Peterborough Public Health Nurses Head to Conciliation: Registered Nurses trying to avoid being forced to strike
PETERBOROUGH, ON, Oct. 9, 2018 /CNW/ - Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) Public Health Nurses working for Peterborough Public Health are heading to conciliation, trying to avoid being forced to strike.
The 30 Registered Nurses (RNs) – who perform highly specialized work to ensure the safety of more than 130,000 members of the public – face serious safety issues due to nursing shortages.
"Our proud and tireless group of dedicated health-care professionals have already seen serious cuts in nursing hours, with positions being temporarily filled or left vacant for long periods of time," notes ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN. "With the early influenza season now here, it is imperative that the citizens of Peterborough not be put further at risk."
McKenna is calling for this employer to "respect our highly specialized public health nurses by coming to conciliation and negotiating a contract that continues to respect their autonomy and choice within these specialties to ensure the public's safety."
Peterborough Public Health nurses provide a broad range of hand's-on care and services to communities, families and individuals. They are responsible for promoting healthy living choices, preventing illness and injuries, and protecting residents from infectious disease outbreaks, including influenza.
McKenna adds that, "it is vital that this employer show our female-dominated profession the respect it has earned and come to the table prepared to negotiate a contract that recognizes the invaluable work that registered nurses do in Peterborough."
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.
Visit us at: www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; www.Twitter.com/OntarioNurses
SOURCE Ontario Nurses Association
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Sheree Bond: (416) 964-8833, ext. 2430; cell: (416) 986-8240; [email protected]; Melanie Levenson: (416) 964-8833, ext. 2368; [email protected]
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