Ontario Nurses' Association Members Demand Care, Not Cuts from Queensway Carleton Hospital, Join OPSEU, CUPE to Protest Staffing Cuts

NEPEAN, ON, Aug. 19, 2026 /CNW/ -- Registered nurses (RNs), members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) joined other health-care workers from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) today at a rally to protest large staffing cuts at Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH). These cuts and model of care changes are happening across the province as health-care employers are trying to eliminate budget deficits in the face of government underfunding. QCH has cut 87 RNs for a total of 119 staff cuts in total; since January 2025, ONA has been informed of more than 1,420 positions that have been impacted province-wide.

ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN says, "Claims by hospital management that patient care will not be impacted by the loss of 87 RNs and other health-care workers are absurd. This hospital is already understaffed. Wait times and access to care are already being impacted. Saying that cutting more staff will not have any effect on our patients needing timely, quality care is utterly incorrect and flies in the face of all research directly connecting staffing levels with patient outcomes."

QCH has announced the model of staffing will be changing in some units, setting off alarm bells. In particular, cutting RN care raises serious concerns, as RNs have the unique training and skill to anticipate emerging health issues, and rescue patients in crisis. Each role on a health team plays an important role, and altering this can hurt patient care. 

"If employers and the provincial government don't take a serious look at how they are gutting our health-care system, there won't be any staff left to provide care. The hospital is already calling for existing staff to work extra hours due to low staffing levels, leading to burnout and moral distress," says Ariss.

ONA, CUPE and OPSEU members are calling on QCH to stop the cuts. ONA is also calling on the Ford government to implement safe staffing ratios and fully fund public hospitals in order to ensure nurses and health-care workers can provide the level of care and services Ontarians rely on.

ONA is the union representing 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.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

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