When Ontario Federation of Labour President Laura Walton told the massive crowd at a rally outside the Toronto Hilton hotel where mediation was taking place with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) that “this isn’t my mother’s ONA,” she wasn’t kidding.
In fact, members, many carrying handmade signs leaving no doubt what they think of the OHA’s attempt to destroy our hospital collective agreement, were more riled up than ever as they demanded a fair contract that includes safe staffing ratios.
“I’ve been a nurse for 40 years and we can’t see our contract go backwards,” says one such member Eleanore (we are using only first names in this story) while Michelle notes, “I’m tired of seeing nurses crying because of unsafe staffing. Where I work, one nurse to seven patients is normal.” Equally troubling is that another member, Joyce, relays that “my employer would rather work short-staffed than have anyone come in.”
The rally, held on a frigid January 29, was such an important component of our hospital bargaining campaign that it attracted retired members like Laurie, an ICU nurse for 30 years, who “saw the reaction of ONA’s Hospital Provincial Negotiating Team coming out of bargaining and thought, ‘I need to be here and support these nurses.’” And Jonathan, who had just come off a 12-hour shift, states, “I have seen my colleagues everywhere in tough environments with short-staffing, especially with COVID and people calling in sick. Now it’s on a consistent basis, and nurses are stressed and in survival mode.”
For that reason, they have a strong message for Premier Doug Ford.
“A nurse is not a nurse is not a nurse,” says member Alex. “They need to be specialized in their area of practice to provide that care. To do otherwise is to set us up for failure. You give the right medicine for the right reason, and you have to use the right nurse for the right patient.”
You also need proper funding, adds Kyle, explaining that Ford, “hasn’t used up his health-care budget. Throughout COVID and since, he has not provided necessary funds to hospitals to ensure safety and that vulnerable populations are prioritized. We have seen enough suffering. We need to see accountability. He needs to step it up.”
His colleague Cathy, who invited her local Ontario NDP candidate to attend and sought support at her local labour council meeting, couldn’t agree more. “Time to pay up, Ford, and invest in health care, not developers. I have been a nurse for 38 years and have never seen such acceptance of substandard care standards by hospitals.”
Following the one-hour rally that, quite literally, shut down the street and attracted media and many passersby, ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, Region 4 Vice-President Grace Pierias, who had a few choice chants for the OHA, and hospital members Gloria Cardinal Tan and Marva McCalla delivered speeches from a flatbed truck.
“Ford is telling everyone that Canada is not for sale, but he’s been selling out Ontario’s public health-care system for seven years,” said Ariss in her rousing rally speech, drawing the connection between safe staffing and increased privatization. “Paying private nursing agencies three times the rate of regular nursing staff is not the answer. One solution is to give hospitals RN-to-patient ratios.”
“Patient acuity has increased, and our patient assignment is heavy,” added Cardinal Tan. “It can be dangerous. It compromises safe practice. We want to provide compassionate, thorough and safe care, but hospital CEOs have created impossible conditions for nurses and patients. When nurses can’t provide the care patients need, everyone suffers.”
“Management knows we will make it work because that’s who we are as nurses,” noted McCalla. “We are committed. But for some nurses, unreasonable workloads and the pressure makes them leave. Enough is enough.”
Several heads of our union allies also brought a much-needed message of solidarity, with Shelli Sareen, Secretary Treasurer of Unite Here calling it “our greatest tool” and OPSEU SEFPO President JP Hornick stating, “your fight is our fight and your crisis is Ford’s failure.”
“We’re so proud of ONA and the fight you are waging for nurse-patient ratios in this round of bargaining,” said CUPE Ontario Council of Hospital Unions President Michael Hurley. “If California and British Columbia can have safe staffing ratios, why can’t we? Your fight is about the degradation of care we see everyday. There aren’t enough nurses. Whatever you need to do, we will be there.”
And perhaps Walton summed it up best: “OHA, if you’re picking on our nurses, you’re taking on every damn one of us.”
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