Media Advisory - Ontario Nurses' Association President, University of Ottawa Heart Institute President/CEO to hold joint media conference on Bill 124

TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2022 /CNW/ - Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) President Cathryn Hoy, RN, and Dr. Thierry Mesana, MD, PhD, President and CEO of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, are holding a joint media conference tomorrow to call on the Ford government to immediately repeal its wage-suppressing legislation, Bill 124.

The bill, which caps total compensation for tens of thousands of Ontario nurses and health-care professionals at one per cent per year in each of three years, was passed by the Ford government at the end of 2019, just prior to the onset of the pandemic. Despite our repeated calls and the countless sacrifices nurses and health-care professionals have made caring for Ontarians during the worst global health crisis in a century, the Ford government refuses to repeal the bill.

Both Hoy and Dr. Mesana will highlight how Bill 124 has disrespected and targeted nurses and health-care professionals to the point that many are choosing to walk out the door, leading to the dire staffing crisis that is seeing provincial emergency departments reduce hours or close, ICUs and other hospital units cut back or close services, and Ontarians struggle to get the care they need and deserve. They will point out that immediately repealing the bill, instead of wasting taxpayer money to fight ONA's Charter Challenge against it, would go a long way towards retaining and recruiting desperately needed nurses and health-care professionals by showing how much they are valued by this government.

ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 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. 

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute is Canada's largest and foremost heart health centre dedicated to understanding, treating and preventing heart disease.

WHAT:	Ontario Nurses' Association President Cathryn Hoy, RN, and Dr. Thierry Mesana, MD, PhD, President and CEO of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute call for the repeal of Bill 124
WHEN:	Tuesday, August 16, 9:30 a.m.
WHERE:	Queen's Park media studio, Toronto

www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; Twitter.com/OntarioNurses;  instagram.com/ontario.nurses

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

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