Our determined members from the North York Family Health Team are surrounded by supporters outside the Toronto hotel where Primary Care Action Team Chair Dr. Jane Philpott was speaking to the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario Conference on October 23.
More than 40 primary care workers at the North York Family Health Team (NYFHT) have been forced to strike in their fight for a fair contract.
These dedicated members, who hit the picket lines on October 20, have been trying to negotiate a first collective agreement with their employer since organizing with ONA in 2024.
“Most of us have been with the family health team for more than a decade and we joined ONA because as primary care workers we were fed up with the way we were being treated,” explained NYFHT Bargaining Unit President Rita Ha, a registered pharmacist, one of many classifications at the family health team, which also includes nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, registered dietitians, social workers, chiropodists, data managers, clinical coordinators, physician assistants and resource navigators.
Despite providing ongoing and complex immediate and preventative care to approximately 95,000 North York residents that helps keep them out of overcrowded emergency departments and saves health care dollars, these members, who work out of 20 offices, were offered zero per cent at the bargaining table, on top of wage freezes from 2009 to 2016 and subsequent increases below inflation.
But the final straw came when the employer received additional government funding intended for recruitment and retention, such as wage increases, but instead used it to make up for their own budget deficit and financial mismanagement. Shockingly, they provided the previous executive director with a significant salary increase a year ago, while workers only received one per cent.
“We heard the announcement of this money and that many other family health teams were using it for wage increases,” said Ha. “But we got to the bargaining table and the employer said there was still nothing for us because we have a deficit to fill and are using the money meant for your wages to pay for it. They found a loophole.
“But it was the NYFHT Board of Directors’ responsibility to make financial decisions and ensure the family health team was in good standing. My coworkers and I should not be missing out on wage increases because of their mistakes. With years of underfunding, many of us have tried to figure out how to make ends meet or have left the sector completely so we could be compensated fairly for our work.”
Her colleague, a registered nurse who asked to remain anonymous, concurred, adding, “We didn't just do our jobs, we trusted our manager and the executives to take care of us. But we don’t know where the money went. We empower and connect others, but we forgot about ourselves. And more importantly, our employer has forgotten about us. We’re losing staff and having trouble hiring those vacancies.”
The alarming exodus of workers from this sector due to underfunding and low wages – they are paid less than nurses in other health-care settings despite being the first step in a strong public health-care system – is the focus of ONA’s hard hitting Close the Gap campaign. We’re telling the brutal truth that more than 2.5 million Ontarians are without primary care, a number that is expected to rise, and that the government must invest more than $500 million each year over the next five years to close the wage gap.
“We provide cradle to grave care, and that care has evolved a lot,” the NYFHT registered nurse said, noting that every single member of the team plays a critical a role in keeping their community healthy. “We believe in primary care. We believe that we're a key part in the circle of care.”
But they also believe they deserve better.
“With skyrocketing inflation and no real changes in terms of wage increases from our employer, we knew we had to take matters into our own hands,” said Ha.
And they certainly did, working with ONA staff to form an action committee and organize a series of escalating actions, beginning earlier this year, that included a “poster up” initiative to raise awareness and show their employer they’re united behind their bargaining demands, a pledge card to demonstrate their commitment to fighting back, and information pickets this past September.
“We leafletted to talk to patients, physicians and the public because we know that many of them support us,” stated Ha, emphasizing the “amazing work” of ONA staff in creating the leaflets and determining the best sites, “as we have so many. We had a good number of members sign up to take part.”
And when mediation failed a few weeks later in mid-October, they already had a strong strike mandate in place.
“There were a lot of conversations with my coworkers about, can we afford to do this? It’s going to be hard. Is there even money? Or are we going to be successful?” explained Ha. “But how can you go home to your family and say, there was money that was meant for us, but we're not getting it. So, let’s just accept it and keep doing our work.”
We needed to advocate for ourselves just like we encourage our patients to advocate for themselves.
As the NYFHT registered nurse pointed out, “we absolutely love what we do, but we had no choice because we can’t survive on zero per cent. We can’t even take care of our families on that. We needed to advocate for ourselves just like we encourage our patients to advocate for themselves.”
And so on October 20, the NYFHT members set up picket lines at selected sites. Since that time, their actions have also included a protest outside the Toronto hotel where Primary Care Action Team Chair Dr. Jane Philpott was speaking to the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario Conference (their employer was also in attendance); a letter to the editor from Ha that didn’t mince words; and a community rally involving patients, labour allies, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Labour Critic Jamie West, who offered their party’s support and encouraged the striking members to stay strong.
The ONA Boad of Directors, Local leaders, including all Region 3 Local Coordinators, fellow members and staff have also been a constant presence at their events.
“The North York Family Health Team is part of ONA6 and we’re here in support of them,” said ONA6 Local Coordinator Jane Penciner. “This employer hasn’t been fair in their negotiations. Over and over again, they’ve offered only a zero per cent increase. They haven’t come to the table in any kind of meaningful way, and they’ve also misappropriated government funds.”
Added Regional Municipality of Durham Bargaining Unit President Cynthia Rogers, “I'm one of the lucky nurses and have a fair contract, which was negotiated because I'm part of ONA. And this is a much smaller Bargaining Unit trying to get a fair contract. They're doing important primary care work in the community, but their employer just doesn't want to step up. So, we all have to come together and be there for them. That's what makes us stronger; it’s that collective. If we don't have that, then we're nothing.”
It’s that kind of solidarity that has helped keep our striking members’ spirits up.
“There's no way without ONA that any of this could happen,” stated Ha. “The amount of support, manpower, knowledge and expertise that ONA brings is incredible. This is our first time doing this, so to have them lead and guide us in terms of what to do and how to do it has been amazing.”
Also amazing? The learning opportunity the strike has provided them, with Ha joking that, “we’re so far out of our comfort zones right now, we can’t even see our comfort zones. But we have each other. We connect through WhatsApp, we have everybody’s emails and telephone numbers and we're always talking. In fact, I probably talk to them more than I talk to my family right now.”
And it’s the word “family” that comes up time and again with this group.
“People ask why don’t you leave and find a better job,” said the NYFHT registered nurse. “It’s because this isn’t just a job for me. These people standing with me aren’t just my coworkers; they’re my work family. They make me a better person.”
“Through this experience, I’ve learned so much about the coworkers I have worked side by side with for years,” added Ha. “It has brought us even closer together.”
And together, they’re willing to stick this out for as long as it takes.
“I'm honoured to be here with everybody on the picket line and witness what they're willing to do to make change, to stand up for what’s right and make their voices heard,” said Ha. “What our employer is doing isn’t right and so what else can we do? How can we go back to the table with a zero?”
After all, “change doesn’t come from laying down and being walked over,” said an NYFHT social worker. “It comes from being disruptive and saying, we’re not taking it anymore.”
But they also need your help.
“Please email the NYFHT Board and your MPP using the templated letter on the website ONA set up for us,” urged Ha.
“We welcome you on our picket lines and other events. We have a lot of members who are close to minimum wage. They're not all nurses, pharmacists or nurse practitioners. So they, in particular, are experiencing hardship. They’re very vulnerable and I worry about them. If anyone is able to donate, we can help support them in hardship” (if you’re interested in doing so, please send an e-transfer to ona.nyfht@gmail.com).
And as the NYFHT registered nurse stressed, “we're a small group with a big heart and we need people to know what we do. I want to go back to being a nurse, so please share our story. It’s one of the most important things you can do.”
Learn more about this strike and how you can help here.
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