”
For the latest bargaining news, log onto www.ona.org/bargaining.
JUNE BOARD HIGHLIGHTS
The following are key highlights from
the most recent Board of Directors
meeting, held in London from June 2 - 5,
2014 to coincide with ONA’s Leadership
Conference (see pg. 19 for more infor-
mation on the conference):
A The Board officially kicked off stra-
tegic planning for the upcoming
year, which will focus heavily on
membership engagement. That
includes succession planning at
the Local, Bargaining Unit and staff
levels, revitalizing ONA’s education
programs to reflect our members’
ever-changing needs, and engag-
ing students in the work of the
union.
A The Board Common Mandate and
Accountabilities was refined to
strengthen transparency and en-
sure the Board continues to serve
our members efficiently and effec-
tively.
A ONA will provide a donation in sup-
port of the Working Families cam-
paign, which makes voters aware
of policies that threaten the well-
being of Ontario’s working families.
A ONA President Linda Haslam-
Stroud has accepted an appoint-
ment to the Board of Directors of
the Emerging Leaders Dialogue.
You will find a copy of Board High-
lights on our website (www.ona.org)
under “ONA News.” The next Board
meeting takes place in the ONA pro-
vincial office from September 16 - 19,
2014, and highlights will appear in an
upcoming issue.
Poll Shows Ontarians Concerned about LTCJust as bargaing talks broke down for our
nursing home members, a new survey by
Nanos Research has found that Ontarians
are very concerned about staffing levels at
long-term care homes (LTC) and the physi-
cal condition of older homes in the province.
The survey, commissioned by the On-
tario Long-term Care Association, also
found that 82 per cent believe the govern-
ment needs to invest in LTC now to ensure
seniors receive the quality care they need.
Survey findings include:
• 93 per cent are concerned/somewhat
concerned that staffing levels are insuf-
ficient to properly care for medical and
mental health needs of seniors.
• 92 per cent are concerned/somewhat
concerned about ensuring the good
physical conditions of LTC homes.
• 91 per cent are concerned/somewhat
concerned about the availability of LTC
beds to meet future needs.
• Only 11 per cent believe that because of
government budget pressures, invest-
ments in LTC homes in the province can
be delayed to a later time.
“It’s rare to see Ontarians rally so overwhelm-
ingly around one issue, “said Nik Nanos,
Chairman of the Nanos Research Group. “The
findings are clear – Ontarians have a sense of
urgency about investments in LTC, even in
the face of provincial budget pressures.”
SEPTEMBER 20144 www.ona.org
From ONA President
Chronique de la présidente, AIIO
Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN
Please Join Me
I know from personal experience that there are few actions in life more rewarding than trying to fix what is unfair.
Many of you who know me may have heard about why I first became active in ONA’s work – and it was all about fair-ness. I was a young registered nurse and my employer denied my request for a day off – to attend my own wedding. While I admit that this was a number of years ago, that incident lit a fire in me to fight unfair treatment and practices impacting our members who care so deeply for our patients.
I have been an active, passionate and dedicated advocate for ONA members – and therefore patient care – for decades now, and it has been one of the most rewarding things I could have done. I want to continue to be a voice that makes a difference, and I know that you do too.
I want to ask you to become engaged in our union. Through-out the provincial election period and ONA’s More Nurses campaign, I saw personally the energy and
commitment all ONA members bring to your work. Let’s capital-ize on this energy! Let’s advocate together for quality care, qual-ity collective agreements, and quality work environments.
If this is intimidating, remember that it does not have to mean a huge time commitment. If you have an interest or a knack for scheduling, you could help work on fair scheduling in your place of employment; perhaps it is representing a member to re-turn to work after an injury or illness. You could advocate for reasonable workloads or healthy and safe work environments.
At the provincial level, I will be working with our new health minister to determine exactly where RNs fit in the government’s quality agenda and how all members can be supported in the work you do every day. I invite you to join me to keep ONA a vi-brant, professional, powerful union. Just send your Bargaining Unit President an email, or email me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.
I want to ask you to become engaged in our union.
Je sollicite votre aide
Par expérience personnelle, je sais que dans la vie, rien n’est plus gratifiant que de tenter de corriger une injustice.
Parmi ceux et celles d’entre vous qui me connaissez, bon nombre savent peut-être ce qui m’a poussée au départ à participer ac-tivement à l’AIIO : c’était fondamentalement une question de justice. J’étais une jeune infirmière autorisée et mon employeur avait refusé le congé que j’avais demandé pour assister à mon propre mariage. Bien que cet incident remonte à plusieurs années, il m’a sensibilisée aux pra-tiques et aux traitements injustes que subissent nos membres, qui se soucient tellement de nos patients.
Depuis plusieurs décennies maintenant, je défends avec dyna-misme, passion et dévouement les intérêts des membres de l’AIIO – et, par le fait même, les soins aux patients – et cette expérience a été l’une des plus valorisantes que j’ai connues. Je souhaite continuer de changer le cours des choses, et je sais que vous le voulez également.
Je vous invite à participer activement à notre syndicat. Tout au long des élections provinciales et de la campagne Plus d’infirmières de l’AIIO, j’ai pu constater l’énergie qui anime l’ensemble des membres de l’AIIO et leur dévouement au travail. Tirons parti de cette énergie! Militons ensemble pour des soins de qualité, des conventions collectives de qua-lité et des milieux de travail de qualité.
Si l’idée vous intimide, rappelez-vous qu’il n’est pas nécessaire d’y consacrer énormément de temps. Si l’établissement d’horaires vous intéresse ou si vous êtes douée pour ce genre de tâche, vous pourriez prendre part à l’établissement d’horaires équitables dans votre milieu de travail; ou alors, peut-être seriez-vous intéressée à représenter un membre qui revient au travail après s’être absenté en raison d’une bles-sure ou d’une maladie. Vous pourriez militer en faveur de charges de travail raisonnables ou de milieux de travail sains et sécuritaires.
À l’échelle provinciale, je compte collaborer avec notre nouveau mi-nistre de la Santé afin de définir le rôle exact des IA dans le programme de qualité du gouvernement et la façon dont tous les membres peuvent être soutenus dans le travail qu’ils et elles accomplissent chaque jour. Je vous invite à vous joindre à moi pour faire en sorte que l’AIIO demeure un syndicat dynamique, professionnel et puissant. Il vous suffit d’en-voyer un courriel à votre présidente d’unité de négociation ou à moi à l’adresse [email protected]. Au plaisir d’avoir de vos nouvelles.
SEPTEMBER 2014 5www.ona.org
From ONA First Vice-President
Chronique de la première vice-présidente, AIIO
Vicki McKenna, RN
The Devil’s in the Details
The new RN numbers are in – and there’s little to celebrate.While the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s
annual report on the nursing workforce appears to be some-what rosy on the surface, showing that there were more than 408,000 regulated nurses eligible to practice in Canada in 2012 - 2013, the devil really is in the details.
That’s because the words “eligible to practice” have little mean-ing in today’s environment. The fact is new nurses are finding it in-creasingly difficult to land full-time employment. For a new grad, it’s taking up to five years to find a full-time position as an RN; for RPNs, it can take up to 10 years.
And while the report shows the country’s supply of RNs has grown just 15 per cent since 2003 – the ratio of RNs to population in Ontario (the number that is really key to safe pa-
tient care) is now 710 to 100,000 – we maintain the second worst RN to population ratio in Canada. And Ontario would still have to hire 17,000 more RNs just to catch up to the average. That’s a long way from rosy.
What is particularly telling is that of the increased RNs in On-tario, most were in a part-time position, meaning there were actu-ally 564 fewer full-time RNs working here. We know that full-time positions are instrumental for new RNs to successfully integrate into the profession and reach their full potential in meeting the health care needs of their patients/clients/residents.
We have said this many times, but it bears repeating. Study after study demonstrates the direct link between the number of RNs in the system and the rate of patient mortality and morbidity. Improved RN staffing is associated with better patient outcomes, including a decrease in urinary tract infections, pneumonia, medi-cation errors, falls and skin breakdown, as well as shorter lengths of stay and reduced readmission rates.
ONA will continue to push the government for a commitment to increase the number of RNs working in this province to ensure the quality care Ontarians deserve and expect from us. And I know I can count on you to lobby with us.
There were 564 fewer full-time RNs working here.
Les difficultés surgissent des menus détails
Nous venons de recevoir les nouveaux chiffres au sujet des IA, et il n’y a pas de quoi célébrer.
Alors que le rapport annuel de l’Institut canadien d’infor-mation sur la santé sur les effectifs infirmiers semblait plutôt promet-teur à première vue, indiquant qu’il y avait plus de 408 000 infirmières et infirmiers admissibles à l’exercice de la profession au Canada en 2012-2013, les difficultés surgissent réellement des menus détails.
Le problème réside dans le peu de signification que les termes « admissibles à l’exercice de la profession » revêtent dans le contexte actuel. Dans les faits, les nouveaux infirmiers et infirmières ont de plus en plus de mal à trouver un emploi à plein temps. Les personnes nouvellement diplômées peuvent mettre jusqu’à cinq ans pour trou-ver un poste à plein temps comme IA; quant aux IAA, cela peut prendre jusqu’à 10 ans.
Et tandis que le rapport indique que le nombre d’IA au pays a crû de 15 % seulement depuis 2003 – le ratio IA-population de l’Onta-rio (un chiffre très important pour assurer des soins sécuritaires aux patients) s’établit maintenant à 710 pour 100 000 – soit le deuxième pire ratio IA-population au Canada. Il faudrait que l’Ontario em-bauche 17 000 IA supplémentaires juste pour rattraper la moyenne. Voilà qui est loin d’être réjouissant.
Ce qui est particulièrement révélateur c’est que parmi le nombre d’IA venues s’ajouter en Ontario, la plupart occupaient des postes à temps partiel; ainsi, dans les faits, la province a perdu 564 IA à plein temps. Nous savons que les postes à plein temps jouent un rôle déterminant dans l’intégration professionnelle efficace des IA et dans l’atteinte de leur plein potentiel au chapitre de la prestation de soins de santé à leurs patients/clients/résidents.
Nous l’avons dit plusieurs fois, mais il serait utile de le répéter : étude après étude, on a démontré qu’il existe un lien direct entre le nombre d’IA au sein du réseau et le taux de mortalité et de morbidité des patients. L’augmentation du nombre d’IA est associée à une amé-lioration de l’état de santé des patients, y compris une diminution des infections urinaires, des pneumonies, des erreurs de traitement, des chutes et des lésions de la peau, de même qu’à des durées de séjour plus courtes et à des taux de réadmission moins élevés.
L’AIIO continuera d’inciter le gouvernement à s’engager à aug-menter les effectifs d’IA en Ontario pour que nous puissions donner aux Ontariens les soins de qualité qu’ils s’attendent, à juste titre, à recevoir de notre part. Je sais que je peux compter sur vous pour faire campagne avec nous.
In MemoriamONA is deeply saddened to learn of
the passing of former Local 51 Coor-
dinator Jo-Anne Bilodeau on July 12,
2014.
After graduating from Oshawa
General Hospital School of Nursing
in 1971, Jo-Anne worked at Oshawa
General Hospital, which became Lak-
eridge Health, for more than 35 years
in the labour and delivery unit.
Actively involved in ONA through-
out her nursing career, Jo-Anne
served many positions within her Lo-
cal, including negotiations represen-
tative, grievance representative and
Local 51 Coordinator from 1998-2000.
She also ran for a position on the ONA
Board of Directors for (the then) Re-
gion 8.
A nurse through and through, Jo-
Anne, who considered “lazy movie
afternoons” with her grandchildren
highlights of her life, didn’t com-
pletely give up nursing practice af-
ter retiring from Lakeridge Health in
2004, working at Comcare (Revera)
where she trained personal support
workers, among other tasks. She also
continued to nurse those within her
condo community.
ONA extends our heartfelt condo-
lences to the family, friends and col-
leagues of this remarkable member.
ONA Members Across Ontario
SEPTEMBER 20146 www.ona.org
ONA members working at Humber River Hospital in Toronto have once again called in an In-
dependent Assessment Committee (IAC) to examine RN staffing levels, fragmentation of pa-
tient care, improper staff support and an incorrect use of skill mix for the type of patient on
the endoscopy unit.
“The hospital has not used a skill mix of caregivers that complies with College of Nurses of
Ontario standards, leaving patients vulnerable and our nurses’ licenses to practice at risk,” said
ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “In addition, there have been front-line staff cuts that
have resulted in staff having to work too many overtime hours, miss their breaks and work
late. This, studies have shown, only leads to burnout, injury and a higher risk of staff making
errors that hurt patients.”
Unfortunately, this is not the first time our members have had to call for an IAC at Humber
River. In the spring of 2013, RNs in the emergency department of the Church and Finch Street
sites called for an IAC to examine the hospital’s decision to implement a new model of nursing
care. Unfortunately, more than a year later and despite our best efforts, Humber management
has refused to address the serious issues.
“While our members have gone to great lengths to attempt to solve the concerns, the
employer is not interested in ensuring that our patients get the care they need and deserve,”
added Haslam-Stroud. “But we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure they
finally do.”
Humber River RNs Call for IAC to Look at Unsafe Staffing Levels – Again
The team preparing for the IAC at Humber River Hospital’s endoscopy unit gets to
work at the Holiday Inn Toronto-Yorkdale this past June. Pictured are (back row, left
to right) Litigation Team Manager Sharan Basran, Labour Relations Officer Sheri
Street, member Beverley Gilley-Yannuzzi, Region 3 Vice-President Andy Summers.
Front row (left to right) Bargaining Unit President Micheal Howell, member Nancy
McCarron, Professional Practice Specialist Mariana Markovic.
SEPTEMBER 2014 7www.ona.org
ONA’s Bargaining Unit Presidents: Working Hard for You!Name: Maureen Williamson, RN.
ONA Claim to Fame: Local 70
Coordinator and Bargaining Unit
President for 3,100 RNs at Hamil-
ton Health Sciences (HHS).
The Early Years: After graduat-
ing in 1984 from Mohawk Col-
lege, I worked temporarily in the emergency
department (ED) of McMaster University
Medical Centre (now part of HHS). I eventu-
ally secured a part-time and then full-time
job before leaving to work in private practice
in a plastic surgery and then a neurosurgery
office. I came to the Henderson site of HHS
(now Juravinski site) in January 2002 as an
RN/charge nurse in the ED.
Why She Got Involved: I knew about the union
from my time at McMaster, as the Chedoke
site was organized. At the time we had talked
amongst ourselves about the union, but never
brought it forward because we had been
warned not to. So, it was quite different when
I came to HHS and began as a unit rep pretty
much right away at the encouragement of my
fellow members. There were a lot of changes
in management and people felt intimidated
talking about the collective agreement. A lot
of members asked about scheduling, vacation
time and seniority. As time went on, more man-
agers would discuss the collective agreement
with me, asking if they were following the right
process. I’d refer them to our Bargaining Unit
President because that’s where final decisions
need to be sent – not that I minded helping. In
2010, I was elected to the site VP position, and in
the fall of 2012, as Local Coordinator/Bargaining
Unit President. I wanted to do more with the
union because it’s all about proper workload
and being able to care for our patients. The only
way to make changes was to get involved and
have my voice heard. There are good ideas out
there. I felt I could help facilitate them.
Why She Loves it: I love this role,
I really do. ONA is so well organ-
ized. I have helped build an execu-
tive team of 13 women, who do a
lot of brainstorming. And without
this team by my side, I couldn’t do
the work I need to do for Local 70.
I was seconded to Clinical Man-
ager of the ED (2009-2010), which has helped
tremendously with my executive team. But
even during those management years, I kept
in touch with ONA. In my heart, I was still
union.
Biggest Misconception: Members mis-
takenly perceive my role as a 9-to-5 job.
Some mornings, I start at 7 a.m. if I need to
work around a member’s schedule. I could
be running around from two to three sites
all day, meeting with members about things
such as practice issues, grievances and at-
tendance awareness because we have that
program here, and HR people about program
and master schedule changes, and then fin-
ish at 6 p.m. I will sometimes call members
from home during the evening, and on week-
ends, I’m often on my computer doing work.
I’m involved in the Nursing Grad Guarantee
Committee (NGG), as both an RN and ONA
rep, and the NGG Reinvestment Fund Com-
mittee. We have regular Hospital-Association
Committee meetings that I attend, and mem-
bers will often drop into the Local office.
Reaching out: A couple times a year, the
site VPs will visit each unit to see what’s hap-
pening. We promote ONA provincial and our
Local 70 website as much as possible. Every
year during Nursing Week, we hold an event
at a local restaurant and we’ll have a lot of
dialogue about ONA. At each site, members
generally seem to be aware of who their site
VP is. That’s good, as they should reach out
to the site VP first. That person can provide
more immediate answers and contact. But
In this ongoing Front Lines series, we profile our Bargaining Unit Pres-
idents in all sectors, including the ins and outs of their challenging role,
how they manage to give so much of themselves for their members – and
why they wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m still aware of everything that goes on, and
if they come straight to me first, that’s fine.
Most Rewarding Part of the Job: When we
succeed at keeping someone with perma-
nent restrictions in a job, and when people
are wronged and have a loss of income, espe-
cially in the area of long-term disability, and
we can fix it, it’s very rewarding. I believe I’m
making a difference, and when we see a posi-
tive change, it makes me feel good.
And the Most Challenging: When I can’t
find a fit for permanently accommodated
members. I remember talking about conflict
resolution during an ONA workshop and the
facilitator said we can’t take things person-
ally. When you have a member who berates
you in an email, for example, you have to
leave it. I know I won’t get better at that, but
I’ve learned that it’s OK if I don’t.
Why She’s Proud: I support everything ONA
stands for. We are the ones who speak for the
optimal patient care that we can provide.
I love how ONA promotes the jobs we love
and to maintain what we have. On our Local
office wall, we have the ONA Vision State-
ment [Our Union. Respected. Strong. United.
Committed to members who care for people]
and that really says it all. That’s exactly what
ONA does. I truly believe in the union.
Calling all Inactive Members: To inactive
members, I would say I would be happy to
talk to you. Let me tell you what your union
dues do for you. If you get into an unfortu-
nate situation, you might have to involve
our Legal Expense Assistance Plan (LEAP)
Team, and we can’t ask for anything better. I
would drop everything to guide you. I would
invite you to come to a meeting and share
your ideas because we can’t do it alone. Even
though you are not involved in ONA, we are
all ONA. It’s your union and we have to work
together.
ONA Members Across Ontario
SEPTEMBER 20148 www.ona.org
Showing your ONA Pride for a Good CauseInterested in promoting your profession
and union while raising money for a good
cause? Then one of our Locals has just the
answer!
Local 8 is selling ONA decals in a va-
riety of colours and sizes with differing
messages, including “ONA,” “Proud to be
an ONA RN,” “Proud to be an RPN,” “Proud
to be an NP,” and “ONA Supporter.” You
can also customize your own decals if, for
example, you wanted to include your Lo-
cal number.
“When Locals 8 and 11 were merged,
I thought it would be a good idea to do
something to bring us all together as one
Local,” said Local 8 Coordinator Susan Som-
merdyk. “And what better way than to ap-
peal to the caring nature of our work and
our union by raising money for charity?”
One dollar from every decal sold goes
to charity and the Local does not make
any profit off any of these items, she said,
noting “we are supporting charities that
are underfunded and are really suffering,
including food banks, homeless centres,
street kids’ programs, women’s shelter
and school lunch programs. They desper-
ately need our help.”
If you are interested in purchasing de-
cals, go to www.bradgoldring.com/ona to
view available colours and sample pictures.
To customize the wording, or if you have
any other questions, contact Sommerdyk
Expert Panel Issues Recommendations for First Time at CCACAn Independent Assessment Committee (IAC) looking into care coordinators’ concerns about
patient care and access to community services, staffing levels and patient safety at the Erie St.
Clair Community Care Access Centre (ESC-CCAC) has issued 32 recommendations – the first time
a panel has been called in to resolve CCAC issues.
The care coordinators, highly-skilled RNs, physiotherapists, social workers, occupational
therapists, respiratory therapists and speech therapists, had provided written documentation
that inadequate staffing levels and process issues were negatively affecting patient care, leaving
them concerned about meeting their professional standards. These members have the respon-
sibility of assessing the level of care patients require, developing and implementing patient-cen-
tered plans for in-home and community health care services, and providing ongoing evaluation
to ensure the changing care needs of their patients are addressed.
Following a three-day hearing, the expert nursing panel issued recommendations to address is-
sues it acknowledges exist at the CCAC. Among them, 10 recommendations dealt with staffing and
workload; four with the scope of unregulated health care providers working at the CCAC and the
need for training; four with keeping the professional responsibility clause of care coordinators flow-
ing in a timely manner; and eight address morale and workplace culture. The panel acknowledged
the passion these members have for their work and the dedication to the care of their clients.
While the organization has failed to add a promised additional 15 care coordinators – just
eight have been hired – the panel also agreed the remaining vacancies must be filled to ensure
patients receive the care they deserve.
“We are pleased to see the panel acknowledged that workload and staffing levels are signifi-
cant issues at the Erie-St. Clair CCAC,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “ONA is counting
on the employer to implement all the recommendations contained in the report so patients who
require timely access to CCAC services receive the quality care they need and deserve.”
To read the full report, log onto www.ona.org/iac.
Getting into the Swing of Things!Looks like Local 21 is having a ball! The sun shone brightly this past May as members
headed to Bluewater Golf Course in Bayfield to take part in the Local’s annual golf tourna-
ment. While all clearly showed they are up to “par,” including the team from Clinton
Hospital (left photo) – Janine DeJong, Richard Degraffenreid, Kim Kruse and Local 21 Co-
ordinator Dianne Miller – it was the team from the OB unit of Huron Perth Healthcare Alli-
ance (right photo) that took home the grand prize – and showed a little Canadian spirit
along the way!
SEPTEMBER 2014 9www.ona.org
Workload Settlement will See Positive Changes in Sault Hospital Labour and Delivery UnitDespite the flurry of Independent Assessment
Committee (IAC) hearings of late, ONA has
had yet another successful professional prac-
tice complaint settlement that has not had to
reach that stage, this time at Sault Area Hospi-
tal’s (SAH) labour and delivery unit.
Workload and practice concerns in this
unit were brought to the forefront in April
2013. The unit used to participate in the Man-
aging Obstetrical Risk Efficiently Program
(MOREOB), a comprehensive performance
improvement program that creates a cul-
ture of patient safety in obstetrical units, but
ceased to do so in 2009 as a cost-cutting mea-
sure by the hospital. In addition, in 2011, the
dedicated nurse educator was replaced by a
“corporate” educator, who was split between
corporate initiatives and supporting both
the maternal/child and surgical programs.
The unit was also experiencing significant
workload and practice issues on shifts where
either one or more caesarian section(s) was
scheduled and/or two inductions of labour.
Furthermore, the unit’s policies were outdat-
ed and not supportive of best practices.
“The nurses were very concerned and had
some concrete ideas about what they wanted
to happen on this unit,” noted Professional
Practice Specialist Jo Anne Shannon. “The
employer was committed to working with us
to resolve the issues and avoid an IAC.”
As a result, ONA and the employer signed
a binding Minutes of Settlement this past
May, which includes the following significant
achievements: the MOREOB Program will be
re-instituted; the nurse educator will be solely
dedicated to the maternal/child program for
two days per week; the hospital will do every-
thing reasonably possible to have one addi-
tional RN scheduled when there is one c-sec-
tion or two inductions of labour; and a large
number of policies will be developed/updated
to deal with workload/practice concerns.
The parties will evaluate the implementa-
tion of the resolutions in six months for com-
pletion and in 12 months for effectiveness
and sustainability.
“This settlement is another example of work-
ing with our SAH employer to improve work-
load, working conditions and quality patient
care,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud.
Supporting our Union Allies
Instead of relaxing in their downtime this summer, ONA members
throughout the province have been showing the true meaning of
the word, “solidarity.” Waving banners reading, “nurses support
Durham municipal workers,” members of Local 51, including Local
Coordinator Cynthia Rogers (wearing green hat), join striking mem-
bers of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1764
outside the Durham Regional Headquarters in Whitby this past
June (right photo). Approximately 1,500 inside municipal workers
were forced to take job action on June 19, 2014 after the employer
continued to push for concessions, targeting Emergency Medical
Services workers’ sick leave plans, during bargaining talks. A new
contract has since been ratified. No doubt remembering the support
shown to them during their strike in April 2012, Haldimand-Norfolk
Health Unit Bargaining Unit President Melanie Holjak and member
Carley Willems showed their support at a CUPE information rally on
June 4 for Children’s Aid Society workers (left photo). The workers
were protesting forced unpaid days, workload issues and cuts to
services for children.
ONA Members Across Ontario
SEPTEMBER 201410 www.ona.org
Public Health Members Concerned with Revised Medication Practice Standard
While ONA welcomes legislative and regula-
tory amendments that provide RNs and RPNs
with access to the controlled act of dispens-
ing medication, some members, particularly
those in public health, have expressed con-
cerns about the wording of the revised Medi-
cation Practice Standard from the College of
Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and are seeking clar-
ity from ONA.
Those concerns relate to the requirement
that RN and RPNs “accept an order to dis-
pense that is complete and includes the or-
der date, client name and medication name,
dose in units, route, frequency, purpose,
quantity to dispense and prescriber’s name,
signature and designation.”
Requiring prescribers to include the pur-
pose of the medication is causing some is-
sues in public health units, especially ones
that do not have a physician in the sexual
health clinic. For example, vulnerable clients
seeking low or no-cost contraception from
public health units with a prescription from
an external provider are now experiencing
delays in accessing their medication because
the purpose, which could be not just preg-
nancy prevention, but cycle regulation or
acne control, is not included.
Because the College of Physicians and
Surgeons does not require the purpose of
What the Revised Medication Practice Standard MeansE The CNO’s Medication Practice Standard has been revised to include
dispensing by both RNs and RPNs.
E It does require the prescriber to include the purpose of the medication before the nurse can dispense the medication.
E Nurses would not be authorized to dispense the medication if the purpose is not on the prescription.
E If the purpose is not included, the nurse would be accountable to approach the prescriber.
the medication to be included on a doctor’s
prescription, nor does the CNO require that
nurse practitioners include such information,
public health nurses can be left scrambling
trying to contact the prescriber. And many
report to us that some physicians refuse
this information or write inappropriate com-
ments on prescriptions, leading to concerns
about patient privacy.
ONA Professional Practice staff looked
into the revised Medication Practice Standard
and confirmed that RNs and RPNs are not au-
thorized to dispense medication without a
purpose, meaning these nurses are account-
able for approaching the prescriber if the
purpose is not indicated.
Several of our members and the Regis-
tered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)
have written letters expressing these con-
cerns to the CNO, with the RNAO urging the
College to remove the requirement to in-
clude the purpose of a medication in an or-
der to dispense, or work with the College of
Physicians and Surgeons to harmonize prac-
tice standards to ensure that prescribers are
required to include the purpose of the medi-
cation in their prescriptions in the first place.
SEPTEMBER 2014 11www.ona.org
RNs’ Quality of Worklife Initiative Put into PracticeThe quality of worklife pilot project designed
by ONA members at North York General Hos-
pital (NYGH) more than two years ago is not
only being put into practice on a permanent
basis at their hospital, it’s being implement-
ed at other provincial facilities as well.
Transforming our Culture was one of the
projects approved for funding in the fall of
2011 by the Ministry of Health and Long-
Term Care, in conjunction with their local
Bargaining Unit. The money supported front-
line nurses looking at ways to enhance qual-
ity nurse environments and patient care,
thereby augmenting nurse retention (see
June 2012 issue of Front Lines, pg. 11).
For the next several months, project lead
Tiffany Wichert and her team Susan Pearce,
Alicia Jones, Primrose Mharara and Siew Tang
– all RNs – conducted 237 face-to-face in-
terviews with patients on all inpatient units,
asking open-ended questions about their
experiences at the hospital and what could
improve them.
The team presented their findings in May
2012, recommending that nurses “get back to
the basics” when it comes to communicating
with patients to not only put them at ease,
but to determine if there are any underlying
issues or concerns. The timing was perfect,
as the hospital was moving towards patient
and family-centred care, which shares similar
principles.
While the nurses expected that might be
the end of it, two years later, they are thrilled
to report their project has been put into place
in the hospital’s emergency department (ED),
where Tang works, and applies to all ED staff.
“Questionnaires sent to patients by the
hospital following discharge have found
a dramatic increase in patient satisfaction
since these new principles were put in place.”
said Tang.
“In the pilot, we recommended that it
needs to be more than just nurses who do
this,” said Wichert. “So to see our vision com-
ing true in the ED is wonderful.”
Also wonderful for the team is seeing the
project spreading, as the hospital recently re-
ceived funding to implement it through the
late-career initiative.
“The late-career initiative is a way of
moving the project beyond the ED,” added
Wichert. “It’s basically taking that pilot and
getting late-career nurses to do those in-
terviews and allowing them time away from
their regular duties. If it is successful, maybe
we’ll find other ways to implement it for oth-
er nurses down the road.”
Pearce already has. As NYGH is a teaching
hospital, she frequently sees new residents
and clerks on her labour and delivery unit,
which “gives you the opportunity to teach
them that this basic thing can change the
whole outcome for their career and the pa-
tient.”
And Jones notes that she and Mharara are
now engaged in a project about increasing
family presence in the intensive care unit, as
a direct result of the pilot, where “the staff are
becoming more aware of what it means to
provide care from the patient’s perspective
and acknowledging that they are an impor-
tant part of the interprofessional team.”
As the nurses have presented their pilot
to several hospitals in the province and at
many conferences, word is spreading beyond
their facility walls as well.
“It seems like every conference we go to
some other organization is asking how can
we do that, can you teach us?” said Wichert.
“It’s a good feeling. We hold our heads high.”
“It’s the little things that
make a huge difference,”
said Siew Tang (left), pic-
tured with two members of
the Transforming our Culture
pilot project team, Tiffany
Wichert (middle) and Susan
Pearce at North York General
Hospital. Missing from the
photo are Alicia Jones and
Primrose Mharara.
Did You Receive Your Annual Planner?You spoke and we listened! As many of you had requested your 2015 annual planner a bit earlier, we are including it in this issue of Front Lines.
If you did not receive your annual planner or if it was damaged in any way, please contact Communications and Government Relations Team Intake at [email protected].
ONA News
MAY 201412 www.ona.org
With ONA members stepping up to the plate
like never before in the lead-up to the recent
provincial election, two words came up time
and time again at the June Provincial Coordi-
nators Meeting, hosted by Region 3: thank you.
“We have shown true advocacy throughout
this campaign, not only within our Bargaining
Units as front-line leaders, but also as political
activists, and I thank you all for that,” ONA Presi-
dent Linda Haslam-Stroud said in kicking off
the meeting, held from June 10-11 at the pic-
turesque Nottawasaga Inn and Resort in Allis-
ton. “Your passion to fight for a publicly funded,
administered and delivered health care system
and RN positions has been inspiring. This is crit-
ical as patients are looking for us to advocate
for them. And I think with this campaign, we
have done just that.”
That message was echoed enthusiastically
by guest speaker Ontario Health Coalition Pro-
vincial Director Natalie Mehra, who commend-
ed ONA for our radio ads urging the public to
choose care, not cuts on Election Day because
the provincial election campaign was bereft of
any real discussion about health care.
“I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all
of you for everything you do with us,” she said.
“MPPs know who we are. Every single issue we
work on, we bring about change – we may not
get all the things we want, but we get close.
And we couldn’t do it without your involve-
ment in our local health coalitions.”
Past Ontario Regional Director and National
President of the Canadian Nursing Students’ As-
sociation Carly Whitmore, now “a proud Local
75 member,” said she felt ONA’s presence every
day as a student and feels it now a new grad.
“Thank you for really looking out for stu-
dent nurses and new grads,” she stated. “What
the Ontario Hospital Association was propos-
ing during the recent round of bargaining [a
three per cent decrease in the start rate for
new grads] didn’t happen because of you.
Thank you for fighting to have new nurses val-
ued as members of the team.”
Local Leaders Thanked for Advocacy at June PCM
And after hearing our own members and
staff present about their workload success
stories, including the Nipigon Independent
Assessment Committee (IAC) and the pre-IAC
settlement at Sault Area Hospital’s labour and
delivery unit (see pg. 9), First Vice-President
Vicki McKenna said, “thank you all for bring-
ing your workload discussions to the table
and putting your employers’ feet to the fire.
We mean business when it comes to patient
safety and are leading the way in the country. I
know it’s hard, but I am very proud of the work
you are doing on the front lines.”
The week, which also included some
much-needed down time so delegates could
get to know this corner of the province a let-
ter better, concluded on June 12 with a highly
informative education session on our defined
benefit pension plans, featuring presentations
by experts in the field.
Full highlights of the meeting are avail-
able at www.ona.org/news_details/june14_
pcm.html. Our PCM Précis wrap-up video is
also available on our home page and the
ONA YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/
ontarionurses.
MAY 2014 13www.ona.org
With the influenza season just around the
corner, ONA is continuing to work hard to en-
sure both the rights of our members and the
health of our patients are protected.
The Right to ChooseWhile British Columbia and Saskatchewan
have implemented policies forcing health
care workers to get the flu vaccine or wear a
surgical mask while caring for patients dur-
ing the flu season, generally considered to be
from October/November until March/April,
and several Ontario health care employers
have followed suit, ONA remains steadfast
that such workers should have the right to
choose whether they receive the vaccine.
“We strongly believe that forced vaccina-
tion is not the way to go,” said ONA President
Linda Haslam-Stroud. “It’s a violation of our
human rights, plain and simple, and akin to
assault on health care workers.”
The Ontario government has announced
no plans to implement similar policies as our
western counterparts – in fact, at the Novem-
ber 2013 Provincial Coordinators Meeting,
Premier Kathleen Wynne told ONA delegates
that while she supports health care workers
voluntarily receiving the flu vaccine, “at the
end of the day, I believe it has to be a choice.”
But that hasn’t stopped a flurry of provincial
health care employers from giving their health
care workers the immunize-or-mask ultima-
tum, even if there is no outbreak of the flu.
“This heavy-handed approach is intended
to punish health care workers for making a
personal health decision, especially because
there is no research to suggest that wearing
a surgical mask does anything to lower the
Where we’re at with the Flu Vaccine
transmission rate of influenza,” added Haslam-
Stroud. “Outing nurses who do not choose
vaccination with mandatory mask-wearing
provides a false sense of security for our pa-
tients, who think they are protected from the
flu if a nurse walks into their room wearing a
surgical mask or because she or he has had a
flu vaccine, and skirts health care employers
from looking for and implementing more ef-
fective and non-punitive measures.”
Infection Control PlansWith that in mind, ONA is calling for evidence-
based infection control plans, which would
go far beyond vaccinations and masks. These
plans would involve a complex and sustained
number of actions by health care employers,
including stopping the overcrowding of pa-
tients, ensuring good ventilation, disinfect-
ing surfaces, good hand-washing practices,
screening patients and visitors thoroughly,
and implementing good sick-leave policies
that don’t force staff to come to work when
under the weather. It also goes without say-
ing that such plans also require an appropri-
ate number of RNs in our system.
“Employers are putting all their eggs
into this one fragile basket they are calling
vaccination and it’s just full of holes,” noted
Haslam-Stroud. “Practicing good infection
control all around is much more effective
in influenza prevention and stopping the
spread of infectious diseases than forcing
the wearing of ineffective masks, which can
become uncomfortable and at some point
intolerable for a large fraction of wearers.”
With the flu season soon upon us, Region
3 Vice-President Andy Summers and ONA
Health and Safety Specialist Nancy Johnson
have begun meeting with the country’s fore-
most flu experts and infectious-disease spe-
cialists to discuss infection control and cur-
rent research. Our goal is to formulate pro-
posals/strategies that rely on evidence and
science while taking into account freedom
of choice to receive the flu immunization,
which we hope can be used as province-
wide directives. We will also engage the gov-
ernment in discussions to see where we can
move forward.
ONA is also taking on this issue through
the grievance process to ensure our mem-
bers’ rights are upheld.
Collective Agreement Language“The fact is RNs are well educated in the ap-
propriate protective equipment to don in
the appropriate circumstances, and we have
negotiated language in our collective agree-
ments about procedures during an influenza
outbreak in our facilities, which protect both
patients and nurses,” concluded Haslam-
Stroud. “We cannot be denied the opportu-
nity and right to make decisions about our
health and welfare, especially knowing that
health care employers can and should be
doing so much more to prevent the spread
of infectious diseases than imposing immu-
nize-or-mask policies.”
“Masking” the Problem:
ONA News
SEPTEMBER 201414 www.ona.org
Provincial Elections Coming this Fall
It’s almost that time of year again – time for
the election to determine who will form the
next ONA Board of Directors.
This fall, the election is for the positions
of the five Regional Vice-Presidents. The term
of the ONA President and First Vice-President
does not end until December 2015.
All members with entitlements are eligi-
ble to vote, once again through the televote
system. Televoting – or voting with the key-
pad of your telephone using a series of easy-
to-follow prompts – is fast, accurate, com-
pletely confidential and can be done from
the comfort of your own home. It only takes
about three or four minutes.
You will be able to vote for the candi-
date of your choice as soon as you receive
your nomination package in the mail this
fall, which contains information about the
candidates and what you need to access
the televote system – right up until the vote
closes at 2400 hours on November 1, 2014.
Results will be made available soon after the
televote closes on our website and published
in the subsequent issue of Front Lines.
The November issue of Front Lines will
contain information on the candidates run-
ning and details on how to place your vote.
Election information will also be posted on
the ONA website at www.ona.org/VPelections.
Front Lines, Media Guide Win 2014 Apex AwardsYour Front Lines magazine, feature section and ONA’s user-friendly media
guide have recently won prestigious North American Apex awards.
The Apex awards, which are sponsored by the editors of the news-
letter Writing That Works, are based on excellence in graphic design,
editorial content and success in achieving overall communica-
tions effectiveness and excellence. This is the 26th year of the
awards.
Front Lines received an award for Publications Excellence in the “Magazines, Journals
and Tabloid Print” category. The pull-out feature section, Speak out for Your Rights, included
in the October 2013 issue of Front Lines, won in the “Editorial and Advocacy Writing Cat-
egory.” And ONA’s handy booklet, Media Relations: Your Guide to Engaging the Media was
singled out in the “Print Media” category.
The Apex awards, judged by a group of distinguished communications experts, are
open to communicators in corporate, non-profit and independent settings throughout
North America. More than 2,100 entries were submitted in 2014.
Find it Fast: Your Collective AgreementIt takes only one click to find your workplace collective agreement on the ONA website at
www.ona.org.
Now part of the main navigation (the very top menu) on the site, “Contracts” contains
the central agreements and the Local appendices for all sectors. On your mobile device,
Contracts is one of the top menu choices.
The new hospital central collective agreement (English and French versions) are found
at the top of the Contracts page, while the Local agreements are found further down. Use
the links at the top to jump to your sector.
Visit www.ona.org/ca to access the Contracts page directly.
Can’t find something on the ONA website? Email Communications Officer Katherine
Russo at [email protected] with your queries.
SEPTEMBER 2014 15www.ona.org
Fund Hospitals Appropriately, ONA Urges in Response to Provincial BudgetThe reintroduction of a provincial budget on
July 14, 2014, mirroring the one that spurred
the provincial election in May, has ONA calling
for a review of hospital funding to ensure safe,
quality patient care.
In the budget, funding for the health care
sector increases overall from $48.8 billion to
50.1 billion in 2014-15, $51.0 billion in 2015-16
and $52.1 billion in 2016-17, which amounts
to an increase overall of $3.3 billion and an av-
erage growth of 2.2 per cent.
The overall health sector increase for 2014-
15 of $1.3 billion includes funding for home and
community care and for infrastructure in hos-
pitals and the community sector. However, the
budget continues to hold overall base operating
funding for hospitals to zero per cent for 2014-
15. This is the third year of zero growth in base
funding for hospitals and the sixth year of hospi-
tal base funding below the rate of inflation.
“While we certainly welcome community
care funding, it cannot come at the expense
of already underfunded hospitals,” said ONA
President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “The lack of
funding increases for hospitals continues to
result in job cuts, millions of lost hours of RN
care, bed closures and services cuts – and our
patients are suffering.”
ONA continues to call on the government to
fully fund the key services that our patient must
be able to access in public hospitals because
the reality is there will always be patients who
are seriously ill enough to require hospital care.
“Cuts leave our patients in the cold when
they need hospital-based acute nursing care,”
Haslam-Stroud concluded. “The infrastructure
spending for hospitals is positive, but bricks
and mortar mean nothing without sufficient
caregivers at the bedside.”
ONA Legal Counsel Receives Recognition for Promotion of Women’s Equality Rights
On hand to congratulate and support ONA counsel Kate Hughes on her receipt of the 2014 Ontario Bar
Association Award of Excellence in the Promotion of Women’s Equality are (left to right) Director Dan
Anderson, Litigation Team Manager Sharan Basran, ONA general counsel Elizabeth McIntyre, who
presented the award, Hughes, ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, Director Marie Kelly and First Vice-
President Vicki McKenna.
A member of ONA’s legal counsel has received the 2014 Ontario Bar Association Award of
Excellence in the Promotion of Women’s Equality.
Kate Hughes, who works for the firm Cavalluzzo, Shilton, McIntyre, Cornish LLP and has
been a speaker at many ONA education sessions, received the award during a special awards
dinner on May 27, 2014, attended by ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, First Vice-President
Vicki McKenna and members of staff. Only one such award is given per year, and ONA was a
strong supporter of Hughes’
nomination.
The award recognizes
the significant contributions
made by feminist lawyers to
the promotion of women’s
equality rights in Canadian
society, through their work
for social justice or the ad-
vancement of substantive
laws. The recipient must be
a woman lawyer who has
demonstrated her com-
mitment to the values of
equality and equity by her
outstanding, sustained con-
tribution to the advance-
ment of women’s equality in
Canada.
“Kate encompasses
all these attributes and many more,” said
Haslam-Stroud. “She has worked tirelessly,
fighting for the rights of our members and
the rights of all women for many years. I
know you join me in congratulating Kate on
this much-deserved award.”
SEPTEMBER 201416 www.ona.org
• • •
OCCUPATIONAL Health & Safety
Panel Hears Collective Messages about OHS Improvements It is an unfortunate reality that worker inju-
ries and illness occur in all workplace sectors
– from health care to manufacturing to min-
ing. Yet, when an opportunity arises for unions
and stakeholders to raise common issues and
awareness to decision-makers, their collective
messages become louder and clearer.
This is precisely what occurred this past
May. The Ministry of Labour’s (MOL) Chief Pre-
vention Officer (CPO) launched a Review Panel
to learn about mining occupational health
and safety (OHS) issues and to prevent injuries
and illness in miners.
Enact the precautionary principleAmong those that presented to the panel
were ONA Health and Safety Specialist Nancy
Johnson and Sylvia Boyce from the United
Steelworkers. As Johnson noted, “Our sec-
tors do have common occupational health
and safety issues. In fact, Sylvia’s number one
recommendation for the mining sector is to
enact the precautionary principle, which Jus-
tice Archie Campbell highlighted in his SARS
Commission Report.” (See sidebar below.)
Although some may think it’s a bit of a
stretch to compare health care workplaces
to mines from an occupational health and
safety (OHS) perspective, there are common
threads that can be weaved together – and
fraught with serious hazards and issues –
from workplace violence to falls to chemical
exposures – Johnson’s frank presentation fo-
cused on the Internal Responsibility System
(IRS). Briefly, employers are most responsible
for workplace safety and employees play a
contributory role to ensure that a safe and
healthy workplace is maintained for all work-
ers. The IRS is supported by a Joint Health
and Safety Committee (JHSC), which should
be comprised of employer and employee
representatives. A functional IRS is key to a
sustained OHS prevention program.
Unfortunately, the IRS does not always
work well in health care, as Johnson pointed
out to the panel.
“The IRS is supposed to rain down from
the highest levels. Yet in our experience,
Workplace Violence Count
Schedule 2 1,107
(employers not covered under the WSIB)
Health care 639
Services 140
Manufacturing 77
Exposures Count
Schedule 2 980
Health care 932
Services 720
Manufacturing 236
Total Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
Schedule 2 4,866
Services 4,483
Health care 2,729
Manufacturing 2,161
Hospitals are dangerous workplaces, like mines and factories, yet they lack the basic safety culture and workplace safety systems that have become expected and accepted for many years in Ontario mines and factories.
—From Justice Archie Campbell’s
SARS Commission Report
instilling the precautionary principle is one
of them. In brief, this principle means that
reasonable steps should be taken to reduce
risk – there should be no waiting for scientific
certainty. The precautionary principle can be
enacted in health care, and should be enact-
ed in mining and across the workforce.
Health care workplace IRS must improve Johnson presented a snapshot to the mining
panel of a health care system that is rife with
non-compliance in dealing with occupation-
al health and safety problems.
Although the health care system is
Health Care Sector Injury Rates Continue to ClimbONA Health and Safety Specialist Nancy Johnson emphasized to the mining panel that
while workforce injury rates are generally declining across Ontario, the reverse is oc-
curring in health care. “In the past decades, other sectors have made some progress in
health and safety,” she said. “Unfortunately, health care health and safety never made
progress in the first place and injury and illness rates continue to climb.”
According to WSIB statistics from the Public Services Health and Safety Association,
in the third quarter of 2013, accepted lost-time claims from exposures climbed 20 per
cent, workplace violence claims increased by 13 per cent, and there was an increase of
33 per cent in critical injuries.
OHS by the Numbers – WSIB Lost-time Claims by Type and Sector (2013)
SEPTEMBER 2014 17www.ona.org
QUEEN’S PARK Update
E A Vision for Home and Community Care in Ontario has been released to achieve
better care for patients and better value for Ontarians’ health care dollars. To achieve
this vision, the government is planning to hold a series of home and community
care summits across Ontario to gather feedback from providers, patients and their
families. The summits will focus on patient and caregiver experiences, and share so-
lutions for improving patient care. In addition to the summits, the government will
seek input from health care experts on how to improve the quality and value of
care provided in the home and community sector. More information is available at
www.health.gov.on.ca/en/news/bulletin.
E Ontario had previously announced plans to increase wages for personal support
workers (PSWs) in the publicly-funded home and community care sector by $1.50 per
hour retroactive to April 1, 2014, and through the budget intend to increase wages by
another $1.50 per hour on April 1, 2015, and a further $1 on April 1, 2016. The mini-
mum wage for PSWs will also be set at $14 per hour in 2014-15 and rise to $16.50 on
this same timeline.
E Dr. Eric Hoskins, MPP for St. Paul’s, is taking over as Minister of Health and Long-
Term Care and Dipika Damerla, MPP for Mississauga East-Cooksville, becomes Associ-
ate Minister for Health and Long-Term Care (Long-Term Care and Wellness). Indira Nai-
do-Harris, MPP for Halton, and John Fraser, MPP for Ottawa South, were appointed as
Parliamentary Assistants to the Minister of Health. Dr. Bob Bell was also named Deputy
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, effective June 2, 2014. Former Health Minister
Deb Matthews continues as Deputy Premier and takes on the portfolio of President of
the Treasury Board. Charles Sousa remains Finance Minister and Mitzie Hunter, MPP for
Scarborough-Guildwood, takes on the role of Associate Minister of Finance (Ontario
Retirement Pension Plan). Kevin Flynn continues as Labour Minister. The full list of the
Cabinet can be viewed at www.ontla.on.ca.
E In the Speech from the Throne, which was delivered on July 3, 2014, the govern-
ment said it supports jobs in the public sector, but will not allocate new money for
compensation increases. The government said it is transforming health care, placing
patients at the centre, and funding community care to keep people where they want
to be: in their home rather than in hospital. Promising the right care, in the right place,
at the right time, the government will expand home and community care, will guar-
antee every Ontarian a primary care provider and will place an added focus on com-
munity wellness with the new Associate Minister of Long-Term Care and Wellness.
E Access to publicly funded clinic-based physiotherapy for seniors and eligible
patients in southwest Ontario will be expanded. As part of Ontario’s physiotherapy
reforms, the province is providing more than $2.35 million to support the addition of
23 new publicly funded physiotherapy clinics across the region. This new funding will
provide access to physiotherapy services for more than 7,500 additional individuals in
the southwest region.
• • •
Learn MoreE Read ONA’s speaking notes to the
mining panel here:
www.ona.org/MiningPanel.
E Visit ONA’s health and safety
section on the ONA website for
resources, tools and guides to help
you with OHS issues:
www.ona.org/OHS.
E For more about the Internal
Responsibility System: www.ona.
org/health_safety/rights.html.
management deflects or doesn’t feel able to
accept responsibility,” she said.
All too frequently, ONA receives reports
about supervisors attempting to intimidate
ONA members who raise basic OHS issues.
“There is a perception among health care
management that workers must first bring
safety issues to the JHSC, but this is not the
case,” said Johnson. “An OHS system cannot
function well when supervisors and manag-
ers redirect hazards to a committee that is
not well attended, resourced or supported
by management.”
Mandate OHS training at all levelsAlthough ONA’s report to the panel included
several recommendations for OHS improve-
ment across all sectors, one request was
made clear: Hold employers accountable for
health and safety failures; they must be made
to understand and respect the IRS. Until they
do, ONA joined other presenters in calling
on the MOL to firmly enforce occupational
health and safety law in our workplaces.
As Johnson noted, ONA has made many
submissions to inquests and panels and has
repeated the same evidence and the same
issues, yet few appear to have taken our sug-
gestions and implemented them.
“For the sake of all workers, we hope things
will change with this panel,” she concluded.
SEPTEMBER 201418 www.ona.org
STUDENT Affiliation
Engaging students in the work of our union doesn’t
simply mean inviting them to your Local and pro-
vincial meetings and assisting them in their clinical
placements. Student engagement can happen at
any time, at any place and when you least expect it,
as Local 15 Coordinator Muriel Vandepol enthusias-
tically explains to Front Lines.
I wanted to share an interesting encounter that I had during the provincial election cam-
paign that started when my doorbell rang.
Thinking it was my grandson and his mom returning (and him playing with the door-
bell), I did not rush to answer the door. After a small amount of time elapsed and no one
came in, I went to the door to see a young male adult about to leave my front porch.
When I opened the door, he turned around and I realized he was there to try and sell
me something. He introduced himself as a student working for a company doing lawn
aeration. I was reviewing the cost and service and was about to decline when I asked him
what he was studying. He informed me that he had just finished his second year of nursing
at the University of Ottawa and was working with this company travelling around com-
munities doing door-to-door work.
How could I decline the services of a nursing student trying to pay his way through
school? I identified myself as a nurse and chatted briefly with him before I accepted the
service, which is rare for me. He did a good job and thanked me at the end for the payment
and the work with a handshake. I decided that I could take this opportunity to thank him
for his work and to provide him with some political education as a parting gift.
[As it was just before the provincial election], I encouraged him to vote – and not for
the Hudak-led Conservatives if he was hoping to launch his nursing career with a good sal-
ary and a means to repay his student loans. He asked who he should vote for, as he would
not vote for the Conservatives, and I advised him to ask his political party candidates what
their position was on health and nursing. While I unfortunately didn’t have the list of can-
didates’ questions sent to me by ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud in front of me, I didn’t
want to lose this opportunity.
This was the first positive encounter that I can say that I’ve had with a door-to-door
salesman! And I hope I was able to leave this nursing student with some education in re-
turn for his good service.
A Different Approach to Engaging Students
LONG TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS
DID YOU KNOW?All dues-paying ONA members without employer-sponsored Long Term Disability (LTD) income protection are automatically covered for $250/month LTD benefit!
LTD coverage provides the necessary financial protection for your most valuable asset – your ability to earn an income.
Additional voluntary LTD insurance is available when you do not have coverage through your employer. Plus, monthly benefits are tax free!
LTD benefits are underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife Financial). Some conditions may apply. MVM.10.2013
To learn more, please contact Johnson Inc.
Johnson Inc.
1595 16th Ave., Suite 700Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3S5
905.764.4959 (local)1.800.461.4155 (toll-free)
Local 51 Coordinator Muriel
Vandepol.
Local 15 Coordinator
Muriel Vandepol.
SEPTEMBER 2014 19www.ona.org
EDUCATION
Leadership Conference “Eye-Opening Experience”
“Inspiring,” “energizing” and “empowering”
are just a few strong adjectives participants
have used to describe ONA’s recent Leader-
ship Conference in London.
Sixty Bargaining Unit Presidents and ONA
representatives from all regions of the prov-
ince gathered at the University of Western
Ontario in London from June 2-6, 2014 for
the Leadership Conference, which consists of
an Advanced Program for experienced lead-
ers and a Novice Program for new leaders.
Seizing the opportunity to liaise with partici-
pants throughout the week, the ONA Board
of Director moved its June meeting from our
provincial office in Toronto to London.
“Being able to meet and intermingle with
so many influential people, including the
Board, has truly been an eye-opening and re-
flective experience,” said Local 46 human
rights and equity chair Lee Scullard-Biluk. “The
passion for what we do was certainly captured
throughout the week, and I know with the
Novice group, we have truly been inspired.”
Through a series of lectures, presenta-
tions, videos, case scenarios, meetings with
members of the Board and other Canadian
nursing union leaders and small group work,
the participants discussed the workings
of ONA, negotiations and grievances, the
history of nursing unions and the broader
labour movement, membership services,
leadership styles, mentoring, effective com-
munication and political action – to name a
few. The leaders of the Novice Program were
also required to develop an action plan for
the next 12 months.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to
learn how to be good leader,” said Local 95
rep Jenny Poon, who took vacation time to
attend the Novice Program. “I really enjoyed
the networking and the learning. It was an
excellent program, and I feel so energized.”
That seems to be a common sentiment, if
evaluation forms from participants are any-
thing to go by. Overall satisfaction with the
conference was extremely high, with most
remarking that information provided will be
taken back to their Locals and applied in rep-
resenting their members.
“I prefer to effect change rather than com-
plain about problems, and ONA has been
the conduit to effect positive change in my
workplace,” said Novice Program participant
and Workload and Professional Responsibility
Chairperson for North York General Hospital
Jane Penciner. “If we can assist our members
through their hurdles, they will realize the
abundance of support available to them.
The program was very enlightening, and
topics covered were relevant to everyone
no matter where you come from. It has in-
spired me to become more involved in ONA.”
Scullard-Biluk couldn’t agree more,
noting, “The experience has sparked a fire
in me to empower and inspire my new col-
leagues to seek an active role within ONA
as a whole.”
And it wasn’t just the Novice Program
participants singing the praises of the
week. Advanced Leadership participant
John Lowe, Local 21 Health and Safety Rep,
was equally impressed.
“I am blown away at how ONA goes
about things, including coordinating the
Board members to attend, having such
professional staff, and bringing in other
nursing union presidents,” he said. “I hap-
pen to be wearing a t-shirt saying, ‘rise
above the rest’ at the conference. It was
so appropriate because I really feel that’s
what ONA does: rises above the rest.”
HUMAN RIGHTS and Equity
SEPTEMBER 201420 www.ona.org
It was a Pride event like no other.
On June 29, 2014, the largest ONA con-
tingent ever in a Pride event came together
to celebrate World Pride 2014 in Toronto, un-
der the motivational theme, Rise Up. Enthusi-
astically waving ONA pennants and decked
out in eye-catching sage green ONA Pride
t-shirts, more than 175 ONA Board members,
Local leaders, members and staff members,
along with their friends and families, proudly
rode on and marched alongside our vibrant
flatbed adorned with a rainbow of balloons,
colourful streamers, and a larger-than-life
nursing cap.
As part of the 10-day lead-up to World
Pride, where members of the LGBT commu-
nity from around the globe gathered with
their allies to express pride as LGBT people
and celebrate their diverse histories, cultures
and progress made to date on human rights,
ONA also staffed a booth promoting our
union, labour rights, More Nurses campaign
and commitment to human rights and equity
at a downtown Toronto street fair.
But Toronto wasn’t the only place where
Pride celebrations were taking place this
summer. From Sudbury to London, ONA
members participated in Pride parades and
other special events in their own communi-
ties. Local 73 was particularly creative, don-
ning body suits the colour of the rainbow
flag for Thunder (Bay) Pride on June 14, 2014,
Showing the World our Pride!
which no doubt turned a few heads!
“As an inclusive organization committed
to equality, diversity and human rights, ONA
is a strong supporter of Pride events – and
World Pride was a particularly exciting oppor-
tunity for us to show that to the world,” said
ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “While a
wonderful celebration, Pride also helps bring
awareness to the issues and needs that many
LGBT people deal with daily.”
2014 HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY CAUCUS SUBSIDIES
The 2014 Human Rights and Equity
Caucus will be held on Monday,
November 17 at the Westin Harbour
Castle in Toronto. The theme for this
year’s Caucus education session
will be “Disability Rights are Human
Rights.”
Information about Caucus subsidy
applications has been sent to Bar-
gaining Unit Presidents, Local Coor-
dinators, and HR&E Reps/Advocates
and posted on the ONA website
(www.ona.org/hre).
The deadline to submit applications
is Friday, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014.
Thunder (Bay) Pride
SEPTEMBER 2014 21www.ona.org
OHC News
If you’ve seen a 10-foot high wooden rocking chair materialize seem-
ingly out of nowhere in your community this summer, you are not see-
ing things. It’s the symbolic showpiece of the Ontario Health Coalition’s
(OHC) tour to raise awareness about the levels of care in long-term care
(LTC) homes in Ontario.
The Giant “Rock-in” Chair Tour, which will hit 27 communities
throughout the province before it winds down, is collecting 20,000 sig-
natures to represent the same number of people on the wait list for
long-term care in this province. From being rocked to sleep as a baby
to swaying on it during our twilight years, we have come to symbolize
the rocking chair with comfort and care.
Stop Private Clinics Now!ONA Region 3 Vice-President Andy Summers looks on solemnly as
the Ontario Health Coalition delivers more than 82,000 postcards to
Queen’s Park during a Day of Action event on July 8, 2014 to oppose
moving health care services out of hospitals and into private clinics.
“The dismantling of hospital services must stop,” Summers told the
large gathering of ONA members, other unionists, health care advo-
cates, community groups and supporters from all regions of the
province. “I can tell you that the 60,000 members of the Ontario
Nurses’ Association will not stand by as we privatize and give profit
to private organizations who benefit from the suffering of others.”
The OHC’s Save our Services campaign, which targeted several high-
priority communities, delivering leaflets and postcards, was
launched on March 10, 2014 in response to the government’s plans
to bring in new legal regulations to cut services, such as MRIs, cata-
ract surgery and other medical services, from our community hospi-
tals and outsource them to private clinics this summer.
During each stop of the tour, many of which were attended by ONA
Board members, Local leaders, members and staff, the OHC held a media
event to relay its two key demands for the government regarding LTC
homes: set a minimum staffing standard of four hours of hands-on care
per resident per day and improve access to care/reduce wait times.
“This is a team effort,” ONA Region 4 Vice-President Dianne Leclair
told the media at the chair’s stop in Welland on May 23, 2104. “If we
don’t have enough RNs, personal supporter workers, the whole group,
we’re never going to get residents to stable and safe conditions. We’re
working together to ensure that their needs are met.”
For more information, log onto www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca.
Rocking the Conversation on LTC
SEPTEMBER 201422 www.ona.org
AWARDS AND DECISIONS: The Work of our Union!
The following is a sampling of recent key awards and/or decisions in one or more of the following areas: rights arbitration, interest arbitration, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Ontario Labour Relations Board.
RightsNurses can displace other nurses with less seniority in higher classifications Region 3 Hospital
(Arbitrator Laura Trachuk, April 30 2014)ONA has successfully argued that nurses who
have been provided with notice of layoff are
permitted to bump “upwards” into higher-
rated classifications, as long as they are oth-
erwise qualified for the position.
In this case, the hospital eliminated a
full-time position in Diagnostic Imaging.
The most junior nurse was provided with
layoff notice in accordance with the collec-
tive agreement. She attempted to exercise
her bumping rights to displace the resource
nurse, who had less seniority than her. The
hospital refused her request, indicating that
nurses could not bump into higher-rated
classifications.
Article 10.09 provides that nurses may
“displace another nurse in any classification.”
The arbitrator found that this meant that
nurses could bump into other classifications
within the Bargaining Unit, including those
that were higher rated.
Importance to ONA: This decision confirms
that the options available to nurses who have
been provided with layoff notice are exten-
sive, and include the option to displace nurses
with less seniority in other classifications.
Employer cannot make unauthorized deductions from wagesRegion 3 Hospital
(Arbitrator Sheehan, June 6, 2014)An arbitrator has found that an employer is
not permitted to make deductions from wag-
es to recover alleged overpayments, unless a
nurse has first consented to the deduction or
a tribunal has ordered that the deductions
are permitted.
In this case, the hospital allegedly over-
paid nurses for a number of years. Once the
error was discovered, the hospital unilater-
ally decided to recover the overpayment by
deducting money from the nurses’ biweekly
wages. The amounts deducted were sig-
nificant, ranging from $350-$500 every pay-
cheque for several months.
ONA argued that the hospital’s actions
were a violation of s.13 of the Employment
Standards Act. The arbitrator agreed with
ONA that such deductions are not permit-
ted, particularly where an employee earns an
hourly wage.
The hospital was ordered to repay the
nurses all amounts deducted. To recover any
overpayment in the future, the hospital
must make consensual arrangements
with the affected nurses, or receive a
court order permitting the deductions.
Importance to ONA: This decision con-
firms that an employer cannot make un-
authorized deductions from wages.
WSIBAppeal establishes proof of accidentSouth Hospital On June 7, 2011, the worker suffered
a left meniscus and ACL tear in
his knee after walking in a narrow
hallway and bumping it on the pa-
tient’s bed.
The injured worker continued to work un-
til July 15, 2011. He took his normal vacation
from July 20 - July 29, 2011. He was unable to
work from July 29 - August 19, 2011 and then
returned to work on modified duties.
The injured worker had surgery on his left
knee on January 26, 2012. The WSIB denied
the injured worker’s claim, indicating there
was no proof of injury despite medical that
showed the injury occurred at his workplace.
ONA appealed and successfully estab-
lished proof of accident. The appeal was al-
lowed and WSIB was directed to pay loss of
earning (LOE) benefits from July 29, 2011
until August 19, 2011 when the worker was
under medical care and totally disabled.
The Appeals Resolution Officer (ARO)
also stated that LOE benefits from January
26, 2012 are to be determined by the case
SEPTEMBER 2014 23www.ona.org
manager. The ARO further directed the
case manager at the WSIB to assess and
determine the worker’s current level of
disability to see if he is also entitled to
NEL award.
LTDEmployer’s letter to carrier assists with appealHospital, Region 3
(July 24, 2013)The member in this case suffers from mul-
tiple musculoskeletal issues and fibro-
myalgia. She has pursued and diligently
complied with various treatments with
little improvement.
Due to the multiple diagnoses, her
treating practitioners provide a poor
prognosis for her eventual return to work.
Two permanent restrictions have been
identified: no lifting greater than five ki-
lograms, and no standing longer than 30
minutes. Return-to-work attempts have
been unsuccessful.
The turning point for the appeal
was perhaps the letter provided by the
employer to their carrier, in which the
employer stated that the permanent re-
strictions preclude the member from per-
forming the duties of her own position,
and “is at a loss to understand why the
member has been denied LTD benefits.”
This employer letter accompanied the
appeal submitted by the union.
NOVEMBER 18 - 20, 2014WESTIN HARBOUR CASTLE, TORONTO
For more information, check the ONA website at www.ona.org/biennial in the upcoming weeks. Biennial online registration begins in the fall.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY CAUCUS November 17, 2014
Theme: “Disability Rights are Human Rights”Guest speaker: Maysoon Zayid
GALA DINNER – NOVEMBER 19Music provided by The McFlies
EDUCATION SESSIONNovember 21, 2014
Topic: To be determined (labour relations)
ONA BIENNIAL CONVENTION