OTTAWA, Aug. 12, 2020 /CNW/ - Keeping the pressure up, front-line registered nurses, nurse practitioners, registered practical nurses and health-care professionals will rally in front of Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Jeremy Roberts' constituency office tomorrow, calling for the provincial government to repeal Bills 124 and 195.
The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) members say Bill 124 discriminates against female-dominated professions and interferes with the right to freely collectively bargain, in breach of their Charter rights. Bill 195 enables the province to extend the state of emergency and override any workplace rights of nurses and health-care professionals.
In a recent contract decision for hospital-sector nurses and health-care professionals, an arbitrator noted that his hands were tied by the bill when it came to determining monetary issues for these front-line workers. Bill 124 limits wage increases to a maximum increase of one per cent in total compensation each year for three years.
Front-line nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic have not seen a wage increase that equalled the cost of living in more than a decade. Male-dominated professions, such as firefighters and police, were specifically exempted from the legislation.
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.
WHAT: |
Protest by nurses and health-care professionals regarding the repeal of Bills 124 and 195 |
WHEN: |
Thursday, August 13, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. |
WHERE: |
Constituency Office ofJeremy Robers, 1580 Merrivale Road, Ottawa, ON |
www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; Twitter.com/OntarioNurses; instagram.com/ontario.nurses
SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association
Sandy McEwen, 613-325-1009
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