Media Advisory - Nurses, Public Health Workers Represented by ONA and CUPE to Hold 'All-Out' Board of Health Rally in Belleville

BELLEVILLE, ON, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), along with community members, labour and business supporters, will rally outside the Hastings & Prince Edward County Public Health building tomorrow as the Board of Health meets inside. The rally will demonstrate support for striking ONA nurses – who have been on strike for more than two weeks – and CUPE public health workers, who are also preparing for potential job action.

Both ONA and CUPE members working at the health unit have faced an employer that has refused to meaningfully bargain fair contracts with their employees, including better wages that reflect the value of their work and rising cost of living. The employer, the Board of Health, continues to dismiss calls for fairness, leaving 200,000 residents of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties with diminished access to public health services.

Rally participants and speakers will call for the Board of Health to negotiate a fair deal for striking nurses and CUPE workers, allowing them to focus on the vital public health services community members need and deserve. The rally will be attended by nurses and health-care professionals from nearby facilities, members of the community and businesses, ONA and CUPE provincial leaders, and members of other unions. Speeches begin at 10:15 a.m.

WHAT:	All-Out Board of Health Rally
WHO:	Striking nurses, supporters, ONA President Erin Ariss, CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) President Linda Silas
WHEN:	Wednesday, September 6 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
WHERE:	Hastings & Prince Edward County Public Health, 179 North Park St., Belleville

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

To arrange a media interview: ONA Media Relations: [email protected]