Sunbeam Centre RNs May be Forced to Strike after Negotiations Break Down

KITCHENER, ON, May 23, 2017 /CNW/ - Following conciliation and mediation with the assistance of a provincial mediator, negotiations have broken down between the Ontario Nurses' Association and Sunbeam Centre.

The nine Registered Nurses at Sunbeam Centre, who have been working without a collective agreement since April 1, will vote on the employer's final offer on May 25. If that offer is rejected, they will be in a strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on May 27.

"These dedicated Registered Nurses provide highly skilled care to medically complex and fragile children and adults, along with important leadership and consultative resources to the front-line health-care team to ensure quality residential and respite care to clients with developmental disabilities," said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. "They also play a critical role in coordinating the inter-professional team and client plan of care to ensure optimal client outcomes."

The major issue in the dispute is wages, which significantly lag behind those of other Registered Nurses working in hospitals and nursing homes.

"Our highly professional members do not want to be forced on strike, but the current offer by the employer is an attack on their collective agreement," added Haslam-Stroud. "We urge the employer to get back to the bargaining table and offer a contract that is equitable to that of their counterparts and respects these members for the invaluable services they provide to vulnerable clients receiving residential and respite care across the Region of Waterloo."

ONA is the union that proudly represents 64,000 health-care professionals, as well as almost 16,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

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

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

Ontario Nurses' Association: Sheree Bond, [phone], ext. 2430; cell: [phone]; [email protected]; Ruth Featherstone, [phone], ext. 2267; [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.ona.org