Media Advisory - Striking Health Unit Nurses Continue to Give Back: Nurses Hold Blood Drive Tomorrow

WINDSOR-ESSEX COUNTY, ON, March 20, 2019 /CNW/ - Striking nurses with Windsor-Essex County Health Unit continue to give back to the community even while forced to strike.

In lieu of being on the picket line tomorrow, the nurses will instead be donating blood – some with their families – and volunteering at Canadian Blood Services in Windsor. Last week, with help from the community, the more than 80 Nurse Practitioners, Public Health Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses donated 17,000 diapers to The Downtown Mission, enough to help 100 families in need.

These more than 80 Nurse Practitioners, Public Health Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses have been on strike since March 8 and have been without a contract for close to one year.

Being able to do something positive for the community while off the job will raise the nurses' spirits. While the nurses want to be back on the job, providing programs and services to more than 500,000 people in their community, the employer has not come to the table.

The nurses are seeking an equitable contract that values the work this female-dominated profession performs. A new national Leger survey released this week found that Canadian women continue to be paid a full 25-per-cent less than men. Another recent survey found that Windsor is one of just two communities in all of Canada where the gender-pay gap continues to widen.

ONA is the union representing more than 65,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

What:	Nurses Holding Blood Drive
Who:	Striking Windsor-Essex County Nurses
When:	Thursday, March 21 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm
Where:	Windsor-Essex Branch, Canadian Blood Services, 3909 Grand Marais Road E., Windsor

Visit us at: www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; www.Twitter.com/OntarioNurses

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

Sheree Bond, [phone], ext. 2430; cell: [phone]; [email protected]; Ken Marciniec, [phone], ext. 2306; cell: [phone]; [email protected]

Related Links

www.ona.org