ona front lines december 2013

IN THIS ISSUE . . .E4From ONA President

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

E5From ONA First Vice-President

Vicki McKenna, RN

Vol. 13 • No. 6DECEMBER 2013

continues on page 3

Hospital Bargaining Begins!

ith hospital central bargaining upon us and a provincial election as early as next spring, ONA is launching an aggressive public campaign demanding a moratorium on RN cuts

that hinder our ability to provide high-quality patient care. And our very success depends on you getting involved!

ONA is currently facing two of the biggest threats in recent history – continued, aggres-sive reductions in the number of RNs and the potential of a Tim Hudak-led Conservative provincial government, which will strip away our rights to the very

ONA’s Hospital Central Negotiating Team (HCNT) has begun bargaining with the On-tario Hospital Association (OHA) for a new collective agreement – and we are deter-mined it will respect the work you do for the

The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association

continues on page 13

W

patients of this province.Bargaining for the 2014 round began the

week of November 18, with additional dates set for January 2014. If necessary, media-tion will be held in

Region 3 Vice-President Andy Summers, along with Local 111 leaders and members from The

Scarborough Hospital and concerned citizens, take part in an Ontario Health Coalition Day of

Action outside the constituency office of Soo Wong, MPP for Scarborough-Agincourt, on No-

vember 9, 2013 to protest cuts to hospital services, including the continuing erosion of RN

positions – the focus of ONA’s new campaign.

Included with this Issue - Work of the Union: Winter 2013 Update

FEATURESFinal Farewell to Local Leader ................ 6CCAC Member Praises ONA .................... 8November PCM .........................................10

INDEXUp Front ......................................................... 3Member News ............................................. 6ONA News ...................................................11Queen’s Park Update ...............................15OHC ...............................................................15Student Affiliation ....................................16OH&S .............................................................18Education ....................................................19Human Rights and Equity .....................20Awards and Decisions .............................21Financial Statements ...............................22LEAP ..............................................................24

Special Pull-out Feature: ONA in Bargaining: Looking out for You!

THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE: What ONA is Doing for You on the Flu Vaccine (page 12)

ONA Launching Campaign to Stop RN Cuts

DECEMBER 20132 www.ona.org


President, VM #2254 Communications & Government

Relations / Student Liaison

Vicki McKenna, RN

First VP, VM #2314Political Action & Professional Issues

Pam Mancuso, RN

VP Region 1, VM #7710Human Rights & Equity

Anne Clark, RN

VP Region 2, VM #7758Labour Relations

Andy Summers, RN

VP Region 3, VM #7754Occupational Health & Safety

Dianne Leclair, RN

VP Region 4, VM #7752Local Finance

Karen Bertrand, RN

VP Region 5, VM #7702Education

Michael Balagus

Chief Executive Officer / Chief Administrative Officer

How to contact your 2013 ONA Board of Directors

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

or (416) 964-8833 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.

ONA Provincial Office

85 Grenville St., Ste. 400

Toronto ON M5S 3A2

Tel: (416) 964-8833

Toll free: 1-800-387-5580

Fax: (416) 964-8864

E-mail: [email protected]

ONA is the union representing 60,000 registered nurses and allied

health professionals and more than 14,000 nursing student affiliates

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

community, clinics and industry.

www.ona.org

Design: Artifact graphic design (artifactworks.ca)

Printed by union labour: Thistle Printing Limited

Copyright © 2013 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: Sharan Basran, Sheree Bond,

Mary Lou King, Enid Mitchell, André Proulx,

Katherine Russo, Karen Sandercock, Lawrence

Walter, LEAP Team

EHamilton 2 King St., W., 2nd Floor Rear Dundas, ON L9H 6Z1 Tel: (905) 628-0850 Fax: (905) 628-2557EKingston 4 Cataraqui St., Ste. 201 Kingston, ON K7K 1Z7 Tel: (613) 545-1110 Fax: (613) 531-9043ELondon 1069 Wellington Rd. South,

Ste. 109 London, ON N6E 2H6 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

Vol. 13 • No. 6DECEMBER 2013

ISSN: 0834-9088

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Front Lines can be accessed

on our website at

www.ona.org/frontlines

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http://www.twitter.com/OntarioNurses

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UP Front

DECEMBER 2013 3www.ona.org

February, followed by arbitration in March. The current collective agreement expires on March 31, 2014.

The newly-elected HCNT is well prepared, having spent seven days this past Septem-ber undergoing an orientation and developing bargaining proposals. Those proposals are based on our members’ priorities, including from the Have a Say questionnaire results. Members also provided thousands of comments and suggestions on those question-naires, all of which have been carefully read and considered.

“While we are still faced with a challenging political climate, our members have cer-tainly done their part,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “Your hospital team will be steadfast in its goal to obtain a contract that values and reflects the critical work our hospital members do for the patients of this province – work which actually saves hospitals money.”

For more information on hospital bargaining, see the insert included with this issue of Front Lines.

CCACs will not Proceed with Central Process in 2014The ONA Board of Directors has determined

we will not proceed with a central bargain-

ing process for our 10 community care access

centres (CCAC) throughout the province.

ONA met with the Ontario Association of

Community Care Access Centres (OACCAC)

earlier this year to discuss central bargain-

ing for the collective agreement expiring

in March 2014 and outline concerns of our

CCAC members.

We advised the OACCAC of our require-

ments to proceed with a central process in

2014, including one provincial collective

agreement and one benefit plan applied

across all our CCACs; that Local provisions

would be identified and dealt with locally; and

that we work towards provincial wage har-

monization. All requirements would be made

without concessions to existing agreements.

The OACCAC indicated this would be

challenging, but subsequently undertook to

engage their members. They later responded

they could not meet our demands, although

they asked to still continue with the central

bargaining process.

Based on these factors, ONA’s senior staff

made a recommendation to the ONA Board

of Directors to not proceed with a central

process in 2014. That means each CCAC will

be bargaining individually with the assis-

tance of servicing staff.

Attention Nursing Home Members: Central Negotiating Team Elections Coming!With the central nursing homes collective agreement expiring on June 30, 2014, ONA

members in that sector will have the opportunity to elect representatives for the Nurs-

ing Homes Central Negotiating Team for the next round.

A package containing information on the candidates and a mail-in ballot will be sent

to all members in the nursing homes sector by January 13, 2014. Members will be en-

titled to vote for one candidate from your region, unless the position has been acclaimed.

Orientation for the new Nursing Homes Central Negotiating Team is scheduled for

April 14-17, 2014.

Bargaining Updates on Home PageKeep in-the-know on bargaining up-

dates! Our Bargaining 2014 box on the

home page (left side, blue and yellow) is

the place to go to read the latest on bar-

gaining. Or visit www.ona.org/bargaining.

Hospital Bargaining Begins! continues from cover

HCNT member and Local 26 Bargaining Unit President Loretta Tirabassi-Olinski

addresses the team during orientation this past September while ONA Chief

Negotiator Dan Anderson notes members’ issues.

http://www.ona.org/bargaining


From ONA President

Chronique de la présidente, AIIO


Here’s to Another 40 Powerful Years!

It’s hard to believe that another year has passed and that ONA is wrapping up its 40th-anniversary celebrations.

With the formal end of this special anniversary, the time couldn’t be better to both acknowledge the impressive list of ONA successes and look to the future.

It’s vital that we all remember how powerful a union ONA has been and will continue to be. We are THE voice of Ontario’s front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals. The knowl-edge and power of ONA will come in handy as 2014 unfolds.

The Toronto Star recently published a report about the secret campaign blueprint of the Progressive Conservative party. Con-vinced that a snap provincial election would happen last spring, the party was ready with a campaign plan that aimed to devastate On-tario’s working people.

Central to the Tories’ plan is a “hard-right anti-union agenda” that would do away with the Rand Formula, and keep its attacks on organized labour front and centre.

If anyone doubts that this would be devastating to front-line RNs and allied health professionals, remember that the PCs have also been advocating for changes to the arbitration system and to cut our pension plan.

There’s no doubt we have yet another battle on the horizon to maintain/improve health care services, bring more RNs on board and fix the heavy workloads that so many of you face, and improve access to care.

You will see from the cover story that ONA is undertaking yet another campaign – a two-part effort to stop nursing cuts and to ensure that anyone but Tim Hudak is

elected as Ontario’s next premier. As your elected President, I want to appeal to all of you to consider

speaking out during the next election. We are a powerful union, and as nurses and allied health professionals, we are respected by Ontar-ians. Let’s use our voices to stop the planned race to the bottom.

For 40 years, ONA has been here for you. As we move to the future, ONA is more relevant than ever.

Happy holidays!

We are THE voice of Ontario’s front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals.

Encore 40 années de force de frappe!

Il est difficile de croire qu’une autre année vient de s’écouler et que les célébrations du 40e anniversaire de l’AIIO tirent à leur fin.

La conclusion officielle de cet anniversaire spécial offre une occasion sans pareille de souligner l’impressionnante liste des réali-sations de l’AIIO et de se tourner vers l’avenir.

Il est essentiel de ne jamais oublier la force que l’AIIO est dev-enue à titre de syndicat et continuera d’être. Nous constituons LA voix des infirmières et infirmiers autorisés de première ligne ainsi que des professionnels paramédicaux de l’Ontario. Le savoir-faire et la force de l’AIIO seront des plus utiles au cours de 2014.

Le Toronto Star a récemment publié un rapport sur le plan de campagne secret du Parti progressiste-conservateur. Convaincu qu’il y aurait des élections provinciales précipitées au printemps dernier, le parti disposait d’un plan de campagne qui visait à écraser les travailleurs de l’Ontario.

L’élément principal du plan des Tories était un « programme an-tisyndical très à droite » qui visait à se départir de la formule Rand et à continuer d’attaquer le mouvement syndical de toute part.

Si quelqu’un doute de l’effet dévastateur de ces mesures sur les infirmières et infirmiers de première ligne et les professionnels paramédicaux, n’oubliez pas que le PC a également préconisé des changements au système d’arbitrage et des réductions à notre ré-gime de retraite.

Nous avons encore, sans contredit, d’autres luttes à mener pour conserver et améliorer les soins de santé, augmenter le nom-bre d’infirmières et d’infirmiers autorisés afin de réduire la lourde charge de travail qui pèse sur nombre d’entre vous et améliorer l’accès aux soins.

Vous verrez dans notre rubrique principale que l’AIIO lance encore une nouvelle campagne – une initiative en deux volets : mettre fin aux compressions dans les soins infirmiers et à veiller à ce que n’importe qui, sauf Tim Hudak, soit élu premier ministre de l’Ontario.

À titre de votre présidente élue, je vous exhorte, chacune et cha-cun d’entre vous, à vous faire entendre au moment des prochaines élections. Nous sommes un syndicat puissant et, à titre d’infirmières et d’infirmiers et de professionnels paramédicaux, nous jouissons du respect des Ontariens. Faisons-nous entendre pour arrêter ce nivellement par le bas planifié.

Depuis 40 ans, l’AIIO travaille pour vous. Au moment où nous nous tournons vers l’avenir, l’AIIO est plus essentielle que jamais.

Joyeuses Fêtes!


From ONA First Vice-President

Chronique de la première vice-présidente, AIIO

Vicki McKenna, RN

Avoid Moving into Non-Practising Class

The 2014 College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) registration re-newal requires all nurses to make a declaration about their recent nursing practice in Ontario, but what concerns ONA is

that nurses who do not have evidence of practice in the last three years are being told they have to move to the non-practising class, resign or be revoked.

First of all, the terms practising and non-practising have caused some confusion. To be clear, practising doesn’t mean just hands-on patient care; it is any situation that requires you to use your nurs-ing knowledge, skill and judgment, and the application of relevant nursing practice standards and guidelines that impact, directly or indirectly, the delivery of health care services to patients/clients/residents. That means a full-time Bargaining Unit President work-ing with members on the front lines is a practising nurse.

Our challenge as a union is with mem-bers who, through no fault of their own, are injured and not working, are on approved leaves of absence or are battling addiction issues and not on the job. We are concerned they are falling under that three-year defini-tion and will have some trouble reinstating.

We also believe the CNO has inadvertent-ly created a situation where highly-skilled

nurses who are practising in the U.S. because of a lack of full-time employment in Ontario may not be able to easily return to practice in this province. With thousands of nurses reaching retirement age and an ever-worsening nursing shortage, the province needs to retain every qualified nurse possible, and enable nurses who wish to work in Ontario to do so without difficult reinstatement requirements.

The key message I want to relay is to try at all costs not to move into the non-practising class. This is not as ominous as it sounds. As the CNO has no minimum hours, even with less than one hour of practice within the last three years – say, volunteering at a blood pressure clinic and keeping yourself up-to-date by reading the CNO Standard and nursing journals – you would be able to remain in the practising class. The three-year clock would stop and then start again.

ONA staff, including our Legal Expense Assistance Plan Team, are involved with the CNO on this critical issue, and we will con-tinue to update you.

Even with less than one hour of practice in the last three years, you would remain in practising class.

Évitez la catégorie des membres inactifs

Pour renouveler l’adhésion à l’Ordre des infirmières et infirm-iers de l’Ontario (OIIO) en 2014, chaque infirmière et in-firmier doit faire une déclaration relative à son exercice des

soins infirmiers en Ontario. Cependant, l’AIIO est particulièrement préoccupée par le fait que celles et ceux qui n’ont pas de preuve d’exercice pour les trois dernières années se font dire qu’ils doivent passer à la catégorie des membres inactifs, démissionner ou voir leur droit d’exercice révoqué.

Tout d’abord, les expressions « être en exercice » et « être inactif » créent une certaine confusion au sein de nos membres. En fait, être en exercice ne signifie pas simplement de donner des soins aux pa-tients; il s’agit d’utiliser ses connaissances, compétences et jugement en matière de soins infirmiers, et d’appliquer les normes et directives pertinentes en matière de pratique de soins infirmiers qui ont une incidence, directe ou indirecte, sur la prestation des soins de santé aux patients, aux clients et aux résidents. Cela signifie qu’une pré-sidente d’unité de négociation à temps plein qui travaille avec des membres en première ligne est une infirmière en exercice.

Le défi que nous devons relever à titre de syndicat vise les mem-bres qui, bien malgré eux, sont blessés et ne travaillent pas, sont en congé approuvé ou sont aux prises avec des problèmes de dépen-dance et, par conséquent, ne travaillent pas. Nous craignons qu’ils ne répondent pas à ce critère des trois années et éprouvent des pro-blèmes lorsque viendra le temps de réintégrer le travail.

Le principal message que je veux vous transmettre est d’essayer à tout prix d’éviter de faire partie de la catégorie des membres inac-tifs. Ce n’est pas aussi difficile que cela peut sembler. Étant donné que l’OIIO n’indique aucun nombre minimum d’heures, même avec moins d’une heure d’exercice au cours des trois dernières années – disons du bénévolat dans une clinique de pression sanguine et votre maintien à jour par la lecture des normes de l’OIIO et des revues de soins infirmiers – vous pourriez demeurer dans la catégorie des in-firmières et infirmiers en exercice. La période de trois ans prendrait fin et le compteur repartirait à zéro.

Le personnel de l’AIIO, notamment notre équipe du régime d’assistance aux frais juridiques, discute avec l’OIIO de cette question essentielle. Nous vous tiendrons informés des progrès accomplis.

ONA Members Across Ontario


ONA Bids Sad Farewell to “Fearless” Local Leader

ONA is mourning the loss of a

much-cherished Local leader, who

was instrumental in one of our

largest and most intense organiz-

ing successes to date.

Phyllis Peck, long-time nurse

and former Local 237 Coordinator

and Bargaining Unit President for

the (then) York Central Hospital

(now McKenzie Health) in Richmond Hill, passed away on October 3,

2013 after a lengthy and courageous battle with ovarian cancer.

Phyllis was a key player in the organizing campaign at York Central

Hospital, which saw 673 nurses join our union in April 2006, and was

subsequently elected as the first Local 237 Coordinator and Bargain-

ing Unit President – positions she held until 2010. She also held several

other union positions, including negotiations rep, and served as chair-

person of a number of committees.

Phyllis’ involvement with the union began in 2005 when she con-

tacted ONA about organizing York Central after nurses were faced

with workload issues, scheduling changes and excessive amounts

of overtime. She and a few fellow nurses spent the next few months

working with ONA staff, providing information to the nurses about

how we could help improve their working conditions and relation-

ships with their employer. While there was initially concern expressed

by some of the nurses that they would get into trouble from their em-

ployer for talking to the union, Phyllis was able to qualm those fears.

“She was a fierce supporter of ONA and the members she repre-

sented and will be missed by many,” said Lorraine Harper, one of the

Labour Relations Officers who worked with Phyllis and her executive

in negotiating York Central’s first collective agreement.

“Phyllis was one of the most wonderful, kindest women I have ever

known,” added former Local Coordinator/Bargaining Unit President

Laren Burneman. “She was a unionist through and through, organiz-

ing a large hospital without fear! It was a privilege to be her friend.”

“I have never met a leader that was as committed and motivated

to bring economic and social justice to nurses,” Labour Relations Of-

ficer Stacey Papernick, who worked closely with Phyllis in the organiz-

ing drive, wrote in a heartfelt letter that was given to Phyllis before her

passing and read at her funeral. “Your follow-through with getting the

Bargaining Unit up and running showed your dedication to the goal

you set out to accomplish, and that you knew there was more to build-

ing the union than just bringing it into York Central. You changed peo-

ple’s lives at work, which helped them in their personal lives, and you

touched so many with your support and your ability to listen well and

figure out how to tackle their issues. Your fearlessness made me strong.”

“It is very sad to lose a great leader, a friend and a mentor,” con-

cluded Local 237 Coordinator Mandeep Sangha, who worked with

Phyllis. “She cared about everyone. She was very fair and always put

others first. She was a very compassionate RN and colleague, as well

as a super mom and loving wife. Phyllis stood up and challenged ad-

ministration/management when things got very unsafe at York Cen-

tral by forming a Local union when no one thought it was possible.

What Phyllis did for all the Local 237 nurses was instrumental because

they have a better future with ONA’s voice and strength behind them.

She is the one who inspired me to take on the leadership role and I

will continue her legacy. All Local 237 RNs salute a leader who will be

missed dearly. Thank you, Phyllis.”

ONA is all the better because of Phyllis’ commitment to her union,

members, profession and patients. We send our deepest condolences

to her family, friends and colleagues.

How to Help Victims of Philippines Typhoon On behalf of its member organizations, including ONA, the

Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) has donated

$10,000 to Oxfam Canada, which is coordinating relief efforts

for the victims of the recent devastating typhoon that swept

over the Philippines – and you can also help.

In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, which hit on November 8,

2013, many thousands are dead and as many as five million

people have been left homeless. While it will take many years

for these communities to recover, we urge you to donate so that

aid agencies can respond to this crisis.

To make a donation to Oxfam earmarked for Typhoon Hai-

yan relief, log onto our website at www.ona.org/donate.

Former Local 237

Coordinator Phyllis

Peck.


In this continuing Front Lines series,

a member from Region 4, who wishes

to remain anonymous, relays how her

union guided her through a very difficult

situation and how thankful she is.

I am writing this letter to voice my

most sincere gratitude to ONA, spe-

cifically to my Local.

The past two weeks had been the

hardest in my 12-year nursing career.

I was facing severe disciplinary action

and was told that I needed something

I had never needed before – union

representation.

To make a very difficult situation

short, the Bargaining Unit President

and two other members of the union

team went through my situation with

precision and a personal caring I nev-

er knew that a union could provide.

With the union’s guidance and sup-

port, I was able to have a very favor-

able outcome.

So to those union members,

namely the Bargaining Unit President,

Grievance Chair and Labour Relations

Officer, I wish to say thank you. Thank

you for standing behind me, fighting

for me and supporting me through

this very challenging time.

Want to share a brief story about what

your union means to you? Drop Front

Lines editor Ruth Featherstone an

email at [email protected] and you may be

featured in this section in an upcoming

issue!

Innovative Program Simplifies PRC ProcessLocal 11 has come up with a

way to make the Professional

Responsibility Complaint

(PRC) process just a little bit

easier for their members – and

it’s just a mouse click away.

Instead of filling out their

PRC workload forms by hand,

all nurses at the Windsor Re-

gional Hospital (WRH) Met

Campus can now access a PRC

program from any hospital

computer, which opens an

electronic PRC form with drop

downs and mandatory fields they fill out. Plans

are in place to expand the system to nurses at the

Ouellette site, and Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare,

formerly the Tayfour campus of WRH, plans to

continue the use of this electronic process.

“I have been working on bringing my vision

together for about four years,” said Local 11

Coordinator/Bargaining Unit President Susan

Sommerdyk. “There were so many barriers:

time to devote to the development, finding

the appropriate platform, cost factors and new

collective agreement language about the form.

But the one thing that was never an obstacle was

the employer, who supported it 110 per cent.”

It’s not surprising, given the amount of hand-

written PRC forms that Sommerdyk said were

incomplete, lost, illegible and difficult to track.

Under the new electronic system, once a nurse

submits a form, the appropriate manager and di-

rector receive a real-time email indicating a PRC

has been filed, which contains a link to access

the complaint. The union PRC rep is also notified

by email, and every time the manager or director

document on the form, the union is sent a link in-

dicating new documentation has been submitted.

Once a PRC meeting is held, the union rep

accesses the form and can add the minutes

from that meeting. The form is then converted

into a PDF file, sent to the appropriate persons

and stored on a shared drive.

“The biggest benefit is re-

al-time reporting,” noted Som-

merdyk, who said she would

highly recommend the pro-

gram to other Locals. “In our

old process, the form came

to the union rep to be tagged

with a reference number, a

copy was made for the La-

bour Relations Officer (LRO),

sent to the manager for a re-

sponse, back to the rep, then

to the meeting. The minutes

were sent out for agreement,

then the form was distributed with photocop-

ies of the minutes and stored in various places.

In the age of network technology, it was very

inefficient. But now the LRO receives the forms

quicker and can actually read the copy, and the

manager is made aware of the complaint and

can investigate immediately, resulting in much

quicker interventions and solutions.

Sommerdyk noted that having a single

source for accessing the completed forms for

both the union and the employer also makes it

easier to look at past history of the complaints,

trends and what action items were developed.

“We also save trees!” she said.

Feedback from nurses and the employer

has been very positive. In fact, Sommerdyk said

nurses completed a 10-minute online course

and found the form very easy to use. But like all

technology, it is not without its drawbacks.

“Unfortunately, due to the cost, nurses must

access this program through the hospital system.

Most nurses do not have home remote access,”

she said. “This means we will still have paper forms

for the nurses who want to complete the form

at home.” However, since the program has rolled

out, the Local hasn’t received any paper forms.

“Technology is there to be used,” concluded

Sommerdyk. “We have to leverage all opportu-

nities to integrate it into our practices. In time, I

would love to have an app for this.”

Professional Responsibility

Rep for Windsor Regional

Hospital Sara Simpson

demonstrates the PRC

program.

mailto:[email protected]

ONA Members Across Ontario


“I believe my work life would have been vastly different without ONA”

Retiring CCAC Member Thanks ONAThe following was submitted by former ONA

member and Bargaining Unit President Elaine

Hogan, who retired on August 23, 2013 from

the Central East Community Care Access Centre

(CCAC) after working 41 years as a nurse.

I was once asked by my daughter how I de-

cided on nursing as a career. I told her, “I

was born a nurse and had to wait to be old

enough to go to school to make it official!” I

was truly blessed to not only have spent my

entire working life in a career I loved, but to

have ONA as my union.

My first job was in 1972 at the (then) Os-

hawa General Hospital’s ER, making $7.84 an

hour. ONA was in its infancy and as a new

grad, I had little understanding of the impact

the union would have on my life. I received

my final pay this past August and as I had

just celebrated my 25th anniversary with the

CCAC, my collective agreement negotiated

an additional top-up to my hourly rate. I re-

tired making $41.42 an hour!

I also benefited from ONA’s influence in

getting maternity benefits in 1974, which

have improved enormously since then.

Active ONA InvolvementThe start of my active involvement in ONA

was at the non-unionized Whitby General

Hospital. I was the one who made the call

to ONA to see about becoming certified. My

vote was thrown out as I had just left for the

VON, but I was thrilled it passed. Years later,

those ONA nurses had the benefit of their

collective agreement as they were amalgam-

ated with a bigger hospital.

I left VON because I kept getting passed

over for postings to move from an evening

to a day position. I found my dream job as a

case manager with the Home Care Program

(now CCACs), and the benefits of ONA re-

mained with me to the end of my career.

Before I retired, my nine-year-old grand-

daughter asked me how I was going to look

after myself if I didn’t have a job. I explained

that I will still have money because of the pen-

sion I contributed to along with my employer.

ONA took care of me over the years and I will

benefit from that as long as I live.

My last year of employment was spent in

a job-share position. The ability to do that was

negotiated on my behalf by ONA and was a

wonderful way to wind down my working life.

More than Just Salary and Working ConditionsThe benefits I experienced as an ONA mem-

ber weren’t limited to salaries and work-

ing conditions. I served as Secretary of the

Local when I started with the municipality,

and then I became President of the new Bar-

gaining Unit when we were transformed. I

received education from ONA about how to

function in those roles and learned about

leadership. I attended what was then an

Annual General Meeting and learned we

weren’t alone in dealing with our issues, but

part of a great organization that empowered

all of us. I learned how to speak up and out!

My final working years allowed me to con-

tinue to serve my members as an office repre-

sentative and spend time doing what I love. I

was responsible for educating newly-hired

ONA members about what it means to be a

member and was able to do it with enthusiasm

and a great deal of pride. I was also privileged

to be able to support members who were in-

volved in return to work initiatives – the ability

to do that came from an ONA workshop.

I believe my work life over these 41 years

would have been a vastly different experi-

ence without ONA. I can’t even try to imagine

it. ONA has been fully entwined in my nurs-

ing life and I am grateful beyond these words

for it. Thank you, ONA!

The Home Care Program has morphed

several times over those years, but having

ONA in place as we transitioned to a stand-

alone organization made the process much

smoother. And we were happy that the Pub-

lic Sector Labour Relations Transition Act vote

kept us with ONA.

I received a negotiated pay equity settle-

ment in 2000 thanks to ONA. ONA negoti-

ated salary increases when our collective

agreement expired.

ONA Took Care of MeI received health care benefits over the years,

and was a member of the Healthcare of Ontar-

io Pension Plan (HOOPP). When I started with

the Home Care Program, my pension was with

the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement

System (OMERS). The government mandated

the removal of the Home Care Program from

the municipality, but didn’t transition my pen-

sion. Last year, ONA was successful in a law

suit that compensated those members whose

pension money did not transition with them.

Former Bargaining Unit President

Elaine Hogan.


ONA’s Medical Radiation Technologists

(MRT) have joined with their colleagues

across Canada to celebrate national MRT

Week.

MRT Week was celebrated from Novem-

ber 3-9 this year to laud the contributions

these highly skilled professionals make to

Then and Now: Members Celebrate 40 Years of Nursing – and ONA!For recently retired ONA member Connie Clouthier McNab and

some of her fellow graduates from a small nursing school in the

heart of the Ottawa Valley, they weren’t just celebrating ONA’s

40th anniversary in 2013, they were celebrating their own.

This past summer, 26 members of the 1973 graduating class

of Lorrain School of Nursing, which was affiliated with the Pem-

broke General Hospital from 1916 to 1974, gathered in Pembroke

to reminisce about their student nursing days and catch up on

their current lives.

Using their nursing school motto of Fidelis in Omnibus (Faith in

All Things), McNab and classmate Marlene Leahy Chmilar decided

to gauge interest in a 40th-year reunion two years ago and perse-

vered until they had found and contacted every single graduate!

While one has sadly passed away and two were unable to attend,

all the others “promised to come and seemed so excited,” said

McNab, noting that more than half are still in nursing.

As a special touch and to prevent the reunion from feeling

like a room full of strangers, McNab had also sent each graduate

a birthday card with pictures or memorabilia from their student

nursing days, asking them to send an email to the group sharing

what has happened to them since graduating. “Their Journey,” as

the collection was dubbed, was so successful, genuine and from

the heart that McNab said it has the makings of a good book!

“ONA was also celebrating its 40th anniversary and sent us all

40th-anniversary pins and keepsakes with the saying, Value the In-

valuable – RNs,” said McNab. “It was so appropriate! When I looked

around the room at my classmates, I wondered how many call

bells we answered and how many people we had helped because

we had chosen to be nurses over 40 years ago. I felt so proud and

honoured to be a part of this amazing group of nurses – and to be

part of ONA!”

our health care system. MRTs, which com-

prise several disciplines, use hands-on diag-

nostics, therapy and technology to ensure

quality cancer care, and treat many benign

diseases. MRTs make an enormous differ-

Seeing Double? The years have been kind to the 1973

graduates of Lorrain School of Nursing, who got together this past June

to celebrate their 40th reunion, along with ONA’s, and duplicate their

placement in their graduation photo. Pictured are (back row, left to

right): Brenda Pettigrew Bronson, Carla Van Zanvoort Muldoon, Cindy

Budarick Schutt, Lois Kubisheski MacMillan, Audrey Coulas Soucy, Diane

Walker Burnett. Middle row: Sharon Stanton, Vonda Murack Watson,

Betty Phanenhour Kaji, Maureen Dillon Murray, Lee Hanright, Connie

Clouthier McNab, Marlene Leahy Chmilar, Marcella Patenaude, Annema-

rie Reiche Young. Front row: Lynn Nutt, Mary Yantha Lambert, Patti

Burns, Brenda Irving Allwright, Patsy Dawe Gunter, Paulette Belanger

Bangs, Lynne Monet, Pauline Oattes Crozier.

ence to patients in hospitals and clinics and

play an important role in the promotion of

medical radiation safety for patients.

ONA is proud of our many MRT mem-

bers, who are a component of our allied

health group, and celebrated along with

them during their special recognition.

Happy MRT Week!


November PCM Closes out ONA’s 40th Anniversary

While there was plenty of discussion

at the November Provincial Coor-

dinators Meeting (PCM) about the

serious threats facing our union today, there

was also time to celebrate our achievements,

as ONA officially bid farewell to our 40th an-

niversary.

“We need to continue to advocate for our

jobs, safe staffing, appropriate workloads, de-

fined benefit pensions, working conditions

and the Rand Formula,” ONA President Linda

Haslam-Stroud stated at the commencement

of the meeting, which took place from Novem-

ber 13-14, 2013 at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel.

This theme was echoed by guest speakers,

including New York State Nurses Association

Executive Director Jill Furillo, who successfully

shepherded America’s first law setting safe

nurse-to-patient ratios through the California

legislature, and Premier Kathleen Wynne, who

noted she’s not going to let the Conservative

opposition, who “have a problem with unions,”

diminish Ontario labour on her watch.

“I’m not going to let them undermine the

hugely valuable role organized labour has

played in Ontario’s history,” she said, adding

that to maintain high-quality health care ser-

vices in our province, it is vital to hire and re-

tain a full complement of nursing staff. “I know

how important unions are – and continue to

be. You have fought for parental leave, for

workplace standards and for the rights of indi-

vidual men and women across Ontario.”

ONA Interactive Exhibit Launched at PCMTo commemorate our 40th anniversary, ONA has prepared a special exhibit, in

collaboration with the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre (WAHC) in Hamilton,

which you can host in your own communities!

The visual and interactive exhibit, called “ONA: 40 Years of Unity and Ad-

vocacy,” was launched at our November PCM and depicts our union’s history

under three broad themes: Professional Workers United in Action; ONA: Build-

ers of Public Health Care; and RNs: Caring Workers Going Above and Beyond.

After the PCM, the exhibit, which is easy to assemble and transport, moved

to the WAHC, where it will be displayed until January 2014. After that, we are

encouraging our Locals to host it in your own communities, and have supplied

full information on how to do so to our Local leaders.

You can also view most of the material from the exhibit by logging onto

http://40.ona.org.

http://40.ona.org

ONA News


November PCM Closes out ONA’s 40th Anniversary

And it is those successes that we acknowl-

edged and celebrated throughout the PCM

and during a special reception after the first

day’s proceedings to close out our 40th anni-

versary.

“When I reflect over our last 40 years, I can

confidently say that ONA has done so much to

both improve the quality of work life for mem-

bers and to grow respect for the profession of

nursing – while overcoming many challenges

along the way,” said Haslam-Stroud. “And de-

spite the continuing threats to our profession

and union, we will ensure that we remain a vi-

brant, professional and powerful union to your

employers, the government and the public.”

The week began on November 12 with

our annual Human Rights and Equity Caucus,

focusing on intergenerational diversity in the

workplace, and concluded on November 15

with a labour relations education session on

strategic grievance handling, featuring pre-

sentations by our lead counsel and staff.

Full highlights of the meeting are available at

www.ona.org/nov13. Our PCM Précis wrap-up

video is also available on our home page and

the ONA YouTube channel at www.youtube.

com/ontarionurses.

ONA Calls for Minimum Standard of Care for LTC ResidentsONA is calling on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to act now on mandating a

minimum staffing standard of four hours of nursing and personal care per day for each

resident of the province’s long-term care facilities.

ONA has been calling for improvements in care for these vulnerable residents for

more than a decade, as understaffing of long-term care facilities continues to be a real-

ity across the province. Yet despite coroners’ inquest recommendations stemming from

tragedies such as that at Toronto’s Casa Verda, where a 74-year-old male resident with

dementia beat two other residents to death with a metal bar in 2001, and increased

incidents of violence in long-term care facilities, RN staffing levels have continued to

drop with very few exceptions.

“ONA has met with officials who are aware of what needs to be done to protect

these residents,” ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud said, noting that a funded and

regulated minimum staffing standard of four hours of care per resident per day must

include .78 hours per day of RN care to ensure that our residents are provided the digni-

fied and respectful care they require. “And four hours means that our residents receive

four full hours of care. There must be no wiggle room for long-term care owners or

operators to bend any minimum care hour standards.”

We believe that increasing these care hours would prevent needless admissions of

many seniors to the ER. Most importantly, RN care would ensure that residents’ quality

of life remains as high as possible for as long as possible.

To read our media release on this issue, go to www.ona.org and click on “media

releases” on the homepage.

And a Local 24 Member Responds…I am glad to hear we are looking for minimum staffing for long-term care residents.

I have spent time in long-term care and my hat goes off to the nurses there. Never have I

seen staff with so much on their plate work so hard, and often for lower wages. There are so

many standards to be met, and while they are inundated with paper work to ensure all the

i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed, they are losing precious time with their residents.

I found it disheartening to see a nurse who had chosen geriatrics because of her abso-

lute passion of the elderly feel so helpless due to the lack of time and staff to carry out the

required tasks. The more public complaints, the more paperwork – when what would have

benefited a lot more was a round table discussion to say here are the problems, what do we

need to do to fix them?

A compliance officer arriving with a clipboard can never begin to understand a day

in the life of one of these nurses, who among other things, administers medications, does

dressings, ensures care plans are updated, oversees meal times and non-regulated health

care workers, deals with family concerns, and ensures all restraint processes are in place

and up-to-date.

Staffing formulas definitely need to change in long-term care.

www.ona.org/nov13

www.youtube.com/ontarionurses

www.youtube.com/ontarionurses

ONA News


The Right to Choose: What ONA is Doing for You on the Flu Vaccine

ONA Website Goes Mobile!Need to check a page on the ONA website using your cell

phone? No problem!

You can now browse our site using an iPhone, Black-

Berry, android or tablet; the mobile-friendly website loads

quickly, it’s easy to navigate and you’re able to get the information you need with ease.

Simple and basic in design, when you first visit www.ona.org, an easily collapsible menu

appears – click on the menu item of your choice for more information.

We’re still fine-tuning the layout, so if you have feedback, please email Communica-

tions Officer Katherine Russo at [email protected].

With several health care employers in Ontario

implementing Scarlet-letter type policies to

“out” health care workers who do not receive a

flu immunization, ONA has engaged in a num-

ber of initiatives to ensure you have the right

to choose whether you receive the vaccine.

Some of the policies of these health care

employers include forcing nurses to wear

stickers or surgical masks while in the pres-

ence of patients until the end of flu season if

they have not received the flu vaccine.

“Forced vaccination is a violation of

our human rights and akin to an assault on

health care workers,” said ONA President Lin-

da Haslam-Stroud. “We are also concerned

these employer policies create a false sense

of security for our patients, who think they

are protected from the flu if a nurse walks

into their room wearing a surgical mask,

or because she or he has had a flu vaccine.

Evidence shows that the flu vaccine’s effec-

tiveness varies from year to year – estimates

range from 40 to 60 per cent annually, ac-

cording to a variety of experts.”

While a British Columbia arbitrator upheld

a provincial policy requiring health care work-

ers in that province to either get vaccinated or

wear a face mask during flu season, Premier

Kathleen Wynne told delegates at ONA’s No-

vember Provincial Coordinators Meeting that

there are no similar plans in Ontario.

“I am supporting us to voluntarily have a

flu shot, as there is evidence it is the thing to

do,” she said. “But at the end of the day, I be-

lieve it has to be a choice.”

With that said, ONA has engaged in a

number of aggressive initiatives to protect

your right to choose to receive the flu vaccine:

• We are working with the Premier and

Minister of Health to develop a collabora-

tive framework and provincial policy that

not only respects patients, but nurses and

other health care workers – and relies on

evidence and science.

• Our Hospital Central Negotiating Team is

discussing the issue with the Ontario Hos-

pital Association during bargaining talks.

• We have taken the issue to the media by

submitting a powerful opinion piece to

newspapers in the communities where

these harmful employer policies are in

place.

• We have aired radio ads in these same

communities.

• We are taking on this issue through the

grievance process.

• ONA also supports the comprehensive

influenza prevention and control plan

developed by the Canadian Federation

of Nurses Unions, which promotes a cul-

ture of safety in health care. It includes

a top-down commitment to infection

control strategies combined with wide-

spread training in occupational health

and safety law and principles, hazards and

protections, and protocols that address

safe patient flow, safe staffing policies

and housekeeping practices. To read the

policy, log onto www.ona.org/flu.

“The fact is RNs are well educated in the

appropriate protective equipment to don in

the appropriate circumstances, and we have

negotiated language in our collective agree-

ments about procedures during an influenza

outbreak in our facilities, which protect both

patients and nurses,” said Haslam-Stroud. “We

cannot be denied the opportunity and right

to make decisions about our own health and

welfare.”

How You Can Help Fight for Your Rights!ONA has launched an online cam-

paign to defend your right to choose

if you receive the flu vaccine or not

– and we need you to get involved!

As part of the campaign, you will

be able to send a templated letter to

your MPP, stating that receiving a flu

vaccine is the choice of the individu-

al nurse and health care worker – not

our employer or government.

For more information and to

send a template letter, log onto

www.ona.org/flu.

http://www.ona.org

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ona.org/flu

http://www.ona.org/flu


continues from cover

ONA Launching Campaign to Stop RN Cutscore. As a result, the ONA Board of Direc-tors has made a commitment to work with members, leaders and staff to take on these challenges head on. The campaign, devel-oped in part from results of both member and public focus groups, will support those efforts and help ensure we are successful.

The Elimination of RN PositionsThis is vitally important as ONA has tracked the elimination of 1,358 RN positions in the province since January 2012, numbers that grow every day. Recent statistics from the College of Nurses of Ontario are equal-ly sobering, showing a steep decline in the number of full-time RN positions, but a significant increase in part-time and casual RNs. As well, RPNs have gained twice as many jobs overall as RNs.

“These statistics are alarming and show a clear trend towards the further casualiza-tion of the RN workforce, the replacing of RNs with lesser-skilled workers, and that

arbitration system and extending a wage freeze in the public sector – it would mean lower wages, loss of benefits and pensions, shrinking union membership, and the elimination of the democratic right to col-lectively bargain our terms and conditions of work. And an attack on our working con-ditions is also an assault on the care we can provide to our patients, plain and simple.

With these frightening realities as a backdrop, ONA’s upcoming campaign will focus on the real problem of our health care system: not enough RNs.

“Make no mistake, we are in fight of our lives and our success depends on you de-livering our messages to your colleagues, families and friends,” concluded Haslam-Stroud. “We must find our political voices so we can speak out against policies that will negatively affect our patients.”

Much more information about the cam-paign and how you can get involved will be forthcoming. You will also be able to log onto our website at www.ona.org in the days and weeks to come to learn more.

vacant RN positions aren’t being filled,” said ONA President Linda Halsam-Stroud.

“Not only is this creating havoc on RNs’ and RPNs’ already overstretched workloads, it has a devastating effect on the patients of this province – and we need the public to make that connection. Ontario continues to have the second lowest RN-to-patient ratio in the country, and this bleeding ab-solutely must stop.”

The Attack on UnionsAnd if that wasn’t concern enough, the Ontario Conservative party continues to threaten the very survival of unions. If some of the proposals being bandied about by Tim Hudak were actually put in place – including eliminating our well-managed and funded defined benefit pension plans for all new hires, destroying the historic Rand Formula for paying union dues, mak-ing it more difficult for unions to organize workplaces, dismantling our balanced

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Controversial Anti-Union Bill Rears its Ugly Head AgainDespite a valiant lobbying effort by ONA and our members this past

summer and into the fall, the Senate is once again reviewing a dis-

criminatory bill that attacks every worker’s right to join and be part

of a strong union.

Bill C-377, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, requires more de-

tailed and confidential information from unions, and internal strate-

gies for how we represent our members. Furthermore, it requires us to

spend more time on line-by-line reporting, which will take away from

the time we need for effectively servicing our members. Several orga-

nizations, including the Canadian Bar Association, and the Province

of Ontario referred to Bill C-377 as a “bad” bill.

The bill was studied earlier this year by the Senate, and thanks

in part to a letter-writing campaign by our members to Conservative

Senators, the Senate passed a series of amendments effectively de-

feating the major provisions of Bill C-377 and sending it back to the

House of Commons.

Unfortunately, the subsequent prorogation of Parliament meant

those amendments were lost, and the bill was reintroduced in Octo-

ber for a vote in its original form. We initiated another campaign to

the 22 Conservative Senators who either abstained or voted against

Bill C-377 the first time around. And that fight must continue. Log

onto www.ona.org/defeatbillc377 to learn how you can help.

“I am very grateful to the hundreds of ONA members who an-

swered our call to speak out against this regressive bill,” said ONA

President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “But we must continue so we can de-

feat this bill once and for all.”

http://www.ona.org

www.ona.org/defeatbillc377

ONA News


lawyer colleagues will – and our patients, communities and prov-

ince’s economy are better off because of it!” To learn more about the

campaign, log onto www.laolawyers.ca.

ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, CEO/CAO Michael Balagus,

Local leaders, members and staff support lawyers employed by Le-

gal Aid Ontario in their fight to join a union at a rally at the agency’s

head office on October 18, 2013. Legal Aid lawyers, who provide le-

gal services to low income Ontarians and are predominately female,

are the only group of lawyers employed by the provincial public

sector that have not yet had their right to collective bargain rec-

ognized. Attorney General John Gerretsen confirmed they should

be able to do so, and ONA is calling on Legal Aid Ontario CEO Bob

Ward to formally recognize these employees as a bargaining unit.

“Nurses know what it’s like to be told you don’t deserve the same

democratic right to collectively bargain your working conditions as

similar groups of employees that are male-dominated,” said ONA

President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “When we began organizing 40

years ago, the government at first refused to recognize nurses as

union members. We eventually prevailed – as I know our Legal Aid

ONA has spoken out against a controversial

new American “reality” show that depicts a

group of young travelling nurses in a less-

than professional manner – and we have

made an impact!

Scrubbing In, which premiered on both

MTV America and Canada on October 24, fol-

lows the nurses for 12 weeks as they are as-

signed to work at a Southern California hos-

pital, dubbing them as not only “lifesavers,”

but “hellraisers” and “heartbreakers.” In fact,

the show portrays the nurses engaging in a

number of unprofessional activities outside

of the practice setting, including drinking

heavily, receiving lap dances, and skinny dip-

ping in public.

Scenes inside the practice setting don’t

fare any better, with such unprofessional

activities as practising IVs on one another,

dangling long hair over patients, and fight-

ing loudly at the entrance of the hospital in

plain sight of patients and visitors. Two of the

nurses were also waiting on their California

RN licences due to previous DUI (Drinking

under the Influence) convictions.

“I am outraged that these select people of

dubious moral character are chosen as repre-

sentatives of the nursing workforce,” said ONA

President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “They present

as sexual objects, exploit negative stereotypes

and diminish the fact that we are knowledge-

able health care professionals who make the

difference between life and death for patients

every day. To suggest that this is ‘reality’ is

highly offensive and degrades the profession-

alism and dedication of all nurses.”

ONA, who was one of the first nursing

organizations to speak out against the show

and was interviewed extensively by the me-

dia, sparking several others around the globe

to follow suit, wrote letters to MTV America,

Bell Media/MTV Canada and the Canadian

Broadcast Standards Council, demanding the

show be cancelled. We have also learned that

many of our members cancelled their Bell

services because of Scrubbing In.

As a result of the outcry, MTV has agreed

to make some changes to the show, includ-

ing giving it a much less prominent air time

and re-editing some episodes to include more

clinical scenes featuring nursing skills. The

Truth About Nursing organization also reports

that MTV plans to air a “day in the life of a

nurse” feature on its website to educate view-

ers about real nursing, start a blog post about

what it takes to become a nurse, and will con-

sult with nursing organizations before airing

any programs about nurses in the future.

“Though not a perfect outcome by any

means, this is more than most Hollywood

shows have been willing to do to rectify the

damages caused by their inaccurate and,

quite frankly, insulting depictions of nursing,”

said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud.

“It is crucially important that we continue

to voice our outrage and frustrations at this

show and similar negative images of nurses

in the media.”

We strongly urge you to sign the online

petition and write your own letters of com-

plaint against Scrubbing In. You will find links

and contact information on our website at

www.ona.org/scrubbingin.

Scrubbing Out Scrubbing In

Fighting for the Right to Unionize

http://laolawyers.ca

http://www.ona.org


QUEEN’S PARK Update

E The Ontario government has introduced Bill 117: Enhancing Pa-

tient Care and Pharmacy Safety Act, 2013, and is proposing changes

to improve the health system’s ability to quickly identify and respond

to any future incidents that could affect patient care and safety by

enabling better information-sharing between regulatory colleges,

hospitals and public health authorities. The changes include:

• Enabling health regulatory colleges to more readily share infor-

mation with public health authorities for the purposes of admin-

istering the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

• Permitting health regulatory colleges to share complaints-related

information with a hospital, obtained by a college’s investigator.

• Requiring a hospital or employer to report to health regula-

tory colleges if a regulated health professional has voluntarily

restricted his or her practice or privileges because of concerns

regarding the member’s conduct or practice.

• Allowing the government to more quickly appoint a college su-

pervisor to address any serious concerns regarding the quality of

a college’s governance and management.

• Providing health regulatory colleges the flexibility to focus their

investigation of complaints to matters that could constitute pro-

fessional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity.

ONA is reviewing these proposed changes and will make submissions

to the government’s consultation process.

E The Ontario government has announced new funding for breast-

feeding supports. This includes access to 24-hour expert support

for breastfeeding mothers through a telephone advisory service,

beginning in early 2014, which will offer confidential advice and

referrals from trained RNs; training, tools, guidance and other re-

sources to help Ontario hospitals, community health centres, family

health teams, public health units, Aboriginal health access centres

and nurse practitioner-led clinics achieve the World Health Organi-

zation’s Baby-Friendly designation and adopt clinical best practices

in infant feeding; funding for local community health organizations

to develop and implement support programs focused on reaching

out to mothers in population groups that have lower rates of breast-

feeding; and new resources through Best Start: Ontario’s Maternal

Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre, including a

guide for Aboriginal families and communities developed in consul-

tation with Aboriginal communities, and a manual to support hos-

pitals and community health organizations to adopt and implement

the Baby-Friendly Initiative.

Hospital Merger “all about Money,” Not Patient CareThe Scarborough Hospital (TSH) Bargaining Unit President Susan Brickell (left) and Local 24

Coordinator Dianne Brunton (second from right) look on as Ontario Health Coalition (OHC)

National Director Natalie Mehra tells a media conference at Scarborough’s MacGregor Park

Recreation Centre on October 15, 2013 that the only reason TSH and Rouge Valley Health

System are studying a merger is to deal with the $28 million in cuts they face between them

OHC Newsnext year. “It’s all about money,” Brickell said

at the conference, which launched an OHC-

led campaign to stop hospital service cuts

in Scarborough and Ajax, including a Day of

Action rally on November 9 (see cover pho-

to). “I don’t know about you, but I can’t put

a dollar figure on my health care needs.”

The group declared the area faces the larg-

est hospital cuts in Ontario at this time, in-

cluding 20 surgical beds and two operating

rooms at TSH, and announced public meet-

ings they hope will build a movement for

adequate funding. At TSH alone, 140 regis-

tered nursing positions are being eliminat-

ed. For more information on the campaign,

log onto www.ona.org/TSH and

www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca.

http://www.ona.org/TSH

STUDENT Affiliation


In April 2013, Nick Alves, a third-year nursing

student at Ryerson University, became the On-

tario Regional Director of the Canadian Nurs-

ing Students’ Association (CNSA). Front Lines

wanted to know what ONA’s student affiliation

means to him, what it’s like to be a young nurs-

ing student in today’s health care environment

and what ONA members and students can learn

from each other.

Front Lines: What attracted you to the

profession of nursing?

Nick Alves: I inexplicably enjoyed being in

hospitals and wanted a profession in health

care, but was unsure of which path to take. It

wasn’t until I had a prolonged experience with

nurses, that I realized it was the profession

for me. When my grandmother was given an

unexpected diagnosis and was only expected

to live for a few weeks, my family was devas-

tated. During those weeks, the nurses cared

not only for my grandmother, but also for my

family. Seeing the positive effect the nurses

had helped me realize just how important the

profession is and the impact nurses can have

on a family that is suffering. The compassion-

ate and caring attitude the nurses provided

during my grandmother’s last days inspired

me to do that for other people.

FL: How tough is it being a student nurse

in today’s health care environment?

NA: It’s extremely tough. The increasing

financial burden of post-secondary education

creates a substantial amount of stress on stu-

dents. The pressure put on nurses in today’s

health care environment also contributes to

the stress felt by students. The far too com-

mon nursing cuts to health care cause nurses

to work longer hours, increase their number of

assigned patients, and decrease job stability,

all negatively affecting the learning environ-

ment for students and sometimes resulting in

the horizontal violence nursing students en-

counter during their clinical rotations.

FL: Why did you decide to become active

by joining the CNSA?

NA: During secondary school, I was very

active in my student community, so when

I heard there was an opportunity to get in-

volved in the CNSA during my post-secondary

education, I did not hesitate. I wanted to make

a difference on my campus and represent the

students in my program. It was not until I at-

tended a CNSA conference that I realized the

work that is being done to ensure nursing

students’ voices are being heard. Being sur-

rounded by such motivated and passionate

students has inspired me as a student nurse

and is the reason I continue to be involved.

FL: Why is being an affiliate of ONA impor-

tant to students?

NA: It is vitally important. Being able

to attend provincial meetings and Biennial

Conventions as affiliate members provide

students with education on the political role

nurses play in today’s society. No amount of

lectures or readings could teach a student

“The support ONA has provided to nursing students has been unprecedented”

Chatting with CNSA Ontario Regional Director Nick Alveswhat they learn through being a part of ONA.

Seeing first-hand how nurses fight for the

rights of RNs as health care providers and

the rights of Ontarians in respect to health

care have influenced and motivated students

to do the same. By being a part of ONA, we

are informed of the issues taking place in the

health care system, and the role nurses play in

that. The support that ONA has provided for

nursing students has been unprecedented.

ONA has ensured our faculties are transpar-

ent, our clinical placements are appropriate

and instructive, that students are able to pro-

vide and practice relevant skills, and has gen-

erously sponsored CNSA conferences on both

a regional and national level – just to name a

few. It is through support like this that nursing

students are able to thrive to our full potential

and get the most out of our education.

FL: What are the key issues of today’s

students that ONA can assist you with?

NA: One of the major difficulties nursing

students experience is horizontal violence in

our clinical placements. It is in these settings

where students encounter first-hand the far

too familiar phrase, “nurses eat their young.”

Without the support and knowledge provided

by experienced nurses, it is tremendously dif-

ficult for students to hone essential skills nec-

essary to succeed. Another issue experienced

by many nursing students is the practical-

ity and capability of our clinical placements in

providing fostering environments for learning

and enhancing relevant and essential nursing

skills. As nursing students, we learn how to be

nurses by learning from nurses. By encourag-

ing your department, clinic, hospital, or which-

ever setting you may be in, to provide educa-

tion to nursing students, we can ensure that all

student nurses have access to pertinent and

applicable education.


FL: How do you think ONA members and students can work together most effectively?

NA: The most effective way is by creating partnerships in the clinical settings. In these set-

tings, students are learning the roles nurses have in the health care system, and it is impor-

tant for us to also learn what nurses are doing to maintain as well as advance the profession.

Both ONA members and students should build a communication channel that would serve

to enlighten both parties.

FL: If you could say one thing to ONA members as a nursing student, what would it be?

NA: We need you. We need you to support us. We need you to guide us. We need you to

educate us. You need us. You need us to support you. You need us to guide you. You need us

to educate you. Students learn from currently practising nurses as preceptors, teachers and

mentors to combine our theoretical and practical knowledge to be competent and skilled.

It is through the experience and expertise of adept nurses that students learn to be adapt-

able and capable in dealing with circumstances and situations that cannot be taught with

a textbook. As a self-regulated profession, nursing is constantly evolving and changing to

meet the needs of the population. Students need and want guidance to be educated; how-

ever, nursing students have an abundance of knowledge to share as well. By means of our

education and training, we are informed on timely research and updated best practices that

work to advance and progress the nursing profession. By fostering a relationship of mutual

education and benefit, we can support each other.

For more information on ONA’s student affiliate membership, log onto www.ona.org

and click on the “Nursing Students” tab at right.

LONG TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS

DID YOU KNOW?All dues-paying ONA members without employer-sponsored Long Term Disability (LTD) income protection are automatically covered for $250/month LTD benefit!

LTD coverage provides the necessary financial protection for your most valuable asset – your ability to earn an income.

Additional voluntary LTD insurance is available when you do not have coverage through your employer. Plus, monthly benefits are tax free!

LTD benefits are underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife Financial). Some conditions may apply. MVM.10.2013

To learn more, please contact Johnson Inc.

Johnson Inc.

1595 16th Ave., Suite 700Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3S5

905.764.4959 (local)1.800.461.4155 (toll-free)

Two nursing students happily dis-

play the colourful ONA t-shirts per-

sonally handed to them by ONA

President Linda Haslam-Stroud at

the Canadian Nursing Students’ As-

sociation’s Ontario Regional Con-

ference in Sault Ste. Marie this past

October. Under the theme, Nursing:

A Multifaceted Experience, the con-

ference, also attended by ONA First

Vice-President Vicki McKenna and

Region 1 Vice-President Pam Mancuso, highlighted the many exciting opportunities

available in specialty areas of nursing. Participants had the opportunity to listen to

guest speakers, participate in hands-on simulations and browse a career fair, showcas-

ing a variety of organizations, including ONA, which gave us an opportunity to meet

the students, explain the many services we offer, and answer their questions.

Getting to Know You!

OCCUPATIONAL Health & Safety


There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as the ONA members and staff

who were front and centre during the 2003 SARS outbreak were

honoured during the annual Toronto Appreciation Dinner.

At the dinner, held on November 1, 2013 at the Toronto Don Val-

ley Hotel, the families of ONA members Nelia Laroza from North York

General Hospital and Tecla Lin from Westpark Healthcare Centre, who

tragically lost their lives to SARS, received recognition from Region 3

and the Workers Health & Safety Centre, who hosted the event in co-

operation with the Toronto & York District Labour Council and others.

“Nurses care deeply for their patients to such an extent that they

forget to care for themselves,” said Region 3 Vice-President Andy

Summers in presenting the honour to Laroza’s husband and son

(pictured). “Nelia was an outstanding woman. Her whole life was

about North York General. People were blessed to work with her

and described her as the most caring nurse they knew.”

“I don’t remember a time when my mom didn’t work at North

York General,” Laroza’s son Kenneth told the large gathering, which

included a strong ONA contingent. “But my realization of what a

nurse was, was not just through my mom, it was through all the

nurses who helped when we were in quarantine and when she was

sick. My mom can never be my RN again…but thank you to all the

nurses here for everything you’ve done and continue to do.”

“During the SARS outbreak, Westpark had a unit dedicated to

SARS patients,” said retired Westpark Bargaining Unit President

Edythe Barriault. “Tecla worked on this unit and gave the ultimate

sacrifice. That sacrifice has not been forgotten.”

While Lin’s son Michael Tang was unable to attend the event,

Barriault read a message from him: “I’m very touched that ONA and

its members have decided to remember my mother 10 years later. I

sincerely hope that your efforts prevent future tragedies on behalf

of registered nurses everywhere.”

ONA Health and Safety Specialists Erna Bujna and Nancy John-

son, who tirelessly assisted our members throughout the SARS cri-

sis and lobbied for needed protections, were also honoured at the

dinner by Region 3, with Local 6 Coordinator Carolyn Edgar stat-

ing, “A door opened we never had to walk through before…but we

were able to do so because we had [them].”

Honouring the Heroes of SARS

EDUCATION


Are You Ready? Preparing Your Team for NegotiationsNow is the time to start educating your members and your bargaining

teams for the next round of negotiations – and ONA can help!

The best place to start is ONA’s half-day workshop, Preparing Your

Team for Bargaining. The first half is focused on understanding the

negotiations process from start to finish and the team’s roles and

accountabilities. The second half is spent working with your Labour

Relations Officer, identifying the problematic areas of your collective

agreement and discussing the evidence that will support your bar-

gaining proposals. Discuss booking this for your team with your Local

Coordinator.

ELearning Negotiations SeriesIn addition, ONA has created a series of eLearning programs that

provide the A to Z about the negotiations process. As an adjunct to

face-to-face education, the eLearning negotiations series can better

prepare your bargaining teams.

Available now in the eLearning Negotiations Series are:

• Negotiations Level I: So You are Elected. Now What?

• Negotiations Level II: The Power of Preparation.

• Negotiations Level III: You are at the Negotiating Table: The Who,

What and Hows of Communication.

• Negotations IV: No Settlement, off to Arbitration.

• Negotiations V: No Settlement! Strike or Lockout?

• Negotiations VI: Settlement: Are We Done Yet?

ELearning couldn’t be simpler. It is accessible to all members and stu-

dent affiliates through the ONA website, allowing you to learn at your

own pace from the comfort of your own home – and free of charge!

Benefits of Completing the Negotiations eLearning Series for MembersBy completing this series, ONA members will have a better under-

standing of the negotiations process, including gathering input from

membership about improvements they would like to see in their col-

lective agreement.

As well, they will understand the roles and responsibilities of the

bargaining team, what happens if there is no agreement or when an

agreement is reached, and the next steps in implementation of a new

collective agreement.

Benefits of Completing the Negotiations eLearning Series for Bargaining TeamsFor bargaining teams, the benefits are even more significant. Teams

will understand their roles and accountabilities, the importance of

being prepared and how to gather evidence to support proposals.

If they can’t reach a negotiated settlement, teams will also learn the

next steps available to them. And, perhaps most important of all, they

will understand the importance of keeping members informed about

the status of bargaining.

Signing up for an eLearning account takes just a few minutes. Log onto

www.ona.org/eLearning to start the process so you too can benefit

from our Negotiations Series – and many, many others!

Mentoring the Mentees!ONA leaders who served as mentors to participants in ONA’s

2013 Leadership Development Program, which provides

members from ONA’s designated groups who have been un-

der represented in leadership roles with the knowledge,

skills and attitudes essential to developing their leadership

in our union, get together with their mentees for Phase 2 at

ONA’s provincial office in Toronto this past September. Pic-

tured during a break in the session, Cultural Oppression: Con-

fronting Attitudes and Prejudice, are the mentees (first row,

left to right): Jane Powell, Archna Patel, Rebecca Jane Gaan-

an, Olive Riley, Marie Jeanne Begin; and the mentors (back

row, left to right): Michelle Kennedy, Christina Bucco, Bever-

ley M. Belfon, Natasha Thompson, Cyndra McGoldrick, Lor-

raine Powers, Marie Claire Carron, Eleanor Adarna.

http://www.ona.org/eLearning

HUMAN RIGHTS and Equity


Obesity and Your Human RightsObesity can be a condition with medical or physical limitations on a person’s functional abilities, or it can be a condition with no limitations whatsoever. In either case, human rights law is developing to protect employees from discrimination based on real and perceived disabilities.

What is obesity? Obesity is defined by the World Health Orga-

nization as abnormal or excessive fat accu-

mulation that may impair health, and a Body

Mass Index (BMI) of 30kg/m2 or more. BMI is

a measure of body fat based on height and

weight. A BMI of 18.5kg/m2 to 24.9kg/m2 is

considered average.

According to the latest Organisation for

Economic Co-operation and Development

report, Canada is the sixth most obese coun-

try in the world, with obesity affecting 24 per

cent of the adult population, or more than

eight million people. And Canadian obesity

rates are climbing, especially in the Mari-

times and territories where the figure is more

than 30 per cent, according to a 2013 study

by the University of British Columbia.

Is obesity a disability? The blanket statement that obesity is a dis-

ability is incorrect. In fact, it’s something that

has to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

There may or may not be any health compli-

cations or functional limitations associated

with obesity.

Dr. David Lau, chair of the diabetes and

endocrine research group at the University

of Calgary, believes Class III Obesity, a BMI of

40 and up, should be considered a disability

and a disease because the majority of medi-

cal problems are associated with this kind of

weight.

But Dr. Yoni Freedhoff of the Bariatric

Medical Institute in Ottawa says there are

people who weigh well into the super-obese

range who have no health complications.

Is discrimination related to obe-sity a human rights issue? Yes, in some cases. Obesity on its own is not

a prohibited ground of discrimination in the

Human Rights Code. However, when linked to

the ground of disability, it can be given hu-

man rights protection.

The Code explicitly protects employees

against discrimination and harassment based

on disability. The Code definition of “disabil-

ity” requires the disability to be caused by

bodily injury, birth defect or illness. In the

case of obesity, it would be inaccurate to

classify it as a condition caused by a birth de-

fect or an illness in all cases. Therefore, at face

value it may seem obesity would not always

fall under the definition of disability.

However, the Ontario Human Rights

Commission has noted that the definition

of disability in the Code is a set of “various

types of conditions and is not an exhaustive

list.” In fact, in certain cases, the Commission

has decided not to follow the definition lit-

erally and therefore not place emphasis on a

direct cause of a disability. The Commission

has focused on the effects of discrimination.

As long as an obese person can demonstrate

she or he is being disadvantaged because of

others’ stereotypes, she or he can claim pro-

tection under the Code.

In addition, the law has moved in a direc-

tion to protect employees from discrimina-

tion based on the perception of a disability.

No longer is the focus solely on functional

limitations from a disability. This means if an

employer does not hire an obese person be-

cause it thinks that person will be incapable

of doing her or his job because she or he may

tire easily, the perception can constitute dis-

crimination.

What are some of the implications surrounding obesity in the work-place? If an obese person believes she or he is be-

ing treated differently and in negative ways

because of size or weight, there may be

grounds for bringing forward a complaint of

discrimination or harassment.

Examples of discrimination because of

obesity in the case law include:

• An applicant was refused employment be-

cause he was considered “too big and too

heavy” and unable to keep up with the

“fast-paced” work environment.

• An employee was denied a promotion be-

cause her supervisor thought she would

be unable to perform certain tasks “as

quickly and efficiently as other applicants”

due to her weight.

• An employee was refused recall after a

layoff because his supervisor thought

he had gained “too much weight” and

therefore could not do his job. There was

no evidence that the weight gain (if it oc-

curred) would affect his job performance.

What should you do if you feel you have been discriminated against because of obesity?ONA members who have concerns about

discrimination or harassment related to obe-

sity should talk to your Bargaining Unit rep-

resentative about filing a complaint under

your employer’s workplace policy, and filing

a grievance under the collective agreement.

AWARDS AND DECISIONS: The Work of our Union!


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.

RightsNurses entitled to premium for consecutive extended tours Region 4 Hospital

(Arbitrator Goodfellow, August 8, 2013)

The “4 on, 5 off” scheduling language in the

collective agreement provides for mem-

bers to be paid time-and-one-half rates for

shifts worked after four consecutive days.

At issue in this case was whether the pre-

mium applied only to consecutive tours

that were scheduled and posted on the

four-week schedule, or whether it also ap-

plied when a nurse worked more than four

consecutive tours due to a combination of

scheduled shifts and accepting additional

shifts offered after the schedule was post-

ed. A prior decision determined that the

language applied only to scheduled shifts

and not to shifts accepted after posting of

the schedule.

In the most recent round of local nego-

tiations, ONA negotiated new language in

the Local agreement, which stated that a

nurse’s agreement or refusal to work addi-

tional tours offered after the schedule was

posted did not mean that the nurse waived

or otherwise gave up any claim to premium

pay provided elsewhere in the Local agree-

ment.

In this case, 12 full-time grievors work-

ing a “4 on, 5 off” schedule were offered

and worked an additional tour prior to their

four scheduled shifts. The hospital paid the

fifth and subsequent tours at straight time.

Based on the new Local appendices lan-

LTD Carrier denies claim based on one diagnosis that “should have” resolvedHospital, Region 3

(June 5, 2013)

The member’s initial application for LTD fo-

cused on her severe exacerbation of asthma.

The carrier denied her claim on the grounds

that a “typical resolution of symptoms should

only require a few weeks.” The member also

had a long history of knee pain, which the

insurer maintained was being adequately ac-

commodated by the employer.

The turning point of the appeal was when

ONA demonstrated the deteriorating condi-

tion of the knees, and that the outdated ac-

commodations were no longer congruent

with the member’s current physical state.

The member is now scheduled for knee

replacement surgery.

guage, ONA grieved the failure to pay these

tours at the premium rate. We argued that

the prior decision on this issue was wrongly

decided and that the change in language was

meant to ensure that non-scheduled shifts

were counted towards the number of consecu-

tive tours worked. The hospital argued that the

parties were bound by the prior decision and

this did not change by the new language ne-

gotiated.

The arbitrator accepted ONA’s argument

that the change in the language in the Local

agreement was intended to address the prior

award and meant that a nurse was not to be

denied the premium provided in the Local

agreement by agreeing to work an additional

shift after the schedule is posted. The arbitra-

tor held that “…the voluntary shift is not dis-

counted; the parties in effect are saying that

it counts towards the total consecutive tours

worked for the purpose of premium pay.” The

fact that the additional shift was not on the

“posted schedule” did not matter.

The arbitrator ordered that the hospital

compensate the grievors for the fifth and sub-

sequent consecutive tours worked at the pre-

mium rate.

Importance to ONA: This decision demon-

strates the importance of Local appendices

in premium claims and the success of ONA’s

changes to the language in bargaining to ad-

dress prior arbitration decisions.


Ontario Nurses' AssociationFinancial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2012

Balance Sheet

December 31 2012 2011

AssetsCurrent

Cash and short-term investments (at market value) $ 4,387,945 $ 4,513,873Dues and other receivables 6,435,270 5,879,316Prepaids 823,429 761,531

11,646,644 11,154,720

Capital assets (at net book value) 5,117,225 5,281,514Marketable investments (at market value) 15,581,201 14,759,056Investment in ONA Liability Insurance Ltd. (equity method) 22,493,228 22,248,054

$ 54,838,298 $ 53,443,344

Liabilities and Net AssetsCurrent

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 7,907,795 $ 8,367,664Accrued LEAP claims - 1,512,900Capital lease obligations 480,300 527,266

8,388,095 10,407,830

Capital lease obligations 607,405 763,590Employee future benefits 2,903,200 2,613,800

11,898,700 13,785,220

Net AssetsInvested in capital assets 4,029,520 3,990,658Invested in ONA Liability Insurance Ltd. 22,493,228 22,248,054Internally restricted 12,448,079 8,899,851Unrestricted 3,968,771 4,519,561

42,939,598 39,658,124

$ 54,838,298 $ 53,443,344

The above financial information is a condensed version of the Association's audited financial statements for theyears ended December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2012. The complete financial statements, including the

Auditor's Report and accompanying notes, are available at the Association's office.Page 1 of 2


Ontario Nurses' AssociationFinancial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2012

Statement of Operations

For the year ended December 31 2012 2011

RevenueMembership dues $ 49,245,738 $ 46,031,981Investment income 738,311 681,729Other 720,102 701,566

50,704,151 47,415,276

ExpenseGovernance/External vision 2,109,615 2,927,520Membership services 1,803,915 1,293,225Service teams 21,043,815 19,079,216Support teams 13,833,462 12,787,424Fixed costs 4,661,780 5,059,584Building operations 967,273 945,384Program costs

(Security/LEAP/AIDS/LTD/HepC/Supplementary) 3,230,963 4,906,660

47,650,823 46,999,013

Excess of revenue over expenses before amortization andearnings of ONA Liability Insurance Ltd. 3,053,328 416,263

Amortization (897,747) (809,012)

Unrealized gain on investments 180,719 493,365

Earnings of ONA Liability Insurance Ltd. 945,174 1,104,951

Excess of revenue over expenses $ 3,281,474 $ 1,205,567

The above financial information is a condensed version of the Association's audited financial statements for theyears ended December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2012. The complete financial statements, including the

Auditor's Report and accompanying notes, are available at the Association's office.Page 2 of 2

LEAP

www.ona.org

ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION

85 Grenville St., Ste. 400

Toronto ON M5S 3A2

What is going on indeed! What should this

nurse do?

If this nurse had read our April 2013 Front

Lines article about coroners’ investigations, she

would have known not to agree to any inter-

view with the police before calling the Legal

Expense Assistance Plan (LEAP) intake. We

would have given her advice about the pur-

pose of a coroner’s investigation and how to

prepare for and conduct herself in an interview

with the police as part of that investigation.

However, what is happening in the above

scenario could be much more serious. Our

first question would be why are the police

interviewing this nurse? The first interview

was clearly part of the coroner’s investigation.

But is the second? Our suspicion is that the

information gathered as part of the coroner’s

investigation has led the police to start a crim-

inal investigation and that this second inter-

view was part of that criminal investigation.

The consequences for the nurse could

be extremely serious. It is possible that her

words to the family have been misinterpret-

A patient comes into the hospital for treatment, having recently been diagnosed with a serious

illness. Once admitted, the patient deteriorates quickly. She is prescribed many medications. As

she deteriorates, her pain escalates. You have been assigned this patient and empathize with her

as you watch her deteriorate. You spend a lot of time with her family helping them cope with a

terrible situation. You tell the family you wish there was more you could do to make the patient

more comfortable. The patient dies a few days later. The family is shocked by this turn of events.

The police investigate on behalf of the coroner and interview you at the hospital. You hear nothing

further; however, two months later, a different set of police officers come to your house and tell you

they want to interview you again about this patient’s death. You agree to the interview – after all,

you have nothing to hide – but this time their questions are different, more aggressive and more

focused on your actions in particular. You wonder what is going on.

ed; does the family believe, and the police

suspect, that she took active measures to

hasten the patient’s death? While it doesn’t

happen often, our members have been

charged with serious offences, such as mur-

der, manslaughter and criminal negligence

causing death.

As we’ve said before, ALWAYS CALL LEAP

BEFORE YOU SPEAK TO THE POLICE! It is

not enough to believe that everything will

be OK because you’ve done nothing wrong

and have nothing to hide. Words can be mis-

construed, and misunderstandings can have

devastating consequences.

When you call LEAP intake, we will con-

sider your circumstances and may refer you

to an experienced criminal lawyer who can

get involved before any charges have been

laid. We have found that the involvement of

a criminal lawyer at an early stage can have

positive results: charges may never be laid or

the matter can be diverted into other areas

of the criminal justice system. For example,

if a nurse has taken narcotics from the hospi-

tal as a result of an addiction, the lawyer may

be able to negotiate a conditional discharge

if the nurse has shown a commitment to ob-

taining treatment. Even if charges are laid,

the lawyer’s involvement at such an early

stage will provide her or him with the oppor-

tunity to gather all the necessary evidence to

fight for the matter to be dismissed before it

ever reaches a trial.

During the investigation, LEAP will cover

all lawyer fees and expenses (yet another

benefit of your ONA dues!) Once you have

been charged with a criminal offence, it be-

comes your responsibility to pay your law-

yer’s fees. However, LEAP will reimburse you

if, after all avenues of appeal have been ex-

hausted, you have been found not guilty or

the charges have been dismissed or stayed.

Being the subject of a criminal investiga-

tion is an extremely frightening and stressful

experience. Let ONA help you get through it

in the most positive way possible.

For information on how to contact LEAP,

click on www.ona.org/leap.

The Police Want to Talk to You – AGAIN!

ona front lines december 2013

Documents

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