Ontario Nurses' Association President Wins National Nursing Leadership Award

Linda Haslam-Stroud Presented With CFNU Bread and Roses award; ONA Director also recognized

TORONTO, June 6, 2013 /CNW/ - Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, has been honoured with the top award of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) in recognition of her many years of effective leadership and advocacy work.

Haslam-Stroud was presented with the CFNU Bread and Roses Award for outstanding individuals who contribute to policy and decision-making, enhance public awareness, participate in positive media and other public events, lobby governments and educate members and the public.

Haslam-Stroud has been the elected president of ONA since 2004; in this role and through her participation on the national executive board of the CFNU, she has worked tirelessly as a champion for nurses and the nursing profession. Haslam-Stroud is a voice for nurses and an advocate for public health care through her speaking engagements, advocacy efforts with policy- and decision-makers, participation on national and provincial nursing/health care bodies, and as a spokesperson for Ontario nurses to the media.

Most recently, she was a delegate and speaker at the International Council of Nurses congress where she discussed ONA's important work in the areas of workplace violence, safe staffing and rebuilding the nursing workforce in this province.

"Linda is a passionate and tireless advocate for health care and nurses in Ontario and in Canada," said ONA First Vice-President Vicki McKenna, RN. "There is no one more deserving of our top award than she is. Every patient in Ontario is lucky to have Linda speaking out on their behalf, on behalf of quality patient care, and on behalf of the skilled and valuable registered nurses she represents."

Haslam-Stroud sits on a wide variety of external committees where she successfully advances the work of ONA and the CFNU, as well as the role of nurses. These include the Joint Provincial Nursing Committee, the Double Duty Caregivers Advisory Committee, the Health Program Project Team, the Nursing Retention Fund and the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Program Board of Trustees.

Haslam-Stroud's personal motto of, "never, never, never give up" has inspired ONA members to become involved at all levels of ONA's work. She continues to remain on the cutting edge of nursing and patient care issues and is as passionate and dedicated to the profession as ever.

ONA Director, Labour Relations/Chief Negotiator Dan Anderson was also recognized at the CFNU Biennial Convention with the Public Bread and Roses Award.

This award is presented to an individual who is not a member of a Canadian nurses' union but who demonstrates relevant accomplishments.

Dan Anderson has dedicated his career to advocating for public medical or universal health care by not only improving the working conditions of RNs, but also fighting for the maintenance of Ontario's publicly administered, funded and accessible health care system.

During his 40-plus years as ONA staff, Anderson has been a tough but fair chief negotiator. He is largely responsible for significant advancements made in pay equity, working conditions and wages and benefits and he is a key player on the board of trustees of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan.

ONA believes that nurses could have "no better champion" than Dan, whose strategies and best practices have been put into practice by other organizations across Canada and internationally.

Others honoured at the CFNU biennial were Sandi Mowat, President of the Manitoba Nurses Union and Lynn Digney Davis, Chief Nursing Officer for the Government of Saskatchewan.

ONA is the union representing 60,000 front-line RNs, RPNs and allied health professionals and more than 14,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in Ontario hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, industry and clinics.

SOURCE: Ontario Nurses' Association

Ontario Nurses' Association

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

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