front lines august 2010

The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association

In This Issue . . .E4From ONA President

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

E5From ONA CEO

Lesley Bell, RN, MBA

E6From ONA First Vice-President

Vicki McKenna, RN

AugusT 2010Vol. 10 • No. 4

continues on page 3

continues on page 3

Toronto Grace Nurses Vote for ONA!

earing black ribbons and armbands to symbolize their distress over the elimination of registered nurse positions, ONA members, shown with Ottawa District Labour Council

President Sean McKenny (third from the left), have staged a sober rally and information picket outside the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital.

On June 24, 2010, the same day a board and annual general meeting was being held at the site, members and their supporters handed out information flyers

W

Sixty registered nurses at Toronto Grace Health Centre are now members of ONA, thanks to a successful certification vote ear-lier this summer.

On June 15, 2010, the majority of nurses voted to join ONA following a difficult year. The 119-bed hospital was threatened with closure, impacting a community that relied

on it for continuing care, rehabilitation and palliative care. In a last-minute reprieve in February, the province pledged $15-million to keep the hospital open.

“We very much look forward to repre-senting the RNs at Toronto Grace Health Centre,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “For almost 37

During a solemn rally in the nation’s capital on June 24, 2010, ONA members, adorned in

black, and their supporters grieve the loss of dozens of RN positions and beds at The Ottawa

Hospital.

FEATURESMembers Hit the Stage ............................ 7Focus on…New Member ......................11June PCM .....................................................12Biennial Convention ................................24

INDEXMember News ............................................. 7ONA News ...................................................14Queen’s Park Update ...............................18OHC News ...................................................18Occupational Health and Safety .........19OFL News.....................................................19Education ....................................................20LEAP ..............................................................21Human Rights and Equity .....................22Awards and Decisions .............................23

Ottawa RNs Mourn Loss of Jobs

67621-2 frontlines aug2010 v13.indd 1 8/19/10 11:52 AM

AUGUST 20102

Linda Haslam-stroud, RN

President, VM #2254Communications & Public Relations

Vicki McKenna, RN

First VP, VM #2314Political Action & Professional Issues

Diane Parker, RN

VP Region 1, VM #7710Occupational Health & Safety

Anne Clark, RN

VP Region 2, VM #7758Labour Relations

Andy summers, RN

VP Region 3, VM #7754Human Rights & Equity

Dianne Leclair, RN

VP Region 4, VM #7752Finance

Karen Bertrand, RN

VP Region 5, VM #7702Education


Chief Executive Officer,VM #2255

How to contact your 2010 ONA Board of Directors

Call ONA toll-free at 1-800-387-5580 (press 0)

or (416) 964-1979 in Toronto and follow the

operator’s prompts to access board members’

voice-mail. Voice-mail numbers (VM) for Board

members in the Toronto office are listed below.

Tel: (416) 964-8833

Toll free: 1-800-387-5580

ONA Provincial Office

85 Grenville St., Ste. 400

Toronto ON M5S 3A2

ONA is the union representing 55,000 registered nurses and allied

health professionals and more than 12,000 nursing student affiliates

providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the

community, clinics and industry.

Fax: (416) 964-8864

E-mail: [email protected]

www.ona.org

Design: Artifact graphic design

Printed by union labour: Thistle Printing Limited

Copyright © 2010 Ontario Nurses’ Association

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic,

mechanical, photocopy, recording, or by any information storage or

retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher

(ONA members are excepted).

Editor: Ruth Featherstone

Features Editor: Melanie Levenson

send submissions to:

Communications and Government Relations Intake at [email protected].

Contributors: Sheree Bond, Brooke Burns, Nancy Johnson, LEAP Team,

Lawrence Walter

EHamilton 2 King St., W., 2nd Floor Rear Dundas, ON L9H 6Z1 Tel: (905) 628-0850 Fax: (905) 628-2557EKingston 4 Cataraqui St., Ste. 306 Kingston ON K7K 1Z7 Tel: (613) 545-1110 Fax: (613) 531-9043ELondon 750 Baseline Rd. E. Ste. 204 London ON N6C 2R5 Tel: (519) 438-2153 Fax: (519) 433-2050

EOrillia 210 Memorial Ave., Unit 126A Orillia ON L3V 7V1 Tel: (705) 327-0404 Fax: (705) 327-0511EOttawa 1400 Clyde Ave., Ste. 211 Nepean ON K2G 3J2 Tel: (613) 226-3733 Fax: (613) 723-0947Esudbury 764 Notre Dame Ave., Unit 3 Sudbury ON P3A 2T4 Tel: (705) 560-2610 Fax: (705) 560-1411

EThunder Bay #300, Woodgate Centre,

1139 Alloy Dr. Thunder Bay ON P7B 6M8 Tel: (807) 344-9115 Fax: (807) 344-8850ETimmins Canadian Mental Health

Association Building 330 Second Ave, Ste. 203 Timmins ON P4N 8A4 Tel: (705) 264-2294 Fax: (705) 268-4355EWindsor 3155 Howard Ave., Ste. 220 Windsor ON N8X 3Y9

Tel: (519) 966-6350 Fax: (519) 972-0814

ONA Regional Offices

The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association

JuNE 2010Vol. 10 • No. 4

ISSN: 0834-9088

Up Front


AUGUST 2010 3

Fax: (416) 964-8864

E-mail: [email protected]

Toronto Grace Nurses Vote for ONA!

JUNE BOArd HiGHliGHTs

The following are key highlights from the most recent Board of

Directors meeting, held June 1-3, 2010 at the ONA provincial office

and on June 17, 2010 in Windsor following the Provincial Coordin-

ators Meeting:

A Proposed Constitutional Amendments and Resolutions for the

2010 Biennial Convention, including bona fide member status,

were reviewed.

A The Board approved a “new-look” province-wide media cam-

paign for ONA members. The $750,000 campaign will be funded

from the Operating Fund.

A The Recognition Clause for Student Nurses document was re-

viewed, and Bargaining Unit strategies approved to include stu-

dent nurses where possible (some Bargaining Units currently

have this provision).

A The audited financial statements for the year ending December

31, 2009 were approved.

A The Managing Disruptive Physician Behaviour Guide was ap-

proved.

Complete highlights of the Board of Directors meeting are available

on the ONA website at www.ona.org. The next Board meeting will be

held at the provincial office on September 14-17, 2010 and highlights

will appear in a future issue of Front Lines.

to express their anger and concern for patient safety after the hospital announced it will cut 90 RN positions and close to 28 inpatient surgical beds despite being at more than 100 per cent capacity much of the time. In addition, the hospital will shut down the operating room at its Riverside campus for much of the summer in an effort to cut costs.

“The RN cuts will have a devastating impact on our patients,” said Local 83 Bargaining Unit President Frances Smith. “RN hours are being cut on the medical and surgical units. Support staff have been cut or reduced on many of the units. Ottawa resi-dents must take these cuts to heart and speak out against them before they or their loved ones in hospital experience the effects firsthand.”

The nurses are also angry at a recent staff memo from hospi-tal CEO Jack Kitts, stating that high levels of absenteeism are a barrier to success and is costing the hospital more than $20-mil-lion per year.

“Our members are sick alright – sick of the horrendous work-ing conditions at their hospital,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “You can’t work nurses off their feet, tell them even more cuts are coming, and then expect them to maintain their physical and mental health. It’s incredibly unreasonable.”

The members urge Ottawa residents to send a message to their MPP, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Deb Mat-thews, Premier Dalton McGuinty and Kitts to stop the cuts and restore quality patient care. Ottawa residents can also visit a special page on the ONA website at www.ona.org/toh to help with their lobbying efforts.

Over the past year, ONA has tracked more than 2,400 regis-tered nursing position cuts at facilities throughout the province.

years, ONA has been the voice of front-line RNs and allied health professionals, and I believe our new members can be assured they made the right choice when they voted yes to ONA.”

This is just the latest in a string of successful certification votes for ONA, including Victorian Order of Nurses, Huntsville (six RPNs) and Lady Isabelle Nursing Home in Trout River (seven RNs). We warmly welcome these new members to our union.

For a firsthand account of what’s it’s like to successfully organize an em-ployer and become a new ONA member, turn to page 11.

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Ottawa RNs Mourn Loss of Jobs

continues from cover

Up Front


AUGUST 20104

From ONA President

Présidente, AIIO

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

ONA’s Successes and Challenges Continue

I believe it’s important that we celebrate our successes even as we continue to face challenges.

ONA’s June Provincial Coordinators Meeting (PCM) was held in Windsor, and I can’t think of a more appropriate place to be as amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act became law on June 15, 2010.

Ontario employers must now develop and implement written policies on workplace harassment and violence or face a $500,000 fine – and, as noted by the media, the legislation passed after years of pressure from unions to improve protection of employees fol-lowing the tragic murder of ONA member Lori Dupont, a Windsor nurse. It’s a fitting tribute to Lori that our workplaces will be safer today.

ONA has also welcomed new members recently. We have 60 new members from Toronto Grace Health Centre, as well as members at Huntsville’s Victorian Order of Nurses and Lady Isabelle Nursing Home in Trout Creek. This is a clear message that nurses recognize the benefits of being an ONA member.

But this summer has not been a time to sit and reflect. We con-tinue to be advised of RN cuts – most recently in Peterborough and now Barrie.

At the PCM, we showed a new video highlighting some of the tremendous local efforts of ONA members to alert their commu-nities to nursing cuts and to motivate people to speak out against these cuts and the negative impact they are having to patients/cli-ents/residents. You’ll see many examples in Front Lines.

I encourage all of you to take local action. Your union is here to help make it easy for you. It’s so important to speak out – for your sake, but also for the sake of your patients/residents/clients.

I hope you enjoyed your summer.

L’AIIO continue de remporter des victoires et de relever des défis

Je pense qu’il est important de célébrer nos réussites, même si nous continuons à affronter des défis.

L’Assemblée des coordonnatrices provinciales (ACP) de l’AIIO s’est tenue en juin à Windsor et c’était vraiment le lieu idéal pour cet événement étant donné que les modifications apportées à la Loi sur la santé et la sécurité au travail ont été promulguées le 15 juin 2010.

Les employeurs de l’Ontario doivent désormais rédiger et mettre en œuvre des politiques sur le harcèlement et la violence en milieu de travail s’ils veulent éviter de payer une amende de 500 000 $. De plus, comme les médias l’ont souligné, la législation a été adoptée après des années de pression exercée par les syndicats en vue d’améliorer la protection des employés à la suite du meurtre tragique d’un membre de l’AIIO, Lori Dupont, une infirmière tra-vaillant à Windsor. Le fait que nos lieux de travail soient plus sûrs constitue un hommage bien mérité à Lori.

En outre, l’AIIO a récemment accueilli de nouveaux membres. Nous avons 60 nouveaux membres provenant du Grace Health Cen-tre de Toronto, ainsi que des membres des Infirmières de l’Ordre de Victoria de Huntsville et du Lady Isabelle Nursing Homme de Trout Creek. C’est une preuve évidente que les infirmières reconnaissent les avantages d’être membre de l’AIIO.

Toutefois, cet été ne sera pas synonyme de tranquillité et de ré-flexion. Nous continuons d’être informés de suppressions de postes d’infirmières, tout récemment à Peterborough et maintenant à Bar-rie.

Lors de l’ACP, nous avons regardé une vidéo mettant en évi-dence certains des efforts remarquables déployés par les membres à l’échelle locale afin d’avertir leurs collectivités des suppressions de postes d’infirmières et d’inciter les employés à dénoncer ces sup-pressions et les répercussions négatives qu’elles entraînent sur les patients, les clients et les résidants. Vous trouverez de nombreux exemples dans le bulletin Front Lines.

Je vous encourage tous à passer à l’action dans vos collectivi-tés. Votre syndicat est à votre disposition pour vous aider dans vos démarches. Il est essentiel de faire entendre votre voix, pour votre bien et celui de vos patients, clients et résidants.

J’espère que vous vous êtes bien amusé cet été.

A recent Nanos Research study also reveals that the public is onside, with almost 90 per cent supporting public solutions to problems in the health care system.

It’s a fitting tribute to Lori that our workplaces will be safer today.


AUGUST 2010 5

From ONA Chief Executive Officer

Directrice générale, AIIO


Les allégations sur la non-viabilité du système public des soins de santé sont fausses

L’un des principaux économistes de la santé à l’échelle mondiale se fait l’écho de ce que l’AIIO répète depuis longtemps : les al-légations sur la non-viabilité du système public des soins de

santé et la nécessité d’un virage vers davantage de soins privés com-me étant la seule solution viable sont un mensonge pur et simple.

S’adressant à des députés et à des hauts conseillers du gouver-nement réunis sur la Colline Parlementaire à l’occasion d’un petit-déjeuner de travail commandité par la Coalition canadienne de la santé, Robert G. Evans a indiqué que les dépenses au titre du ré-gime d’assurance-maladie représentent actuellement pratiquement la même proportion des recettes de la province qu’il y a 20 ans – soit entre quatre et cinq pour cent de notre produit intérieur brut (PIB). Alors, a-t-il dit, le problème ne vient pas des dépenses incon-trôlées dans le secteur public de la santé, mais plutôt de dépenses non contrôlées dans le secteur privé de la santé, combinées à une chute des recettes de la province causées par d’importantes réduc-tions d’impôts effectuées au fil des ans.

Et pour l’AIIO, le problème est encore plus profond. Nous avons vu des centaines d’exemples de ce qui se passe lorsqu’on ouvre la porte à la privatisation et à ses affreuses conséquences – que ce soit sous la forme de partenariats public-privé ou d’un insidieux système d’appels d’offres pour les services de soins à domicile. Quand les ré-sultats financiers deviennent le principal sujet de préoccupation, les soins aux patients en pâtissent, purement et simplement.

Bien que nous soyons totalement d’accord sur le fait qu’un cer-tain type de réforme de notre système de santé est nécessaire afin de le rendre plus efficient et plus efficace, nous avons à présent une nouvelle preuve que la privatisation n’a aucun rôle à y jouer. Une étude menée récemment par Nanos Research révèle également que la population est de notre avis puisqu’elle est à 90 % en faveur de solutions publiques aux problèmes du système de soins de santé.

En s’appuyant sur ces statistiques, l’AIIO continuera de faire pression sur le gouvernement pour qu’il respecte les principes de la Loi canadienne sur la santé et pour qu’il maintienne un système de soins de santé dont les soins sont financés, administrés et fournis par le secteur public. Nos patients, nos résidents et nos clients n’en attendent pas moins de nous.

Claims Public Health Care Unsustainable Not True

One of the world’s leading health economists supports what ONA has been saying all along: that the claim public health care is unsustainable and that a shift to more private cover-

age is the only viable solution are outright lies.Speaking to MPs and senior government advisors at a break-

fast meeting sponsored by the Canadian Health Coalition on Par-liament Hill, Dr. Robert G. Evans revealed that Medicare spending now takes up about the same share of provincial revenues it did 20 years ago – between four and five per cent of our Gross Domestic Product. So, the problem isn’t uncontrolled public health spending, but uncontrolled private health spending combined with a drop in provincial revenues created by large tax cuts over the years, he said.

And for ONA it goes even deeper than that. We have seen hun-dreds of examples of what happens when privatization is allowed to rear its ugly head – be it in the form of public-private partnerships or the insidious competitive bidding system for home care services. When the bottom line becomes the driving force, patient care suf-fers, plain and simple.

While we certainly agree that some type of reform is needed to our health care system to make it more efficient and effective, we now have even more proof that privatization must play no part in that. A recent Nanos Research study also reveals that the public is onside, with almost 90 per cent supporting public solutions to prob-lems in the health care system.

Backed by these statistics, ONA will continue to lobby the gov-ernment to abide by the principles of the Canada Health Act and maintain a publicly funded, administered and delivered health care system. Our patients/residents/clients expect nothing less from us.

A recent Nanos Research study also reveals that the public is onside, with almost 90 per cent supporting public solutions to problems in the health care system.


AUGUST 20106

Reversal of London Cuts Gives us Hope

Just as I was sitting down to write this column, ONA heard some truly fantastic news: the cuts to registered nurses at the Lon-don Health Sciences Centre’s cancer care program have been re-

scinded! This is a huge win for cancer patients, the community, the RNs affected and all of ONA.

After my initial elation, I got to thinking about why this came to be. Certainly, the employer, like so many others in the province, had determined that the best way to deal with its budget pressures was on the backs of 23 per cent of the nurses who work in that out-patient clinic. But what they clearly failed to realize was the sheer determination of those RNs, along with our public supporters, in fighting the layoffs and finding savings elsewhere.

As soon as we learned about the cuts, ONA members immedi-ately took our concerns about how this decision would affect patient care to the media, and were overwhelmed by the outcry of public support, which included Facebook groups; online petitions; letters to the editor, elected officials and hospital administrators; and at-tendance at an open forum, organized by the nurses themselves.

I am heartened by this reversal, as it not only shows the power of a strong ONA/public partnership, it gives us real hope that if it can happen in London, it can happen elsewhere. I hope it inspires you to get your community members to take an interest in what’s hap-pening in their own backyard. Talk to them at every opportunity, hold forums and information pickets, hand out materials and sub-mit letters to the editor of the papers they read. Ask them to stand up with you for quality health care, because we know the results can be tremendous.

L’annulation des suppressions de postes au London Health Sciences nous donne de l’espoir

J’allais m’asseoir pour rédiger cette chronique lorsque j’ai appris une nouvelle vraiment fantastique : les suppressions de postes d’infirmières autorisées du programme de soins aux personnes

atteintes du cancer du London Health Sciences Centre ont été an-nulées!

Il s’agit d’une immense victoire pour les patients, pour la popula-tion de London, pour les infirmières autorisées qui étaient visées et pour tous les membres de l’AIIO.

Une fois mon premier élan d’enthousiasme passé, j’ai réfléchi aux raisons pour lesquelles cela s’est produit. À coup sûr, cet employ-eur, qui est le mien, avait estimé, comme beaucoup d’autres dans la province, que la meilleure façon de s’attaquer à ses problèmes bud-gétaires était de le faire au détriment de 23 % des infirmières qui travaillent dans ce centre anticancéreux pour les malades externes.

Mais de toute évidence, ce qu’il n’avait pas réalisé, c’est la ferme détermination de ces infirmières autorisées qui, avec l’appui de nos sympathisants, notamment les patients cancéreux et leur famille, ont combattu les mises à pied et trouvé des économies ailleurs.

Dès que les infirmières ont eu vent des suppressions de postes, les dirigeantes et les membres de la section 100 de l’AIIO ont immé-diatement alerté les médias à propos de leurs préoccupations quant aux répercussions de cette décision sur les soins aux patients. Ils ont reçu d’innombrables marques de soutien de la part de la population sous la forme notamment de groupes Facebook, de pétitions en lig-ne, de lettres aux rédacteurs en chef des journaux et aux représent-ants élus, dont les députés provinciaux, les conseillers municipaux et les administrateurs d’hôpitaux, et d’une participation à un forum ouvert organisé par les infirmières elles-mêmes.

Je suis encouragée par ce retournement qui ne témoigne pas seulement du pouvoir d’un solide partenariat entre l’AIIO et la pop-ulation, mais qui nous donne réellement l’espoir que si cela peut se produire à London, cela peut se produire ailleurs.

J’espère que cela vous incitera à amener les membres de votre com-munauté à s’intéresser à ce qui se passe dans leur propre cour. Saisis-sez toutes les occasions de leur parler, organisez des forums et des piquetages informatifs, distribuez des documents d’information et envoyez des lettres aux rédacteurs en chef des journaux que vous lisez.

Demandez-leur de se battre à vos côtés pour défendre les soins de santé dans leur communauté, car nous savons que cela peut don-ner des résultats vraiment remarquables.

From First Vice-President

Première vice-présidente, AIIO

Vicki McKenna, RN

. . . it not only shows the power of a strong ONA/public partnership, it gives us real hope that if it can happen in London, it can happen elsewhere.

ONA Members Across Ontario


AUGUST 2010 7

We all know that ONA members take on a variety of roles: caregiver,

facilitator, mediator and educator – to name a few. And now, several

northern nurses can add one more: actor!

Each year, Magnus Theatre in Thunder Bay, housed in an old school

declared a historical building, stages a community play featuring the

members of local professional groups, such as doctors, engineers and

lawyers, with the proceeds helping to keep the theatre afloat. These

non-actors audition for parts and give up their time and talent for free.

On the recommendation of an anesthetist at Thunder Bay Re-

gional Hospital, Local 73, the theatre’s Artistic Director Mario Crudo

approached local nurses about taking to centre stage this year for the

production of “Dirty Work at the Crossroads,” a melodrama about a

villain looking to scam a country girl out of her property so he can

build a railway.

“The word got out largely thanks to an e-mail from (Local 73 Co-

ordinator) Donna Wheal and by word of mouth,” said Local 73 Secre-

tary-Treasurer Colleen Morrow, who played the part of Fleurette in the

two-hour play.

More than a dozen ONA members from Thunder Bay Regional

and St. Joseph’s Care Group, Local 14, participated in the production,

along with a local police officer and a bio-med technologist because

“finding nurses for the leading male parts was challenging,” Morrow

added.

The participants practiced once a week for four months and then

twice a week for the next four months, leading up to the live perfor-

mances from May 7-15, 2010 (Nursing Week).

“Because our schedules made it difficult for us to always get to-

gether for practices, every part had two actors, and at least one could

always be there,” said Morrow, noting that many of the eight perfor-

mances were sold out.

And while there was talk of adding additional performances of the

play, which encourages audience participation (booing and hissing

for the villain and cheering on the “good guy”), scheduling conflicts

among the actors made that impossible. But Morrow wouldn’t rule

out another performance by nurses in the future.

“The theatre made a sizeable amount in ticket sales and from gold

members (Local 73 was a gold sponsor of the event) and I wouldn’t

be surprised if the nurses were asked to come back again,” she said.

“A lot of members who didn’t realize they could audition were asking

how they could get involved. Yes, it was a lot of work, but it was also

so much fun!”

ONA members (left to right) Colleen Morrow, Marianne sawicki and

Cindy Cryderman bask in the afterglow of their opening night

performance on May 7, 2010 at the Magnus Theatre in Thunder Bay,

attended by Region 1 Vice-President Diane Parker. The non-

professional actors helped decorate the theatre’s common area with

a mannequin outfitted in a vintage nurse’s uniform, a poster from

Local 73 and old nursing pictures.

ONA Members Receive Award for “Exceptional, Compassionate” CareThree ONA members have received a prestigious provincial

award for their exemplary care for cancer patients.

Linda Johnson, who works at the Winchester District Me-

morial Hospital’s satellite chemotherapy unit, Local 137, Julie

Garrett of the London Regional Cancer Program, Local 100,

and Karen Simpson, a nurse practitioner at Grand River Hospi-

tal, Local 139, were three of only five recipients of Cancer Care

Ontario’s Human Touch Award, which recognizes and honours

health care professionals, providers and volunteers in the can-

cer system, who demonstrate exceptional and compassionate

patient care.

Congratulations to these dedicated and deserving

members!

Northern Members Stage Play for Good Cause



AUGUST 20108

ONA Demands Workers’ CompensationThe ONA Board of Directors and members (including left to right: Local 25 Coordinator

Aisha Jahangir, Region 1 Vice-President Diane Parker, Region 2 Vice-President Anne

Clark and Local 6 Coordinator Carolyn Edgar) join our allies at the annual Injured

Workers’ Day event at Queen’s Park on June 1, 2010. “Nurses are the most injured on

the job and we’re being kicked when we’re down,” ONA President Linda Haslam-stroud

told the crowd protesting the decline of Ontario’s workers’ compensation system. “I

went into the profession thinking I would work hard, have a job and appropriate com-

pensation when needed, and here we are 27 years later still injured because of unsafe

work environments. My message to the Workers safety and Insurance Board (WsIB) is

that you’d better step up to the plate and realize you have obligations. The Occupa-

tional Health and Safety Act needs to be considered and we need to be supported in

our return to work efforts and our payments of reasonable WsIB benefits.”

shouting chants of “Jeff Leal, get Real,” Local 3 members and their

supporters, along with Region 2 Vice-President Anne Clark (in red),

picketed their MPP (Peterborough) outside of Peterborough

Regional Health Centre on June 9, 2010.

If the Peterborough Regional Health Centre thought they would have

an easy time pushing through the recommendations of its recent Peer

Review, they underestimated the sheer determination of Local 3.

Since the Peer Review, which recommends the elimination of 71

beds and 121 full-time registered nurses to balance its budget, was

announced this past April, members of Local 3 have initiated and par-

ticipated in a slew of activities, many with our allies at the Ontario

Health Coalition (OHC), to alert the government, employer and public

of the real danger to patient care these cuts pose. Activities included

public forums, information pickets at the hospital, farmers’ market and

MPP Jeff Leal’s office, rallies and an e-mail campaign on the ONA web-

site (www.ona.org), where the public can send a message to Minister

of Health and Long-Term Care Deb Matthews and CEO Ken Tremblay.

On June 24, 2010, members also met with Ontario NDP leader Andrea

Horwath, a staunch critic of the Peer Review, to voice their concerns.

“I’m not confident the hospital will get back on track,” said Local 3

Coordinator Louise Flaherty. “They’ll get to their goal with the deficit,

but it will be at the expense of patient care. You can’t cut that much

and still meet patient care needs.”

To read about the OHC’s critique of the Peer Review, turn to page 18.

Peterborough Campaign Heats Up

Have Your say on Your Next Contract!With hospital central bargaining just

around the corner, we are giving mem-

bers in all sectors the opportunity to tell

us your priorities for your next contracts.

In the past, ONA has sent question-

naires to members in each centrally nego-

tiated sector via mail. In keeping with the

times, our latest questionnaire, available

by clicking on a prominent link on the

homepage of our website (www.ona.org),

can be filled out electronically. It will not

go “live” until September 7, 2010, and

you can start completing it at that time.

We urge all members to fill out this

survey, as it will help us determine your

bargaining objectives.

go to www.ona.org and have your say!



AUGUST 2010 9

Member Lavishes Kudos on Bargaining Unit President Patti Lalla

ONA Proudly Waves Rainbow Colours in Toronto, London

While ONA leaders are the true backbone of our organization, liaising with the Board of Di-

rectors, staff and members, their hard work and dedication can seemingly go unnoticed by

members. But this isn’t the case for one Toronto Bargaining Unit President/Local Coordinator.

In a message to ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud this past June, an ONA member who

works at Mount Sinai Hospital gave high praise to new Local 82 Coordinator and Mount Sinai

Hospital Bargaining Unit President Patti Lalla (pictured), who assumed that role this spring.

“Patti worked with me to help resolve workplace issues, and I have never met anyone so in-

credibly accommodating, comforting, compassionate and understanding. When I was not re-

ceiving the support I needed from management, I sought her guidance and she made me feel

validated and valued, and she gave me the support and advice I needed,” said the member.

“The level of professionalism and skill she demonstrated in our interactions make her

seem so capable and trustworthy. People like her are an asset for our hospital and reflect so

positively for ONA.”

On behalf of ONA members, thank you Patti!

In celebration of equality, diversity and human rights, ONA members

in two major cities have taken part in annual Pride Parades this past

July.

In Toronto (left photo), several members and leaders waved flags

and walked the length of the parade alongside a steel grey convert-

ible, driven by Region 3 Vice-President Andy Summers, displaying

ONA’s Pride banner and other paraphernalia.

In London (right photo), Region 5 Vice-President Karen Bertrand,

members of Local 100 and their supporters, including cancer patient

Marita Devries who was instrumental in our successful fight against

cancer cuts in that city, donned t-shirts with handwritten messages,

while handing out items such as our Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care leaf-

lets and window clings and urging the crowd to visit our website for

more information about cuts to nursing positions and hours through-

out the province.

London NDP MP Irene Mathyssen chatted with Bertrand and

members, including Local 100 Coordinator Jill Ross and Bargaining

Unit President Diane Strachan, about our concerns and led the parade

with our Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care sign!


AUGUST 201010

Focus on….Royal Victoria Latest Hospital to Announce CutsRoyal Victoria Hospital in Barrie has announced that it is reduc-

ing beds, replacing some registered nurses with registered prac-

tical nurses and investigating the contracting out of services.

In total, 18 beds will be closed and 33 registered nurses de-

ployed and replaced with 33 registered practical nurses. The

hospital said the move is part of an attempt to be more efficient

while it is on the cusp of a large expansion.

“The translation of this so-called rationale is that the hos-

pital is balancing its budget on the backs of registered nurses

and the patients they serve,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-

Stroud. “This is just the latest example of an alarming trend

sweeping the province that ONA is fighting hard to stop.”

Local 134 Coordinator Kimberley Sweeney also called the

move “risky business,” adding that patients in high-intensity

units require registered nurses with added education, and that

cutting beds will make things more difficult in a hospital where

emergency stretchers are regularly employed in hallways for

patients waiting to be admitted into a hospital room.

our MeMbers Write…

The following letter was written by Local 75 (St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton) member Judith Flaherty to her local MPP.

I’m a registered nurse working full-time in a large teaching hospital in Hamilton, but live in Burlington. I’m also a union rep with ONA, the union representing registered nurses in Ontario.

I’m keenly aware of too many registered nursing positions in Ontario that have been replaced. I see the unfortunate results of care given by health care workers who haven’t been educated to think critically. Their assessment skills are limited, as they are more task-oriented. The results are improperly organized hospital discharges, often with frequent readmissions. My job takes me into homes to follow patients on peritoneal dialysis. It takes me hours to sort out issues that should have been set up properly at the time of discharge. A registered nurse has the knowledge to do this. This is not an efficient use of resources, and uses up valuable health care dollars. It is far more fiscally responsible to be proactive in medicine rather than reactive. Registered nurses are aware of this. This is what we’re about.

The government does not seem to understand this. They need to understand that to stop the cuts to registered nursing positions at the frontlines in the hospital setting has been proven to be economically more sound. They need to look at the bigger picture, not just the hourly rate of the registered nurses. ONA can prove that with registered nurses at the bedside, the health care system saves money and lives. Please get the message out and make all politicians and policy makers aware.

The following letter to the editor by Local 92 Bargaining Unit President Sandra Tansley from Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital was published in the Orillia Packet and Times on May 11, 2010.

Registered nurses are an endangered species and if we do not do something about this, they will become extinct.

Do you know that across the province, health care facilities are reducing the number of registered nurses and the hours of nursing care so vital to patients’ well-being?

Do you know that as registered nursing hours are reduced your health is put at risk?

Do you know that studies have shown that by replacing registered nurses with less skilled and less qualified workers, the risk of complications and death rise by 7 per cent?

Do you know that despite promises to hire more nurses, Ontario is still the second worst province in Canada when it comes to the number of registered nurses for the population?

Do you know that the more registered nurses on staff, the better the care and the better the results for patients?

Rising to the ChallengeOne ONA Local has not only met our challenge to get five

members to write to their MPPs about their challenges and

realities on the front lines, they’ve far exceeded it!

At the March 2010 Provincial Coordinators Meeting

(PCM) in Toronto, ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud is-

sued the challenge to Local leaders to help spread our mes-

sage to our elected officials that it’s unacceptable for health

care facilities to balance budgets on the backs of registered

nurses and our patients.

In response, at a recent meeting, 21 ONA reps from

Local 80 each wrote a hand-written letter to their MPP or

Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Deb Matthews, de-

tailing the nursing situation at Women’s College Hospital or

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Local 80 Coordinator

Judie Surridge supported and assisted the nurses in writ-

ing about their experiences in their letters, and noted that

some were two or three pages long!

We encourage all members to join this challenge. For more

information, log onto www.cuttingnursescuttingcare.ca.



AUGUST 2010 11

to discuss our wide array of services and answer questions, and provid-

ing materials.

Now that the nurses have joined ONA, Alton has assumed a lead-

ership role for the transition period before an election is held to de-

termine the executive. The election was scheduled for August 29. Due

to the experience she now has with ONA and skills she has gained,

including communications, she said she has considered running for a

position.

“Throughout this process, I learned I am tougher than I thought,”

she said, “and that there are a lot of nice people in this world, including

ONA and our nurses. They are wonderful to work with.”

Unfortunately for Alton, her resolve has already been put to the

test as the employer subsequently suspended her with pay pending

an investigation into her actions during the organizing campaign. (The

investigation concluded the complaint was invalid.)

“They had said I coerced other members into signing organizing

membership cards,” she cried. “But as a nurse, you have to be on a high-

er level. How can I intimate anyone? Management should work with us,

not against us. That is the way it’s supposed to be.”

Despite the difficulties, Alton said she is finally very optimistic

about the future.

“I hope we can improve our working conditions and bring justice

for the RNs,” she said. “I always have hope. If I didn’t, I don’t think I could

have done this. I feel that if you do a good thing, someone will help you.”

And for Alton and her colleagues, that “someone” is ONA.

Focus on….

Aneta Alton, New MemberFor Toronto Grace Health Centre registered nurse and new member

Aneta Alton, working on an organizing campaign with ONA not only

means that she and her colleagues finally have an outlet to address

working conditions, it also gave her the opportunity to pick up new

skills and learn a few things about herself.

“It feels good to be a new member of ONA,” said Alton, a 24-year To-

ronto Grace veteran, who works on the continuing complex care floor.

“I feel like we have someone to back us up. We don’t have to feel alone

anymore.”

The nurses’ decision to vote for ONA this summer comes after a

very tumultuous few months at the 119-bed continuing, palliative and

rehabilitation care facility, which was threatened with closure earlier

this year before the government came through with a $15-million re-

prieve.

“We felt we were being treated unjustly by management,” said

Alton, who began her career as a nurse in the Czech Republic before

immigrating to Canada in the 1970s and obtaining a nursing diploma

at Sheridan College in Mississauga. “There is the stress of unreason-

able families, the call bell goes off every minute, and wound care takes

hours. The only way we can manage is to not take any breaks, and we

don’t dare call in sick because of the hospital’s attendance manage-

ment policies. Management is always trying to save on front-line work-

ers, while opening more office jobs. I like helping and working with

people, so even though the working conditions are difficult, we do it.”

Alton said she was also denied a workers compensation claim by

her employer after suffering a herniated disk on the job, and was told

several months later she could only work part-time until a full-time

position came along (three years later) – as long as she took no sick

time in the interim. But when the hospital announced via e-mail a few

months ago that there would be a two- to three-year pay freeze, Alton

and many of her colleagues reached the breaking point.

“Of course I knew that ONA existed, and other RNs on the floor,

who work second jobs with ONA, said ONA is good and will support

us,” she said, adding that another union also told them that for regis-

tered nurses, ONA is the best. With that information and the support of

many of her colleagues, she contacted ONA about possibly organizing.

“When the pay was frozen, people started to come to me and I

asked how they felt about ONA,” she said. “If anyone wasn’t interested, I

left it at that.” As it turns out, quite a few nurses were interested enough

to sign organizing membership cards.

In the subsequent weeks leading up to the June vote, Alton assist-

ed ONA staff with holding off-site information sessions for the nurses

Aneta Alton (centre, standing) is surrounded by colleagues and

a patient.


AUGUST 201012

ONA leaders and members flocked to Windsor on June 15-16, 2010 for the Provincial Co-ordinators Meeting (PCM), an opportunity to discuss key union business, listen to guest speakers, network with colleagues and have some fun.

The June PCM, which rotates around the province as per a decision at the 2002 Biennial Convention, was hosted by Region 5 at the Caesars Windsor Hotel. It was a fitting location, as amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act came into effect during the PCM, large-ly prompted by the 2005 workplace murder of Windsor nurse and ONA member Lori Dupont.

Delegates listened to reports on governance and operations, and were provided with updates on bargaining in all sectors, organizing, the ONA budget, student affiliation activi-ties, Nursing Week and the next phase of the Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care campaign, already underway. Ontario Health Coalition Director Natalie Mehra (pictured, bottom right) com-mended ONA for our support of their campaigns, most recently the fight against hospi-tal cuts, and urged members to continue to stay involved. Ontario Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer Marie Kelly (pictured, middle right) and Canadian Nursing Students’ Association Ontario Regional Director Jamie Kyraciou (pictured, opposite, bottom left) also brought greetings.

But it wasn’t all work. On both evenings of the PCM, delegates embraced the history of the city by touring Willistead Manor, the Canadian Club Heritage Brand Centre and the Sandwich Church, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad. They also gathered for an early morning walk along the banks of the Detroit River, passing by the Pathway to Freedom Monument.

The week concluded on June 17, 2010 with an interesting and informative education session on how leaders can influence funding through collective agreement strategies, in-cluding professional responsibility workload complaints, and a review of the successful Cas-sellholme Independent Assessment Committee hearing.

The PCM garnered considerable attention from the Windsor and area media.

Full highlights of the meeting are available on the ONA website at www.ona.org.

June PCM Lands in Windsor


AUGUST 2010 13


AUGUST 201014

Provincial Elections Coming this FallIt’s almost that time of year again – time for the

election to determine who will form the next

ONA Board of Directors.

This fall, the election is for the positions of

the five regional Vice-Presidents. As ONA Presi-

dent and First Vice-President were elected in

2009 to two-year terms, their positions are not

up for election until 2011.

All bona fide members are eligible to vote,

once again through the televote system. Tel-

evoting – or voting with the keypad of your tele-

phone using a series of easy-to-follow prompts –

is fast, accurate, completely confidential and can

be done from the comfort of your own home. It

only takes about three or four minutes.

You will be able to vote for the candidate of

your choice as soon as you receive your nomina-

tion package in the mail this fall, which contains

information about the candidates and what you

need to access the televote system – right up un-

til the vote closes at 2400 hours on November 1,

2010. Results will be made available soon after

the televote closes on our website and pub-

lished in the December issue of Front Lines.

The October issue of Front Lines will contain

information on the candidates running and de-

tails on how to place your vote. Televote infor-

mation will also be posted on the members’ sec-

tion of the ONA website at www.ona.org in the

days to come.

The Board of Directors makes important de-

cisions on your behalf every day. We strongly en-

courage you to have your say in who forms this

important group when the televote rolls around

this fall.

ONA Campaign Ad, Publications Win AwardsONA’s powerful Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care television advertise-

ment and several of our publications, including Front Lines, have

recently won prestigious North American awards.

The television ad, which aired earlier this year to bring attention to the growing prac-

tice of employers eliminating nursing hours and positions to balance their budgets, won an

award from the Canadian Association of Labour Media, a network of union publications and

editors that provides labour-friendly stories, graphics and training for labour communicators.

ONA publications also received 2010 Apex awards, which are sponsored by the editors

of the newsletter Writing That Works and based on excellence in graphic design, editorial

content and the success of the publication in achieving overall communications effective-

ness and excellence. The December 2009 issue of Front Lines won an award in the “Magazine

and Journal – Print” category, and the feature article detailing our Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care

campaign, published in the April 2009 issue of Front Lines, won an award in the “Feature Writ-

ing” category. The 2008/2009 ONA Annual Report was named a winner in the “Annual Report

– Print” category, and Behind the Front Lines, which provides a recap and critical analysis of

health care news from ONA’s perspective and is geared towards the media, won an award for

“New Newsletters.”

The Apex awards, judged by a group of distinguished communications experts, are open to

communicators in corporate, non-profit and independent settings throughout North America.

The Year was 1974: ONA negotiates the first central hospital agreement, covering

10,000 registered nurses and including a 50 per cent increase in maximum salary. The

Ontario Health Ministry accepts the rates as the province-wide standard.

In the first in a regular series, we briefly highlight some of the areas where ONA has made

a real difference, not just to the working lives of our members, but to the care of our

patients/clients/residents.

Thanks to ONA . . .

ONA News


AUGUST 2010 15

ONA Supports Quebec Nurses – You Can Too!ONA is supporting our Quebec counterparts in their protracted negotiations with

the province and we are asking you to help by signing an online petition.

The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) unanimously

rejected the government’s latest contract offer and has called for major changes

in working conditions. As a pressure tactic, FIQ members plan to implement those

changes in the workplace to show the government they will work.

“Our action plan and mobilization will continue until the fall and we will take

the time we need to reach an agreement that is satisfactory for our members,” said

FIQ President Régine Laurent. “That means we will continue our negotiations for

as long as necessary.”

In a letter of support to FIQ, Linda Silas, President of the Canadian Federa-

tion of Nurses Unions (CFNU), wrote, “The CFNU agrees with the 83 per cent of

Quebecers who believe that improving working conditions, as requested by the

nurses, will improve the health system while having a positive impact in terms of

diminishing the nurse shortage, better retention rates, and attracting new peo-

ple to the profession…We are exasperated to see that the Quebec government

doesn’t seem to be willing to listen to the solutions you bring to the table.”

To support Quebec nurses in their efforts for a fair and decent contract, ONA is

asking you to sign FIQ’s online petition at: http://www.appuyonslafiq.qc.ca.

Patients Move Through System Inefficiently, Report StatesOntario is experiencing serious problems with how patients

move through the health care system, from emergency de-

partments to hospitals to long-term care, the 2010 annual

report of the Ontario Health Quality Council reveals.

The council, an independent arms-length agency, sug-

gests that Ontario’s health care system – one of the most

costly in Canada – is squandering precious resources due to

inefficiency. And although council Chairperson Lyn McLeod

said the report is meant to encourage hospitals to do better,

in many areas of care, too many people are waiting for too

long.

Among the council’s chief concerns is that one in every

six hospital beds is occupied by patients who are awaiting

nursing home placement, which causes a domino effect.

Many urgent cancer patients cannot undergo operations

within the recommended two weeks or less due to a lack of

beds, and emergency patients wait for hours to be moved

into a room. One-quarter of nursing home residents also

don’t need to be in long-term care, the report states.

HoMe care

Number of Home Care Nurses DeclinesThe demand for home care services is increasing as care shifts from

hospitals to home and the community, but there has been a steady

decline in the number of home care nurses over the past decade, the

Nursing Health Services Research Unit (NHSRU) finds.

The NHSRU – a collaborative project of the University of Toronto

and McMaster University – analyzed the College of Nurses of Ontario

Membership Statistics Report and found that while the number of RNs

in the sector has increased overall, the actual number of home care

nurses has steadily decreased. In Ontario in 1999, there were 7,546

home care nurses who were employed, but in 2009, that number de-

clined to just 5,007. To compound the situation, in 2009, 32 per cent of

home care nurses were aged 55 to 64, compared to just 12.2 per cent

in 1999.

The NHSRU concludes that the consequences of fewer home care

nurses on quality of care and wait times for home care services “war-

rants further investigation.”


AUGUST 201016

News in BriefE In a decision supported by the Canadian Federation of Nurses

Unions, members of the Canadian Nurses Association voted

unanimously at their recent annual meeting to call upon the

federal government, as the host of the G8 Summit this past

June, to push for an international consensus on a sustained,

comprehensive, rights-based global strategy for maternal,

newborn and child health. “Nurses across Canada are express-

ing their deep concern for the over 340,000 annual maternal

deaths worldwide – most of which are preventable – and the

lack of progress on United Nations Millennium Development

Goals No. 4 (reduce child mortality) and No. 5 (improve mater-

nal health),” said CNA President Kaaren Neufeld. “It’s time to

put our money where our mouth is.” The G8 leaders pledged

$5-billion over five years for maternal and child health.

E Ontario responded well to the H1N1 pandemic, but greater

coordination and standardization is needed for future health

emergencies, a new report from Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s

Chief Medical Officer of Health, states. The province received

little coordination from the federal government on the deliv-

ery of the H1N1 flu vaccine last year, resulting in supply and

demand needs never being balanced, she said. ONA submitted

recommendations to the provincial government post the

H1N1 pandemic, identifying our front-line nurses’ concerns.

Meanwhile, World Health Organization Director-General Mar-

garet Chan said H1N1 is still a pandemic, although the most

intense activity appears to have passed.

E About 200 Red Cross workersin Connecticut staged a

three-day strike to protest

what they say is the non-profit’s decision to skimp on safety and

not require registered nurses to attend every blood drive. ONA has

been fighting a similar decision by Canadian Blood Services to

conduct a pilot project in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to replace

nurses with unskilled workers for initial blood donor screening.

E Sudbury Regional Hospital has un-

veiled five trees representing the

employee groups at the hospital,

including the Ontario Nurses’ As-

sociation. The young maple trees in

a large planter outside the hospi-

tal’s main entrance is a “great recog-

nition of our employee groups,” said the hospital’s Vice-President

of Clinical Programs and Chief Nursing Officer David McNeil.

E Four Local Health Integration Networksand three hospitals, including Sault

Area Hospital, will host an Ontario-

wide pilot project aimed at increasing

access to electronic health records

among mental health care providers

and improving continuity of care

across community and hospital sec-

tors. In the project, called Door-

ways: Strengthening Connections

Between Providers and Clients, electronic information

portals will be created using the Ontario Common Assessment of

Need tool to allow key information to be electronically gathered

and follow patients as they move across the health care spectrum.

E Five years after British Columbia formally recognized nurse prac-

titioners (NPs) and vowed to carve out a significant role for them,

NPs remain underused in the province. Fewer than half of the

more than 180 homegrown B.C. NP graduates now work in the

province in that capacity, while some are unemployed and others

work as registered nurses. While grant money initially flowed in to

hire NPs, much of that has dried up with health budget restraints.

Ontario, the national leader in the field, has 1,600 NPs registered

– 10 times as many as B.C.

MEDIA RELEASEFour LHINs Partner on Mental Health and Addiction Pilot Project

‘Doorways’ to information means better care for patients

May 27, 2010 -- Four of Ontario’s fourteen LHINs are working together with Ontario’s Community Care

Information Management (CCIM) leads to establish a portal for service providers to securely share and

access accurate health information electronically. The project entitled, “Doorways -- Strengthening connections between providers and clients” is being

piloted for mental health consumers and health care providers. It is funded by eHealth Ontario and is part of

the Ontario government’s eHealth agenda. The North East LHIN is leading the project with full participation

from the North West, Champlain and North Simcoe Muskoka LHINs. Three hospitals are providing

supporting infrastructure, including; The Ottawa Hospital, Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital

(HRSRH), and Sault Area Hospital. The pilot project allows assessment information to flow with patients as they move across health care

settings to get the care they need. The technology facilitates a common understanding of a patient’s needs

and helps to improve the continuity of care across providers. Authorized health service providers will have

access to assessments from one single access point for a patient when determining treatment and care.

This LHIN-directed initiative is expected to help deliver enhanced health care capabilities to the providers

and their patients; while also informing broader regional e-health portal planning for the LHINs.

QUOTES

“This pilot will provide the ‘proof of concept’ that we can build on for an electronic health record,” adds North

East LHIN CEO, Louise Paquette. “This information sharing tool will provide a secure single point of access

for multiple pieces of information while upholding client privacy.” “Building an electronic health record becomes closer with each project of collaboration and consolidation of

information that can be accomplished,” adds Rodney Burns, CIO, North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN.

Participants in the Erie St. Clair pilot are already finding benefits from the Integrated Assessment Record

(IAR). “This pilot offers not only information through a single access point, it allows us to see trends in care

and episodes which is extremely valuable in serving this community of clients,” states Tamison Doey MD,

Chief of Psychiatry Hôel Dieu Grace Hospital and Adjunct Professor and Program Coordinator, Child and

Adolescent Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. Page 1 of 2

ONA News


AUGUST 2010 17

JI_ONA_June10_FINAL.eps 1 11/06/10 3:55 PM

NamesE Judith Wright has been named Deputy

Minister for the Ministry of Health Promo-

tion, after a stint as Deputy Minister for

the Ministry of Children and Youth Servi-

ces. Prior to that appointment, Wright

served as the Deputy Minister of Inter-

governmental Affairs, and Assistant Dep-

uty Minister in various other Ministries,

including the Ministry of Health, Ministry

of Community and Social Services, Stra-

tegic Planning and Policy Division, and

Ministry of the Environment and Energy.

CounterpartsE Members of the United Nurses of Alberta

(UNA) have voted to accept a mediator’s

recommendations for a new collective

agreement. The three-year agreement

gives the nurses no salary increase this

year, a 2 per cent increase in 2011 and a 4

per cent increase in 2012. “The contract

also begins to address nurses’ biggest con-

cern, which is adequate and safe nurse

staffing,” said Heather Smith, President of

UNA, which represents 24,000 registered

nurses and psychiatric nurses. “It includes

important measures on staffing, including

a commitment to hire at least 70 per cent

of the province’s nurse grads each year.”

UNA also welcomes the budget announce-

ment by Alberta Health Services that hiring

can proceed again and 450 jobs will be cre-

ated. “Our members are giving a vote of

confidence, expecting Alberta Health Ser-

vices to fulfill the promise to address work-

place supply and workplace issues,” Smith

added. “It is a vote of hope.”

MEDIA RELEASEFour LHINs Partner on Mental Health and Addiction Pilot Project

‘Doorways’ to information means better care for patients

May 27, 2010 -- Four of Ontario’s fourteen LHINs are working together with Ontario’s Community Care

Information Management (CCIM) leads to establish a portal for service providers to securely share and

access accurate health information electronically. The project entitled, “Doorways -- Strengthening connections between providers and clients” is being

piloted for mental health consumers and health care providers. It is funded by eHealth Ontario and is part of

the Ontario government’s eHealth agenda. The North East LHIN is leading the project with full participation

from the North West, Champlain and North Simcoe Muskoka LHINs. Three hospitals are providing

supporting infrastructure, including; The Ottawa Hospital, Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital

(HRSRH), and Sault Area Hospital. The pilot project allows assessment information to flow with patients as they move across health care

settings to get the care they need. The technology facilitates a common understanding of a patient’s needs

and helps to improve the continuity of care across providers. Authorized health service providers will have

access to assessments from one single access point for a patient when determining treatment and care.

This LHIN-directed initiative is expected to help deliver enhanced health care capabilities to the providers

and their patients; while also informing broader regional e-health portal planning for the LHINs.

QUOTES

“This pilot will provide the ‘proof of concept’ that we can build on for an electronic health record,” adds North

East LHIN CEO, Louise Paquette. “This information sharing tool will provide a secure single point of access

for multiple pieces of information while upholding client privacy.” “Building an electronic health record becomes closer with each project of collaboration and consolidation of

information that can be accomplished,” adds Rodney Burns, CIO, North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN.

Participants in the Erie St. Clair pilot are already finding benefits from the Integrated Assessment Record

(IAR). “This pilot offers not only information through a single access point, it allows us to see trends in care

and episodes which is extremely valuable in serving this community of clients,” states Tamison Doey MD,

Chief of Psychiatry Hôel Dieu Grace Hospital and Adjunct Professor and Program Coordinator, Child and

Adolescent Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. Page 1 of 2


AUGUST 201018

E The government has finalized reforms to lower generic drug

prices and is making improvements to the province’s drug sys-

tem. The changes were effective on July 1, 2010, and include:

• Lowering the price of most generic drugs by at least 50 per cent.

• Eliminating so-called “professional allowances” – payments

generic drug companies make to pharmacy owners in

exchange for stocking their products.

• Supporting access to pharmacy services in rural communities

by increasing the dispensing fees paid to rural pharmacies by

as much as $5 per prescription filled.

• Expanding the MedsCheck program to assist people with

diabetes, long-term care home residents and people who have

difficulty travelling to their local pharmacy.

• Creating a transition fund to assist pharmacies in adapting to

the fairer drug system.

E Bill 21, the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 received third reading

on June 2, 2010, and Royal Assent on June 8, 2010 (some sec-

tions require proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor). The Bill

regulates retirement homes by setting up the Retirement Homes

Regulatory Authority. (See Front Lines, Vol. 10, No. 3, June 2010,

pg. 15 for ONA’s take on this Bill; our full submission is available on

the ONA website at www.ona.org). Information on the Bill can be

found at http://www.culture.gov.on.ca/seniors/english/news/2010/

b20100330.shtml.

QUEEN’S pARk Update OccUpATIONAl Health and Safety

OHc News

E The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Hospital

Improvement Plan (HIP), which recommends draconian cuts

to staffing levels and significant cuts to hospital beds and

services, does not reveal the extent of the service reductions

because it continues to list unstaffed (and therefore unusable)

beds as open beds, detailed analysis conducted by the Ontario

Health Coalition (OHC) states. The reduction in public hospital

services for the Peterborough community and surrounding re-

gion proposed in the HIP is based on the findings of the Peer

Review relating to key performance indicators and financial

data. But in the OHC’s analysis of the HIP and Peer Review,

“we have found that the financial ‘crisis’ is overstated, key fi-

nancial information has not been provided and the methodol-

ogy used to determine the PRHC’s status in key performance

indicators is deeply flawed.” To read the OHC’s full report, visit

www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca.

E Bill 46, Excellent Care for All Act, 2010 also received third reading

on June 3, 2010, and Royal Assent on June 8, 2010 (some sections

require proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor). Health care

organizations (defined as public hospitals, and other organiza-

tions that may be provided for in the regulations) are required to

establish quality committees. Health care organizations are also

required to conduct surveys to collect information concerning

satisfaction with the services they provide, and to have a patient

relations process and a patient declaration of values. They are also

required to develop a quality improvement plan, and to ensure

that executive compensation is linked to the achievement of the

objectives in that plan. The Ontario Health Quality Council estab-

lished under the Commitment to the Future of Medicare Act, 2004

is continued. (See Front Lines, Vol. 10, No. 3, June 2010, pg. 16 for

ONA’s take on this Bill; our full submission is available on the ONA

website at www.ona.org). Information on the Bill can be found at:

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/legislation/excellent_care/.

E The government has announced 100 per cent funding for Reg-

istered Nurse Surgical First Assist (RN-SFA) positions in hospitals.

Under the program, originally a pilot, our members work with the

surgeon and the rest of the operating room team to ensure pa-

tient safety before, during and after surgery.

E Ontario announced it is helping hospitals create more nursing

positions dedicated to assisting patients who arrive in emergency

rooms (ERs) by ambulance. The province is providing $9.6-million

for municipalities to create more than 90 ER-dedicated nursing

positions across the province. These nurses help reduce the time

paramedics spend in hospital ERs by providing care to non-prior-

ity patients who arrive by ambulance. This allows paramedics to

respond to other calls in the community rather than attending to

patients in the ER. Details on the funding allocated to Local Health

Integration Networks can be found at http://www.health.gov.

on.ca/en/news/release/2010/may/bg_20100514_2.aspx. OFl News


AUGUST 2010 19

OccUpATIONAl Health and Safety

Ontario lags Behind in OH&s, ONA Tells Advisory Panel

Critical Illness Survivor Plan is underwritten by Western Life Assurance Company andadministered by Johnson Inc. MEDOC® is a registered trademark of Johnson Inc.MEDOC® is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada andis administered by Johnson Inc. Johnson Inc. and Royal & SunAlliance InsuranceCompany of Canada share common ownership. All other available benefits are underwritten by Manulife Financial and administered by Johnson Inc. Some conditions may apply. LRP.04.09

Voluntary Benefits

A Benefitfor Everyone,Active or Retired

For more information, contactthe ONA Program Administrator:

Johnson Inc.1595 16th Ave., Suite 700Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3S5(905) 764.4959 (local)1.800.461.4155 (toll-free)

• Long Term Disability• Extended Health Care &

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OFl NewsE THE ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOuR (OFL) is calling for real dialogue on the ex-

pansion of the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP), which it considers the cornerstone of retire-

ment security. In a recent poll, commissioned by the OFL and the Canadian Labour Con-

gress, which launched a national campaign in 2009 with its affiliated unions to promote

pension reform, more than two-thirds of small business owners believe good pensions

are good for business, and that a public pension system such as CPP would improve

competitiveness and provide relief from the costly, cumbersome and time-consuming

process of administering small-scale private plans. Just as Canada’s public health system

offers a competitive advantage for Canadian businesses, so too does a public pension

system, the OFL states.

Ontario health care facilities lag decades be-

hind the rest of the workforce and fail to meet

even the minimum health and safety stan-

dards, ONA has told an expert advisory panel

reviewing Ontario’s occupational health and

safety (OH&S) prevention and enforcement

system in Mississauga on June 28, 2010.

ONA’s review of the state of OH&S found

serious deficits in protecting health care

workers from illness and injury – and the

risk extends to patient safety. ONA is calling

for the provincial government to implement

58 recommendations, particularly because

of the potential benefits to RNs, patients

and the public of making OH&S a core value.

“Despite very high stakes and the im-

plications for RNs and health care provid-

ers, we are far behind industrial health and

safety leaders, as we saw clearly during the

SARS outbreak,” said ONA President Linda

Haslam-Stroud. “Other industries have em-

braced occupational health and safety as a

core value, but ironically, health care provid-

ers face far more dangerous working condi-

tions with much less protection.”

Among our recommendations are:

• The Ministry of Health and Long-Term

Care must publicly commit to OH&S laws

and principles, and ensure top-down

education and personal accountabil-

ity throughout the government and the

health care sector.

• Prevention must be removed from the

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

(WSIB), with a broadening of enforcement,

and preventive and reactive enforcement

in the Ministry of Labour (MOL).

• Legislative amendments are required to

expand the powers of health care Joint

Health and Safety Committees and ad-

dress reprisals that are now occurring.

• Training standards must be established

and enforced for all.

• A more accurate picture of OH&S must be

developed, and the MOL should develop

its own database of injuries and “near

misses” based on reporting requirements

in the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

• OH&S criteria/requirements should be

built into accountability agreements,

physician privileges agreements and per-

formance standards/measures for health

care employers, officers, directors and

managers.

The panel is researching best practices

and will report back to the MOL in the fall

with recommendations and options for oper-

ational, policy and structural improvements

for consideration. ONA’s full submission is

available on our website at www.ona.org.


AUGUST 201020

EDUcATION

ONA’s first ever Leadership Conference was

more than just an opportunity for 25 new Lo-

cal leaders to learn the ins and outs of their

challenging role to better represent their

members. For many, it was the chance to feel

re-energized about their profession.

Through a series of lectures, panel presen-

tations, meetings with members of the ONA

Board of Directors and small group work, par-

ticipants in the conference, held from June

7-11, 2010 at Wilfrid Laurier University in Wa-

terloo, discussed the workings of ONA and

the Board, including how our union links to

the broader labour movement; negotiations

“I reignited my passion for nursing!”

ONA’s leadership Conference Hits the Mark

and grievances; leadership styles; mentoring; and effective communi-

cation – to name a few. The leaders, who come from a variety of sectors

throughout the province, were also required to develop a personal ac-

tion plan for the next 12 months.

“I learned to better understand my leadership style to better rep-

resent our members,” said Debbie Digby, who works at Sudbury and

District Health Unit, Local 2. “I also learned that there are many spe-

cialists supporting the work we do on the front lines, and there are

56,000 members standing in solidarity! It was a great experience, great

networking and very inspiring.”

Kierston Miron from Sault Area Hospital, Local 46, agreed, adding,

“I thoroughly enjoyed the Leadership Conference. It was well planned

and contained enough information on the most important parts of

how ONA works and what we need as leaders in our local organiza-

tions.”

For Dianna Dawson, an RPN from Four Counties Health Services,

Local 19, the conference also provided her with an opportunity to con-

nect with other leaders and discuss their challenges.

“We were all very grateful for this intensive training,” she said.

“I think it is wonderful ONA has kicked into high gear on succession

planning and mentoring. It is a vital part of continuing the work of our

union without leaving big gaps.”

Lisa Barrett-Cagliostro, a nurse at Campbellford Memorial Hospital,

Local 3, found the conference “enriching and solidified any education

that I had received at the one-day ONA workshops. It was a real privi-

lege to attend and I hope there are more conferences for the next up

and coming leaders to follow.”

That seems likely with almost 100 per cent of participants rank-

ing the conference as “effective” or “very effective.” Comments on the

evaluation forms include: “fantastic course,” “very organized and well

presented,” “this was an awesome program,” “panel presentation was

terrific,” and “I reignited my passion for nursing!”


AUGUST 2010 21

lEAp

The police show up at your door and want to

ask you about missing narcotics at the facility

where you work. You know you didn’t take any-

thing, so you invite the police into your home

and answer all their questions. You think the

matter is over, but several days later the police

call and want you to come to the police station

to provide a videotaped statement. You think

about your initial conversation with the police,

realizing that you didn’t have the chart in front

of you or the Narcotic Control Records, and are

concerned about your recollection.

Were your times off? Did you have patient

names right? What did your coworkers say? Has

someone altered the records since you made

your last notation? And, even though you

didn’t think to ask the police when they origi-

nally arrived on your doorstep, are you a sus-

pect? In fact, all the staff are suspects and you

could still be charged with a criminal offence.

Now you are really worried and call ONA’s Le-

gal Expense Assistance Plan Team (LEAP). But it

may be too late to prevent a criminal charge if

there are inadvertent but concerning inconsis-

tencies in your original statement.

You should have called LEAP first – when

the police first arrived on your doorstep. You

should have politely said, “I’m prepared to co-

operate, but want to call LEAP first for legal

advice.” Then pick up the phone and call LEAP

Intake at ONA before answering any ques-

tions. That same advice applies when the

College, Coroner or Information and Privacy

Officer contact you. Call LEAP first before talk-

ing to anyone.

College cases are on the rise. We suspect

this is due to increased public expectations

and greater employer reporting obligations

with respect to incapacity and incompetence

matters. We are seeing a marked increase in

incapacity cases, and in these cases, the Col-

lege has the extraordinary power to order

you to submit to a medical examination. You

want to make sure such a serious intrusion of

your privacy rights is warranted. Call us first.

Your monthly dues fund LEAP. LEAP cases

are serious legal matters with serious legal

consequences. The collective agreement pro-

tects your job. LEAP protects your profession-

al designation – without it, you can’t practise

nursing. And if you end up with a criminal re-

cord, you may have a major problem securing

nursing employment.

LEAP is your service. Use it, and remember

to LEAP before you speak!

The following is an excerpt from a letter

sent to ONA President Linda Haslam-

Stroud from conference participant

Jennifer Taylor, who works at the

University Health Network in Toronto,

Local 97.

I attended the Leadership Conference last

week in Waterloo, and words cannot be-

gin to express my gratitude and appreci-

ation to you and ONA. I feel inspired and

re-energized about my profession again.

I thought that was long gone!

The conference was enlightening.

I came away empowered with an in-

creased knowledge of the structure of

ONA, its history, how it serves its mem-

bers and its future. I increasingly under-

stand the health care system in this prov-

ince and the necessity of our union. I met

nurses from all over Ontario and made

invaluable connections.

It is encouraging and empowering to

know that there are so many passionate

and like-minded people at ONA. The con-

ference was effective in that I am able to

take the knowledge I acquired and better

serve and educate the nurses on my unit.

I plan to become more involved at

ONA in the areas of occupational health

and safety, and human rights. Thanks to

the conference, I was able to identify an

area of interest and follow that direction.

lEAP Before You speak!

How to Contact LEAP To contact a member of the LEAP Team, call (416) 964-8833 or toll-free 1-800-387-5580 during regular business hours (press “0” to be connected to the Toronto office if calling toll-free) and ask for “LEAP Intake.” If you do not reach a member of the team, leave a mes-sage and your call will be returned within 24 hours. After hours, for work-related criminal and coroner matters only, call Board intake: (416) 964-1979 or 1-877-839-6245 (enter 7775) . Included with this issue of Front lines is a handy wallet card so you can have LEAP’s contact information on you at all times. And for more detailed information, refer to the newly revised LEAP Guide, a copy of which can be found on ONA’s website at www.ona.org.

New Process for After Hours Malpractice CallsONA has developed a new process for

members’ AFTER HOURS calls regarding

malpractice. Such calls can now be left in

a confidential voicemail box and will be

returned within 48 business hours.

Call (416) 964-8833 or toll-free 1-800-

387-5580 (press “0” to be connected to the

Toronto office) and enter extension 7723. For

calls during regular business hours, call the

above numbers and ask for Gayle Thomson.

Pg. 22, “How to contact LEAP” box: The CEO wants the line, which is currently underlined (“for work-related criminal and coroner matters only”) moved to just after “After hours.” So, it should read, “After hours, for work-related criminal and coroner matters only, call Board intake...” Once those are done, I can check them and that will be it until I hear from the President!


AUGUST 201022

“Each one of us must be the change we want to see in the world”

One very motivated ONA Local leader is help-

ing spread the word that in our ever-chang-

ing society, cultural competence – the ability

to interact effectively with people of different

cultures – is a mandatory skill, not just for all

health care providers, but for each and every

one of us.

“As demographics continue to change, we

are seeing more and more diversity, not just in

health care organizations, but everywhere in

society,” said Bargaining Unit President Usha

Arora, from Local 25, a member of ONA’s pro-

vincial Human Rights and Equity Team. “More

and more facilities are interested in patient-

centred care and hiring employees from di-

verse backgrounds to enhance the lives of cli-

ents. It is important that we acknowledge, un-

derstand, respect and value our differences.”

While Arora, who works in long-term care

at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Guelph, has

always had an interest in human rights and

a goal to develop a diversity advisory com-

mittee at her workplace for the “inclusion of

diverse perspectives on organizational strate-

gies and to fill the gaps,” it wasn’t until she at-

tended a presentation by St. Mary’s Hospital’s

ethics committee and an Ontario Hospital As-

sociation conference on embracing diversity

in health care, that she decided to really get

the ball rolling. She began by presenting her

learnings from the conferences to her hospi-

tal’s Nursing Professional Practice Committee.

“They really liked the material and we mu-

tually decided to do a Powerpoint presenta-

tion for staff,” she said. “Management is very

open and receptive to the initiative I am tak-

ing and my manager is proud of me.”

That presentation took the form of a

“lunch and learn” for approximately 50 staff

during Nursing Week 2010. Arora, who immi-

grated to Canada from India in the 1970s and

“Some may ask what the big fuss is about diversity. We don’t have issues and we treat ev-

eryone the same. But, in fact, we are not the same. Each one of us comes from a culture that

can affect our values, beliefs, customs and ways of communication. Each one of us also has

different life experiences, goals and changes that affect our values and behaviours. Every

day we deal with many cultures: our own and those of clients, staff and volunteers. A role

or a profession may have a culture of its own. An organization also creates culture with

norms, expectations and behaviour of employees. Cultures are learned; they are dynamic

and evolving. And they can have an impact on every aspect of an individual’s life.”

– Bargaining Unit President usha Arora, from Local 25

HUMAN RIgHTS and Equity

Understanding and Embracing our Differences

has faced discrimination herself, highlighted

key areas of diversity in health care, such as

understanding differences and inclusiveness;

what it is like to be diverse and how to ad-

dress those needs; key values of embracing

diversity; and changes we and our organiza-

tions can make, such as obtaining the appro-

priate skills to embrace diversity and practice

competently with diverse groups, and imple-

menting processes to ensure workplace di-

versity exists in all roles and all levels.

“Diversity is important to the mission,

vision and strategic planning of any organi-

zation,” she said. “On my unit, for example,

I have noticed that staff is really taking an

interest in diversity. While management al-

ready promotes diversity, they would like to

discuss this initiative further.”

And it appears her presentation hit

the mark, with staff commenting that she

brought a different perspective to diversity.

Since then, Arora has given two additional

presentations, one on her unit during a sup-

per break and one to ONA’s Human Rights

and Equity Team.

“This is certainly the first step in increas-

ing knowledge and understanding our dif-

ferences,” she concluded. “If there’s one thing

(my audience) takes away, I hope it’s to have

awareness, understanding, cultural compe-

tence, and respect. As Gandhi said, ‘each one

of us must be the change we want to see in

the world.’”


AUGUST 2010 23

The following is a sampling of recent key awards and/or decisions in one or more of the following areas: rights arbitration, interest arbitration, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Ontario Labour Relations Board. A complete listing of recent awards and decisions can be found on the ONA website at www.ona.org.

AWARDS AND DEcISIONS: The Work of our Union!

RightsArbitrator awards 14 per cent wage differential for registered Nurse First AssistantsONA & North Bay general Hospital

(R. Brown, March 1, 2010)

The employer introduced the classification of

Registered Nurse First Assistant, but the par-

ties were unable to agree to a wage rate.

The Arbitrator determined that the ap-

propriate differential should be based on

the average differential at other institutions

that are appropriate comparators. Hospitals

which were outliers were excluded.

As a result, a 14 per cent differential over

the registered nurse was awarded.

WSIBONA wins WsiB appeal; entitlement granted for depression and anxietysouth Nursing Home

(May 2010)

In January 2004, this member slipped in

water at the nursing home and injured her

shoulder, knee and left hip. This claim was

allowed for health care benefits only as the

worker did not lose time. She subsequently

required knee surgery, which was allowed

and paid for by WSIB.

Then in March 2004, she had a second in-

jury when she slipped on ice getting out of

her vehicle for the night shift. This incident

resulted in injuries to her back, neck and

head. This claim was allowed for health care

benefits and sporadic absences from work

until she went off completely in late 2009.

In May 2004, the worker was diagnosed

with depression and suicidal ideation due to

pain from her injuries, ideas of her own self-

worth, inability to cope and flair-up of pre-

existing fibromyalgia. The Claims Adjudicator

attributed all of her symptoms and condi-

tions to the pre-existing fibromyalgia and de-

nied ongoing entitlement. ONA represented

this member at a hearing in December 2008.

The decision was received June 30, 2009,

and granted several entitlements for the

worker. In addition to entitlement for some

of her physical conditions, the Appeals Reso-

lution Officer (ARO) granted entitlement for

depression and anxiety, as it developed pri-

marily in response to the work-related injuries

(even though the worker was pre-disposed

to psychological illness due to a pre-existing

chronic pain condition). The ARO also decided

the injured nurse was “unemployable” due to

the psych condition, and she will be paid full

loss of earnings benefits until age 65. The total

payout of this appeal exceeded $120,000.

Importance to ONA: Not only can workplace

injuries be physically debilitating, many of our

workers suffer depression and other psycho-

logical impacts from the injury, its effects, and

the ordeal of securing benefits from the WSIB.

Injured workers are among the most vulner-

able in our membership, and ONA’s support

and advocacy can be critical to helping these

members regain benefits and a quality of life.


ONTARIO NuRsEs’ AssOCIATION

85 Grenville St., Ste. 400

Toronto ON M5S 3A2

Human Rights and Equity Caucus “Empowering Your Equity Groups”

NovEmbER 8, 2010

Gala Dinner NovEmbER 9, 2010

Education SessionNovEmbER 12, 2010

RoYal YoRk HotEl, toRoNto

For more information, check the oNa website at www.ona.org in the upcoming weeks.

biennial online registration begins September 1, 2010.

ONA 2010 BieNNiAl CONveNtiONNovember 9-11, 2010


front lines august 2010

Documents