RNs and nurse practitioners from the Guelph CHC, ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, Region 4 Vice-President Grace Pierias (fourth and third from left in second row) and supporters stop for a quick photo during an information picket outside their employer’s office in downtown Guelph.
Members from the Guelph Community Health Centre (CHC) have escalated efforts to pressure their employer to negotiate a fair contract that respects and values the critical work they do.
Their latest action, an information picket that took over the sidewalk outside their employer in downtown Guelph on October 29, follows several days of negotiations that began this past summer and one day of conciliation (at time of writing, another day of conciliation was scheduled).
“Nothing is moving in a good way, certainly not in the way we would like,” says Guelph CHC member Laura (F-Word has changed the names of our members in this story to allow them to speak more freely). “The employer isn’t coming to us with anything that’s fair.”
That’s particularly problematic because these nurses are already some of the lowest paid in our health-care system.
“There’s a big discrepancy between hospital and primary care pay, but even compared to other CHCs, our nurses are on the low end,” Laura adds. “We’re not asking for the moon and the stars; what we’re asking for isn’t unreasonable at all.”
Holding hard-to-miss signs urging drivers to show their support by honking (they did!), Guelph CHC members bring attention to the challenges they face at their information picket on October 29.
These 20 resolute RNs and nurse practitioners (NPs) offer much-needed primary care services to some of the most vulnerable people in Guelph, Wellington, Waterloo, Cambridge, Kitchener, Grey, Bruce and Dufferin. That includes those who are unhoused, have substance use issues or face other significant barriers to health care.
We absolutely love our work, but we also want proper compensation for it.
“The work we’re doing prevents people from ending up in emergency,” explains Guelph CHC member Natalie. “We’re going into encampments, other agencies across the city – all over the place – seeing clients who won’t go to the hospital and/or family doctors because they’re often made to feel less than human. We see them and treat them with respect because they deserve that.
“Our NPs write prescriptions for their small infections before they become big infections. We’re caring for Indigenous patients, who have faced systemic barriers to good health and respect for generations. Not to mention the number of undocumented people we treat and people who are new to Canada. We absolutely love our work, but we also want proper compensation for it.”
Laura also emphasizes the love they have for their community and clients, but adds, “we also have to be able to afford to work here. We’ve seen nurses leave for other sectors because they don’t have a wage that meets the demands of this economy. So, it’s very challenging to retain them and recruit others.”
ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, who joined the information picket with Region 4 Vice-President Grace Pierias, told the crowd that “losing these nurses due to low wages and high workloads will have an adverse impact on the clients they serve and a cascading effect on our already overburdened hospitals.”
She added that while the Ford government promised to fix primary care through a $1.8 billion investment in its Primary Care Action Plan, that hasn’t translated into fair wages for nurses in this sector.
Supporters like this woman came out in full force for our members.
It’s for that reason that these members are doing everything they can to keep their fight at the forefront.
“We did a sticker campaign where we all wore stickers to show the employer that we’re united and demand respect,” relays Laura. “Then we started an email campaign where we asked for help in sending a message to our Board and MPPs. The public has been very supportive and that means the world to us.”
In fact, many of the participants at the information picket were members of the public, family/friends of the nurses and CHC clients, one of whom told F-Word that “it’s very important to me to support the nurses. They help me a lot with my problems and to find people to translate for me because my English isn’t good.”
“I have a family member who is an RN and I’m supporting her and the nurses she works with so they can have quality pay,” added another participant. “I see firsthand the impact this situation is having on her.”
ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, who was joined by fellow Board member Region 4 Vice-President Grace Pierias, walks the information picket demanding fairness for the Guelph CHC nurses.
Susan from Social Justice, a retired doctor who carried a sign in support of our members, noted that “our services aren’t being properly funded and it’s hurting the workers and the public. Nurses sacrifice a lot for people and they don’t get a fair shake. They’re working too much and are burnt out. They should be treated better.”
And for Meaghan, a fellow ONA member from the hospital sector who made the trek from Hamilton to attend, it’s all about solidarity.
“We’re all nurses and health-care professionals and we need to be there for each other. When hospitals go out and fight for our next contract, I know these members are going to be there for us.”
While Guelph CHC member Amber admits that “it’s hard to be hopeful because fighting for good, fair wages isn’t going well, that’s even more reason to keep this up and do whatever we can.”
With members voting overwhelmingly in favour of a strike, Laura says they’re prepared to follow through to get a respectful contract.
But your help can make the difference.
“Please sign our email, go online and say that you support us,” urges Natalie. “Talk about our situation with each other. Let other people know what’s going on with us and how it impacts people in this community.”
Learn more here.
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