IN THIS ISSUE . . .E4From ONA President

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

E5From ONA First Vice-President

Vicki McKenna, RN

Vol. 14 • No. 2MAY 2014

is awaiting the decision of an arbitrator after the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) walked away from negotiations for a renewed hospital central collective

agreement.Despite the fact that our Hospital Central Negotiating Team wanted to reach an agree-

ment at the bargaining table and had a mediator available, the OHA ended talks the second week of March, forcing a subsequent arbitration hearing before Arbitrator Bill Kaplan on the weekend of March 15-16. His award was pending at press time. The current collective agreement expired on March 31, 2014.

Unprecedented RollbacksDuring arbitration, the OHA proposed unprecedented rollbacks to

The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association

continues on page 3

ONA

With hundreds of ONA leaders, members, student nurses, staff and fellow unions shouting,

“More Nurses, No Cuts,” ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud warns the media at our rally at

Queen’s Park on March 19 that concessions proposed during arbitration for a new hospital

collective agreement would have a profound impact on the care Ontarians receive.INDEXUp Front ......................................................... 3Member News ............................................. 6PMC Photospread .....................................10ONA News ...................................................12Queen’s Park Update ...............................15CFNU .............................................................15Pensions .......................................................16Student Affiliation ....................................17OH&S .............................................................18OHC ...............................................................18LEAP ..............................................................19Human Rights and Equity .....................20Education ....................................................21Awards and Decisions .............................22

ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION85 Grenville St., Ste. 400Toronto ON M5S 3A2Included with this Issue:

The Work of the Union – Spring 2014 Update

Special Pull-out Feature: Join us in our Fight for More Nurses, Better Care!

Hospital Contract in Hands of Arbitrator

MAY 20142 www.ona.org

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

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 2014 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: onamail@ona.org

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 © 2014 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 cgrintake@ona.org.

Contributors: Sheree Bond, Nicole Butt, Nancy

Johnson, Enid Mitchell, Stacey Papernick,

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. 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 40 Larch Street, Unit 203 Sudbury, ON P5E 5M7 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. 14 • No. 2MAY 2014

ISSN: 0834-9088

www.Facebook.com/OntarioNurses

www.Twitter.com/OntarioNurses

www.youtube.com/OntarioNurses

Front Lines can be accessed

on our website at

www.ona.org/frontlines

UP Front

MAY 2014 3www.ona.org

continues from cover Hospital Contract in Hands of Arbitratorwages and benefits for our 58,000 hospital members, which would result in a $26,000 reduction on a new graduate over the eight-year grid and would roll back the wages of any nurse with less than nine years experience transferring to another hospital from three to seven per cent, depending on where they are on the grid. The OHA’s negotiating limits were supported by the government.

“You can’t tell nurses we are the backbone of the health care system and then take apart our very spines,” said ONA Presi-dent Linda Haslam-Stroud. “I’ve been involved in negotiations for 34 years now – most of those in provincial bargaining – and have never seen such a devaluing of our profession. Provincial hospitals have received zero base funding and with these draco-nian concessions, the government is basically telling them it’s perfectly fine to balance their budgets on nurses’ backs. I am appalled.”

Lack of RespectOur hospital members have already been through a two-year wage freeze and these outrageous proposals come at a time when Ontario is faced with the second-worst RN-to-patient ratio in Canada, need-ing 17,500 additional nurses just to catch up. But instead, ONA has tracked the loss of more than 1,500 RN positions in the past two years alone, despite the fact that study after study has shown that patient mortality and morbidity rates increase by 7 per cent for ev-ery extra patient added to the average RN’s workload.

“Rather than working with ONA to find a way forward for our hospital nurses, the OHA chose to walk away, sending a very strong message that nurses are not respected in this province,” added Haslam-Stroud. “That message will most likely prompt nursing graduates to look to other provinces or south of the border to prac-tice. In fact, we are hearing these very concerns from our nursing

ONA members and supporters react with a resounding “shame” as

President Linda Haslam-Stroud tells them Ontario Hospital Associ-

ation proposals will make Ontario nurses the lowest paid in the

country, outside of Quebec.

FEBRUARY BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

The following are key highlights from the Board of Directors meeting held February 10-13, 2014 at the ONA provincial office:

You will find a copy of the revamped

Board Highlights on our website at

www.ona.org/feb14bh.

Board Highlights from the following

meeting, held at the ONA provincial

office from April 8-11, 2014, will ap-

pear in the next issue of Front Lines.

A The Board supported the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Servicing Action Plan, which

will support representation of our members in this crucial area and ensure servicing continues to im-

prove. Recommendations include hiring a temporary Labour Relations Assistance, outsourcing files,

and utilizing a WSIB expert to review the work process and develop an action plan for the delivery of

future WSIB service.

A The additional $5,000 bursary monies from Johnson Inc., the carrier of our members’ benefits plan,

will be used to support the annual Leadership Conference this June. This is a total of $20,000 from

Johnson Inc.

student leaders. With a tsunami of nurses set to retire in the next few years, we should be making Ontario a more attractive place for nurses to practice, not driving them away.”

Once the award is issued, ONA will hold a special hospital sector meeting to relay its contents to your Local leaders. Because the ar-bitrator’s decision is binding, no ratification votes will be necessary.

For a list of ONA and OHA proposals and other bargaining updates, visit www.ona.org/bargaining.

“Nurses are the very foundation of our health care system and ex-pect wages and benefits reflective of our worth,” concluded Haslam-Stroud. “I am very proud of the work of our Hospital Central Negoti-ating Team in attempting to reach that goal on your behalf.”

MAY 20144 www.ona.org

From ONA President

Chronique de la présidente, AIIO

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

One RN at a Time!

I had hoped to be able to write about the details of a negotiated hospital sector agreement this issue, but that has not occurred.

Despite Herculean efforts on the part of your union, ONA was unable to negotiate an agreement for our 58,000 hospital sector members, even with the help of a mediator and an ex-tended deadline. As you read on the cover, the Ontario Hospi-tal Association tabled some proposals that were the most out-rageous any of your team has seen in many years, including a three-per-cent wage cut.

The impact of wage cuts on our profession would be devastat-ing – new graduates so desperately needed would likely look to other jurisdictions for employment, and experienced RNs who are able to retire would be more likely to do so now, not later.

Who would bear the greatest impact? Our patients.But as I’ve said so many times before, ONA never, never, never

gives up. We are fortunate that we have already been out there with our More Nurses messaging, and it is sinking in with Ontarians.

As we await what the arbitra-tor rules for our hospital sector members, ONA has not been idle. During the March PCM, hundreds of you, ONA staff and other union members attended a rally at Queen’s Park to spot-light the impact of nursing cuts on patient care.

We must, in our role as patient advocates, speak out often and clearly about nursing cuts and how the disrespect of nurses hurts our patients. I ask each and every one of you to speak out – to your friends, neighbours, families as well as MPPs – to stop the nursing cuts and the disrespect of our profession. (See the feature section included with this issue for more information on how to get involved.)

ONA is here to support you, both every day in your job and in your advocacy efforts. Please join in and stop nursing cuts – one RN at a time!

Please join in and stop nursing cuts –one RN at a time!

Une infirmière/un infirmier à la fois!

J’avais espéré pouvoir vous parler des détails d’une entente négo-ciée dans le secteur hospitalier ce mois-si, mais ça n’a pas eu lieu.

Malgré les efforts herculéens que nous avons déployés, l’AIIO n’est pas parvenue à négocier une entente pour nos plus de 58 000 membres du secteur hospitalier, même avec l’aide d’un média-teur et une échéance prolongée. Comme vous le découvrirez dans le bul-letin, l’Association des hôpitaux de l’Ontario a déposé des propositions comptant parmi les plus scandaleuses jamais vues par notre équipe depuis des décennies, notamment une réduction de salaire de 3 %.

L’incidence de réductions salariales sur notre profession serait dé-vastatrice.

Qui en subirait les conséquences les plus graves? Nos patients.Pourtant, comme je l’ai dit tant de fois auparavant, nous ne bais-

serons jamais les bras. Nous avons la chance d’être déjà passés par là avec notre message Plus d’infirmières et cette lutte est bien comprise par les Ontariens.

En attendant la décision de l’arbitre concernant ses membres du secteur hospitalier, l’AIIO ne s’est pas tourné les pouces. Lors de l’ACP du mois de mars, des centaines d’entre vous, le personnel de l’AIIO et des membres d’autres syndicats ont participé à un rallye à Queen’s Park afin de mettre en relief l’incidence des compressions de personnel infirmier sur les soins dispensés aux patients.

À titre de porte-parole des patients, nous devons intervenir sou-vent et clairement pour dénoncer les compressions de personnel in-firmier ainsi que la façon dont le manque de respect envers les infir-mières et infirmiers nuit à nos patients. Je demande à chacun d’entre vous de vous exprimer, auprès de vos amis, vos voisins, votre famille et vos députés provinciaux, afin de mettre fin aux compressions de per-sonnel infirmier et au manque de respect à l’égard de notre profession. (Consultez la rubrique incluse dans ce numéro pour obtenir plus de renseignements sur la façon de vous engager dans cette cause.)

L’AIIO est là pour vous soutenir, tant dans le cadre de vos tâches quo-tidiennes que de vos efforts de sensibilisation. Veuillez vous joindre au mouvement pour mettre fin aux compressions de personnel infirmier.

MAY 2014 5www.ona.org

From ONA First Vice-President

Chronique de la première vice-présidente, AIIO

Vicki McKenna, RN

Local Campaigns Get Results!

As the Board member responsible for the portfolio of politi-cal action, I talk a lot about the importance of lobbying for needed changes in your communities to improve your work-

ing conditions and the care you are able to provide your patients/clients/residents. And I’d like to give you yet another example of how your local campaigns can make such an enormous difference.

Facing a projected shortfall of $28.4 million combined, The Scarborough Hospital (TSH) and the Rouge Valley Health System had proposed a merger last year, which would have affected hun-dreds of our members and their patients.

Not content to accept this, members of Locals 24 and 111, with the support of ONA leaders and staff, sprung into action, joining the Ontario Health Coalition’s (OHC) campaign to put a stop to this ill-thought-out proposal.

These members were there when the OHC released a report stating the merger would actually cost $30 mil-lion (and $5.5 million per year there-after) and take 10 years to pay off, and that TSH leadership had written a capital redevelopment plan to close down all three sites and replace them with only one or two. They raised the

issue with the media, highlighting that cuts to needed patient care would be the sad result of any merger. They provided material to the public on the urgent need to save their local hospitals and rallied out-side of their MPP offices. And I’m pleased to announce their hard work has paid off.

The TSH Board has since voted to abandon the merger unless the government funds it. These communities have dodged a poten-tially very harmful bullet and they have ONA members to thank.

When members get involved in local campaigns, work with their allies, including the public, seemingly insurmountable ob-stacles can be overcome. If you care about health care in your com-munities – and I know you all do – I encourage you to participate where you can.Our patients/clients/residents are counting on us!

When members get involved in local campaigns, seemingly insurmountable obstacles can be overcome.

Les campagnes des sections locales obtiennent des résultats!

À titre de membre du conseil d’administration responsable du portefeuille de l’action politique, je parle beaucoup de l’impor-tance d’exercer des pressions pour parvenir à des changements

nécessaires dans vos collectivités, afin d’améliorer vos conditions de travail ainsi que les soins que vous fournissez à vos patients/clients/résidents. J’aimerais vous donner un autre exemple de la façon dont les campagnes menées dans vos sections locales peuvent faire une énorme différence.

Faisant face à un déficit combiné projeté de 28,4  millions de dollars, l’Hôpital de Scarborough et le Rouge Valley Health System avaient proposé une fusion l’année dernière, qui aurait entraîné des répercussions sur des centaines de nos membres et de leurs patients. Non contents de cette décision, des membres des sections locales 24 et 111, avec le soutien des dirigeants et du personnel de l’AIIO, se sont mobilisés, se joignant à la campagne de l’Ontario Health Coa-lition (OHC) visant à mettre un frein à cette proposition irréfléchie.

Ces membres étaient présents quand l’OHC a publié un rapport indiquant que la fusion coûterait en réalité 30 millions de dollars (et 5,5 millions de dollars par année par la suite) et mettrait 10 ans à être rentable, et que la direction de l’Hôpital de Scarborough avait élaboré un plan de réaménagement des immobilisations visant à fermer les trois sites et à les remplacer par un ou deux établissements unique-ment. Ces membres ont soulevé cette question auprès des médias, soulignant que toute fusion donnerait lieu à une compression dans les soins essentiels dispensés aux patients. J’ai le plaisir d’annoncer que leurs efforts ont abouti.

Depuis, le conseil de l’Hôpital de Scarborough a voté pour l’aban-don de la fusion, à moins que le gouvernement ne la finance. Ces col-lectivités ont évité de justesse une catastrophe qui aurait pu entraî-ner des conséquences très dommageables et peuvent remercier les membres de l’AIIO.

Quand des membres participent aux campagnes des sections lo-cales et collaborent avec leurs alliés, notamment le public, des obstacles qui semblent insurmontables peuvent alors être franchis. Si vous vous souciez des soins de santé offerts dans vos collectivités, et je sais que c’est le cas, je vous invite à prendre part à l’action là où vous le pouvez.

ONA Members Across Ontario

MAY 20146 www.ona.org

On Your Side! Local 43 Removed from TrusteeshipONA Local 43, consisting of the Bargaining Units of William Osler Health Centre,

Extendicare Brampton and Burton Manor, has been taken out of trusteeship by

the ONA Board of Directors.

In April 2013, the Board made the difficult but necessary decision to put Local

43 into trusteeship, appointing retired Local 51 Coordinator and Bargaining Unit

President for Lakeridge Health Lynda Rath as trustee. ONA assigned additional

staff resources, including experienced labour relations staff as well as administra-

tive support, to the members to ensure they received exemplary service during

the trusteeship.

“Since day one, our goal has always been to build a strong and dynamic mem-

bership team to service the members’ needs, and I’m proud to say we’ve accom-

plished that,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud.

That team will remain in place until December 31, 2015 and elections will be

held that fall. Some conditions and requirements have also been put in place by

the Board to ensure a smooth transition.

“Throughout this process, ONA remained accountable to our members, and

servicing their needs was our highest priority,” concluded Haslam-Stroud. “I would

like to thank all members for your patience and continued commitment to your

union as we turned a difficult situation into a very positive one.”

Reminder: ONA Dental Plan for Early RetireesJust a reminder that ONA full-time members in the hospital sector who retire

from a Participating Hospital on or after April 1, 2008 between age 60 and before

age 64 can apply for the ONA dental plan for early retirees within 30 days follow-

ing their retirement date.

This provision was negotiated in the 2008-2011 round of bargaining and still

applies. Eligible dependants include the retiree’s legal or common-law spouse

who has been living with the retiree for at least one year and children under age

21 (or under age 25 if they are attending school on a full-time basis).

Benefit coverage is the same as those the retiree was entitled to under the

full-time dental benefit plan at the same cost-shared basis between the Ontario

Hospital Association (75 per cent) and the individual (25 per cent).

Details of the plan and claim forms in both English and French can be found

on the ONA website at www.ona.org/dental.

In this continuing Front Lines series, a member who

wishes to remain anonymous, relays how her Bargaining

Unit President guided her through a very difficult

situation and how thankful she is.

The nightmare with my employer began in March

2012. A chronic condition led to modified work, a fail-

ure to accommodate grievance, a permanent accom-

modation, at least six grievances, including a harass-

ment and bullying complaint filed with the hospital

against my manager, and finally all-day mediation. I

would have walked away long ago if not for my Bar-

gaining Unit President.

Being deemed physically unfit for a job you have

done for 17 years is a terrifying ordeal. I wasn’t sure

how long the hospital would skirt their duty to ac-

commodate, and how long I would be made to stay

at home. My Bargaining Unit President fought for me

and I was back to work in record time!

Sadly, since starting my accommodated position,

I have experienced almost daily harassment from my

manager. And there is my Bargaining Unit President

still in my corner fighting for my right to a respectful

work environment.

Since the beginning, my Bargaining Unit Presi-

dent has been the constant, walking me through

each process, informing me of my options and sup-

porting me regardless of what I decide – very calm,

very credible, extremely well-respected, an excep-

tional communicator, and a formidable opponent.

My Bargaining Unit President works hard to protect

our rights. I would never want to be on the other side

of the table!

An outstanding colleague and mentor, who trusts

my abilities and instincts, and is always available to

make a suggestion or provide some insight, my Bar-

gaining Unit President has changed my life and those

at my employer for the better. I am extremely grateful

to ONA!

Want to share a brief story about what your union

means to you? Drop Front Lines editor Ruth Feather-

stone an email at ruthf@ona.org and you may be fea-

tured in this section in an upcoming issue!

Attention Region 1 Members: Sudbury Office MovingIf you are a member from Region 1 (northern Ontario) serviced by ONA’s Sud-

bury regional office, please note the office has moved, effective May 1, 2014.

The office’s new address is 40 Larch Street, Unit 203, Sudbury, ON P5E

5M7. The phone and fax numbers will remain the same (see pg. 2 for a list of

contact information for all ONA regional offices).

MAY 2014 7www.ona.org

Meet Your New Nursing Homes Negotiating Team!ONA’s 2014 Nursing Homes Central Negotiating Team has recently been elected and is

ready to get to work for you!

As the current nursing homes collective agreement expires on June 30, 2014, ONA held

an election this past January and February in Regions 1, 2 and 3 (Regions 4 and 5 were ac-

claimed) to determine your representatives on the new team. The successful candidates are:

• Region 1: Judith Wright, Local 14, Versa-Care Ltd. (Thunder Bay).

• Region 2: Shelly Vandenberg, Local 3, Pleasant Meadow Manor.

• Region 3: Carolyn Turner, Local 124, South Lake Residential Care Village.

• Region 4: Jean Kuehl, Local 15, Forest Heights Long-Term Care.

• Region 5: Sandra Kravets, Local 8, Brouillette Manor.

• ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud: Ex officio.

We welcome these members to the team and thank those who let their names stand. Orienta-

tion of the new team took place from April 14-17, 2014 with negotiations for a new collective

agreement commencing in June. Be sure and log onto www.ona.org/bargaining for updates.

Reinstate RNs as Leaders, Rouge Valley IAC Recommends

“The IAC looking into concerns at Rouge Valley described a

negative cycle that must be broken,” ONA Professional Prac-

tice Specialist Jo Anne Shannon tells delegates at the March

Provincial Coordinators Meeting, as (left to right) First Vice-

President Vicki McKenna, Bargaining Unit President Carol

Oates, Unit Coordinator Brenda Barnes, Professional Respon-

sibility Rep Mary Deli, Labour Relations Officer Andrea Kay,

Local 24 Coordinator Dianne Brunton and ONA Professional

Practice Specialist Meni Didimos-Bryant listen intently.

An Independent Assessment

Committee (IAC) has confirmed

that RN nurses working on the

Rouge Valley Health System’s post

acute care unit are unable to pro-

vide quality safe patient care un-

der the current care model.

The skill-mix change imple-

mented by the employer –

dubbed a collaborative care mod-

el – resulted in half of the RN and

RPN positions in the unit being

replaced with unregulated care

providers (UCPs), leaving nurse-

to-patient ratios unsafe, unman-

ageable and dangerous. While

the RNs consistently provided

workload forms to hospital ad-

ministrators outlining their con-

cerns, the hospital refused to staff

the department with an appropriate number

of RNs.

“The RN role was completely eroded and

RNs, RPNs and UCPs were considered to be

operating at the same level,” Professional Prac-

tice Specialist Jo Anne Shannon said. “There

was no respect for the RNs at all, and RNs were

not considered to be leaders on the unit.”

“I was appalled when I came onto the

unit,” added Unit Coordinator Brenda Barnes.

“There was no leadership and no collabora-

tive team work. We were doing our best, but

no one was listening. The panel saw what was

happening and I finally felt someone was lis-

tening to our concerns. We had a voice, we felt

strengthened in our numbers and knew posi-

tive things would happen.”

And indeed they did. Follow-

ing a three-day hearing this past

February, the IAC confirmed that

RNs are unable to provide proper

patient care under current condi-

tions, and the hospital’s work envi-

ronment does not support quality

nursing practice. The panel issued

50 recommendations, addressing

leadership, the model of care de-

livery and associated staffing and

clinical practice/unit processes to

improve nursing workload and

proper patient care.

“This report was very critical of

the way the employer implement-

ed and supported the change in

the model of care,” added Shan-

non. “The IAC supported and vali-

dated all of our issues.”

Specifically, it called for an increase in the

number of full-time RNs and other nurses to en-

able better coverage of the baseline schedule

with full-time staff instead of relying on calling

in an astounding number of agency staff. The

panel also recommended that Rouge Valley

revise its model of care to better use the RN as

leader of the care team, that the hospital clarify

the role of RNs, RPNs and UCPs, that evidence be

used to achieve a safe staffing model and prac-

tices, and that the voice of front-line nurses be

valued and respected to improve patient care.

“You cannot do any of this without an

amazing Bargaining Unit President and a

good process in place,” said Rouge Valley Pro-

fessional Responsibility Rep Mary Deli. “And

that process is ONA!”

“As a team, we worked well,” concluded

Bargaining Unit President Carol Oates. “Was it

horrendous, overwhelming and lengthy? Yes.

But it was also a relief. We were heard and it

felt good. Our hope is that the corporation

makes meaningful changes and allows our

leaders to be leaders.”

See the full report at www.ona.org/iac.

ONA Members Across Ontario

MAY 20148 www.ona.org

ONA Calls on Humber River to Finally Implement IAC RecommendationsMore than one year after an Independent Assessment Committee (IAC) issued 40 recommenda-

tions to improve working conditions and the safety of patients at Humber River Hospital’s two

emergency departments (EDs), ONA is questioning why the employer still hasn’t taken action.

The RNs in the Church and Finch Street EDs called for an IAC last year to examine the hospital’s

decision to implement a new model of nursing care. Incidents documented by the RNs included

the use of the ambulance offload area as a “mini-ED,” forcing patient care to be provided in hallways,

regular violent incidents against nurses due to the frustration of patients and families enduring

long waits, and patients discharging themselves because of what they viewed as inadequate care.

The IAC’s recommendations were in the areas of communications, change management, pro-

cesses, nurse safety related to fatigue, safety and security, the physical environment, collaboration

among interprofessional team members and staffing. Of particular note is the recommendation

calling for the identification of the appropriate skill level and staffing mix on the units.

Despite those recommendations, the hospital continues to inappropriately use government

funding for ambulance offload; fails to provide a safe work environment for RNs related to an insuf-

ficient number of security guards; houses acutely ill ICU patients in the ED without appropriate RN

staffing when other hospital units are at capacity; and fails to provide facilities to facilitate proper

infection control procedures.

“ONA has worked persistently over the past five years to develop meaningful and effective solu-

tions to correct these problems, and it’s outrageous that our nurses and their patients continue to

be subjected to these conditions,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “Humber must take the

necessary steps to improve patient and staff safety now.”

Happy Nursing Week!

On behalf of the ONA Board of Directors,

we wish you a very happy Nursing Week

2014!

This year, Nursing Week runs from

Monday, May 12 to Sunday, May 18, un-

der the theme More Nurses, Better Care,

inspired by our provincial campaign.

Take a look on the back cover of this is-

sue for our Nursing Week poster.

As a small token of our appreciation

for all that you do for the patients/cli-

ents/residents of this province, we are

enclosing a special Nursing Week gift

with this issue of Front Lines. This year,

the gift is a handy luggage tag (pictured),

which we hope will take you many plac-

es as a reminder that your union is al-

ways with you and has your back!

If you did not receive your luggage

tag in this package, or if it is in any way

damaged, contact Communications and

Government Relations Team (CGRT)

Intake at (416) 964-8833 or (toll-free)

1-800-387-5580, during regular busi-

ness hours (press 0 for the receptionist

if you are calling toll-free), or send an e-

mail to cgrintake@ona.org.

And now that another Nursing Week

is upon us, Front Lines would like to know

what you did to acknowledge and cele-

brate your work – with maybe a picture or

two! – for a special Nursing Week wrap-up

in the next issue. Please send your submis-

sions to the email address listed above.

ONA on the Beach! Ah, you can take the Local leaders out of ONA (for

a week anyway), but you can’t take ONA out of the Local leaders! Proving that ONA is

never far from their minds – or bodies! – even when on vacation, Local 8 member Sharon

Galbraith, Local 21 Coordinator Dianne Miller, retired Local 11 Coordinator Lin Murphy

and Local 8 Coordinator Susan Sommerdyk proudly show off their colourful ONA wear

while visiting the Grand Cayman Islands this past February.

MAY 2014 9www.ona.org

ONA members at opposite ends of the prov-

ince have narrowly averted job action in their

quests for collective agreements that respect

the exemplary care they provide to their

communities.

Negotiations for the 58 public health nurs-

es (PHNs) at the Thunder Bay District Public

Health Unit (left photo) broke down on Febru-

ary 5, 2014. The PHNs are the lowest paid in

the province and were seeking wage parity

with their counterparts in the north. Another

key issue was the layoff of front-line staff to

hire more managers. While the members, who

had been without a contract since December

2012, were prepared to walk off the job, a deal

was reached during conciliation on March 25.

Meanwhile, about 1,500 kilometres to

the south-east, four nurse practitioners and

a registered nurse working at the Grand River

Community Health Centre in Brantford are

thankful to ONA for standing behind them

as they sought a first collective agreement

(right photo).

The members, certified since May 2013,

had been at the bargaining table since mid-

October with an employer who had a 0-per-

cent mandate for negotiations. The employer’s

stance remained unchanged during concilia-

tion on February 14, and the nurses voted 100

per cent in favour of job action. After a long

and arduous fight, a tentative settlement was

reached during mediation on March 11, 2014.

“This has been a new process for me, be-

ing in a strike position and learning on the

fly,” said Bargaining Unit President Virginia

Greene, who, as one of the NPs, was paid less

than her peers working in hospitals and oth-

er community sectors. “Nurse practitioners

have been demoralized because we have a

large scope of practice, but our pay is not re-

flective of that work. The support and advo-

cacy from ONA over the past year was really

needed and made all the difference!”

“We know these two communities value

and appreciate the knowledge and skills

these nurses bring, obvious by their support

at our members’ information pickets and

their letters of encouragement,” added ONA

President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “We are glad

to see their employers have finally recog-

nized these members as well.”

Concerned that unsafe RN staffing levels have com-

promised patient safety and increased workloads to

unsafe levels, members at Nipigon District Hospital

have called in an Independent Assessment Commit-

tee (IAC) to examine their issues.

The RNs have consistently provided completed

workload forms to hospital administrators outlining

their inability to provide safe patient care for inpatients and emergency patients, but they

have refused to staff the hospital with an appropriate number of RNs. The IAC hearing was

held on March 4-6 and recommendations are expected in the next few weeks.

“Our RNs in this rural hospital are concerned that they’re unable to meet their profes-

sional standards because RN staffing isn’t sufficient to cover patient care needs or the fluc-

tuations in the acuity and complexity of patients at the hospital,” said ONA President Linda

Haslam-Stroud. “Once again, it looks like the hospital’s budget is taking priority over the

care patients receive and the RN workloads.”

Front Lines will report on the findings of the IAC in a future issue.

Nipigon Hospital RNs Call for IAC to Examine Unsafe Workloads

Members Narrowly Avert Job Action

MAY 201410 www.ona.org

If there’s one thing that was abundantly clear at the March Pro-vincial Coordinators Meeting (PCM), held at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, it’s that ONA members are deeply con-

cerned about the challenges we face and want to help fight back.ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud set the tone for the PCM,

which took place from March 18-19, right off the bat, stating that we are dealing with three of the biggest challenges she can ever remember: the continuing erosion of RN positions; our struggle to obtain a fair and equitable hospital central agreement; and serious threats by the Tim Hudak-led Conservatives that would result in a two-tiered health care system and destroy our pensions, increase our workloads and impose further wage freezes.

“So we have three strikes against us, which normally means we’d be out,” she said. “Well, I am most definitely not out. But I am asking for your help by moving our message into your commu-

MARCH PCM FOCUSESON MORE

NURSES NOW!

MAY 2014 11www.ona.org

nities. Together, we can advocate for our patients by lobbying for more nurses. Together, we can achieve a collective agreement that respects our work. Together, we can push back against the Tim Hu-daks of this world. And if we do, I am confident that we will make a huge difference to the care we are able to provide – together.”

That momentum was carried into our lunchtime More Nurses rally at Queen’s Park, attended by the majority of delegates, nurs-ing students, ONA staff and our fellow union allies. Emceed by Region 3 Vice-President Andy Summers, the rally featured pas-sionate speeches from Haslam-Stroud, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions President Linda Silas, who said nurses can’t work any harder than they already do, new Canadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA) Ontario Regional Director (ORD) Catherine (Cat) Davy, Local 19 Coordinator and public health nurse Emily Webb and Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario President Sam Hammond, who stressed that teachers are behind ONA every step of the way and will never forget the support we showed during their own battle against the province over Bill 115.

PCM guest speaker Chief Provincial Nursing Officer Debra Bournes focused her remarks on leadership, using the province’s

recent announcement of 75 additional nurse practitioners in long-term care to illustrate her point, and the renewal of the Health-ForceOntario Strategy. Davy and outgoing ORD Nick Alves, who is now the CNSA’s National Communications Director, reiterated how nursing students feel our union’s support every day of the year, evidenced by the fact that we welcomed more students to this PCM than ever before.

And because this was a PCM after all, we heard from several of our members about their initiatives back home, including the team involved in the recent Rouge Valley Health System Independent Assessment Committee hearing (see pg. 7) and Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) Bargaining Unit President Susan Sommerdyk, who, along with WRH Chief Nursing Executive Karen McCullough, highlighted the success they are having with their electronic pro-fessional workload forms.

Full highlights of the meeting are available at www.ona.org/march14pcm. Our PCM Précis wrap-up video is also available for viewing on our home page and the ONA YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ ontarionurses.

June PCM Heading to the Country!We are gearing up for our June PCM, which will be hosted by Region 3 at the

beautiful Nottawasaga Inn Resort and Conference Centre in Alliston on June 10 and

11, followed by an education session the next day on defined benefit pension plans.

Further information will be available on our website in the weeks to come.

ONA News

MAY 201412 www.ona.org

ONA is deeply saddened by the recent passing of founding Chief Exec-

utive Officer Anne Gribben, whose vision and leadership is one of the

key reasons why ONA is such a powerful and respected union today.

Anne, who died peacefully on March 28, 2014, began her working

life as an RN. Eventually, this need to care was transferred to her fellow

nurses as she became more and more aware of their low status on ad-

ministrators’ lists of priorities. The poor working conditions and inad-

equate financial remuneration nurses had to contend with prompted

Anne to turn her attention to them in an effort to effect change.

“By 1965, I was committed to the need for collective bargaining

for nurses and I joined the staff of the Registered Nurses’ Association’s

Employment Relations Department,” she once said. “I brought the

nursing component to the department, which had been established

to bargain on behalf of nurses. We talked to nurses about their prob-

lems and the advantages of collective bargaining…and by the end of

1965, we had our first group certified.”

And the rest, as they say, is history. After ONA was formed in 1973,

bringing together some 100 groups of nurses that had been certified

as independent unions, Gribben was named CEO, a position she held

until 1986.

During her tenure, our membership grew to more than 42,000,

and her goal of representing nurses in our first hospital central ne-

gotiations was achieved. That agreement covered 10,000 registered

nurses in hospitals and brought a starting salary increase to $850

from $640 per month.

“Anne laid the groundwork for a strong collective bargaining sys-

tem for nurses in Ontario,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stoud.

“She was such a guiding light for so many nurses over the years, as a

strong advocate for the profession, for women’s rights and as a lead-

ing voice for a unionized nursing workforce in Ontario.”

ONA Mourns Passing of Founding CEO with “Extraordinary Vision”

“I had the honour of working with Anne from the day that she

hired me as a research analyst in 1971 until her retirement in 1986,”

added ONA Director and Chief Negotiator Dan Anderson. “During

that time, I came to know Anne as a very respected negotiator, moti-

vator, innovator and as an outstanding advocate for the rights of RNs.

She was the person who laid a solid foundation for much of what ONA

is today.”

He might have also meant that literally, as in 1985, Anne and Presi-

dent Rose Briscoe dug the first ceremonial shovel of dirt as construc-

tion began on ONA’s new provincial office in Toronto.

Along with an ONA Honorary Life Membership for her untiring

commitment to improve the socio-economic welfare of nurses, Anne

also received the Order of Ontario in 1989 for her accomplishments

on behalf of the province’s nurses.

“It is because of Anne’s extraordinary vision and leadership that

ONA is a powerful voice for Ontario nurses and respected across the

country and in nursing venues around the world,” added Haslam-

Stroud. “Anne once said that the achievements we’ve made have

come with great difficulty, adding that whoever said ‘nothing worth

having comes easily’ must have known some nurses! With the chal-

lenges we face today, we proudly carry on that vision and leadership.”

Anderson noted that even after Anne’s retirement, she was always

interested in central negotiating updates and to know that we were

keeping that process strong.

“I am reminded of Anne every day I come to work at 85 Grenville

[ONA’s provincial office] – the ‘house’ that Anne built,” he said. “Anne

and I would often chat about my job interview and her decision to

hire me. I am not sure how my life would have unfolded had she not,

but she did, and for that I am profoundly thankful to a dear colleague

and friend.”

ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud celebrates with

Anne Gribben at ONA’s 35th anniversary gala in 2008.

MAY 2014 13www.ona.org

Front Lines Shows How ONA Has our Backs, Survey Respondents SayThe Front Lines survey results have been compiled and

we’re pleased to know you like what you are reading

in your union publication!

The overall comments from the annual survey, in-

cluded in the October 2013 issue of Front Lines in the

form of a tear-away, postage paid card and available

on our website, were very positive, indicating the

publication continues to meet your ever-growing

needs. In fact, 91 per cent of respondents said

you look forward to receiving your copy every

other month. Of the nine per cent who don’t, the

predominant reason cited was simply a lack of time to

read it. A few commented that you would like to read your copies on-

line and we remind you that all issues are available on our website at

www.ona.org/frontlines.

For the first time, we asked members to rate your top three sec-

tions in the publication and ONA News was the hands-down winner,

followed closely by Education, Awards and Decisions, Health and

Safety, and Member News. Of the approximately half of you who said

Noting that Ontario isn’t the only province where nurses

are advocating for safe staffing, ONA President Linda

Haslam-Stroud (right) and Canadian Federation of Nurs-

es Unions President Linda Silas joined hundreds of mem-

bers of the British Columbia Nurses’ Union (BCNU), in-

cluding outgoing President Debra McPherson, at a rally

through downtown Vancouver on March 6, 2014 to call

for safe RN staffing in BC health care facilities. “The story

in BC is similar to Ontario’s – inadequate health care

funding has resulted in administrators cutting RN staff to

balance budgets,” said Haslam-Stroud. “Only B.C has a

worst RN-to-patient ratio in Canada than Ontario. It’s

time for our governments to step up to the plate and en-

sure we have enough nurses in all provinces so our pa-

tients are not at risk.” The rally coincided with the BCNU’s

annual general meeting, which Haslam-Stroud also at-

tended.

you could recall a particularly meaningful story in

the past year, the most noted was our coverage of

our huge professional liability insurance win and

our touching 10th-anniversary SARS retrospective.

The most popular response to the question

what could we include in Front Lines that would im-

prove your professional/union lives was…“nothing!”

Other general comments were equally complimen-

tary, with statements such as “informative, easy to

read, nice appearance;” “always full of interesting and

pertinent information;” “gives me the latest news from

across the province I wouldn’t otherwise have access

to;” and “I enjoy reading how ONA is advocating on my behalf,” which

seemed to be a common sentiment. “Keep up the good work!” was

the number one statement.

Thank you for responding to our survey. Your comments are very

important to us and help shape future issues. If you have any other

suggestions, including story ideas and submissions, for Front Lines,

please email editor Ruth Featherstone at ruthf@ona.org.

IN THIS ISSUE . . .E4

From ONA PresidentLinda Haslam-Stroud, RN

E5From ONA First Vice-PresidentVicki McKenna, RN

Vol. 14 • No. 1MARCH 2014

’s aggressive public campaign calling for an end to nursing cuts to ensure the

best possible care for our patients has officially launched, and its success de-

pends largely on the involvement of our front-line members.

On February 10, 2014, ONA unveiled our More Nurses-themed campaign, which fea-

tures television and subway ads and a “microsite” (website) chalked full of information and

tips on how you and our supporters can help fight for an appropriate number of registered

nurses in our system. The television ad also began airing on February 10 and features six ONA members in a

number of scenarios showing that Ontarians can’t predict when they will need a nurse. That

was followed closely by a similarly-themed transit ad, prominently

The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association

continues on page 3

ONA

Who better than ONA front-line members to relay the dire consequences of continuing

down the path of eliminating RN positions in our province? In our clever new television and

transit ads, ONA members Marcia Robinson (pictured), along with Cindy Orlicki, Roland

Orlicki, Cathryn Hoy, Eve Edwards and Sabrina (Xiaoxia) Wu, explain what more nurses

means to them.

INDEXUp Front ......................................................... 3Member News ............................................. 6ONA News ...................................................11Queen’s Park Update ...............................15OHC ...............................................................15Occupational Health & Safety ..............16Pensions .......................................................17Student Affiliation ....................................18Education ....................................................19Human Rights and Equity .....................20Awards and Decisions .............................22

ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION85 Grenville St., Ste. 400Toronto ON M5S 3A2

Turn the page for an IMPORTANT LETTER from Your ONA President

ONA Campaign Calls for More Nurses Now!

Rainy-Day Rally for More Nurses, Safer Care!

ONA News

MAY 201414 www.ona.org

ONA Speaks out against Calls to Eliminate CCACs

Coalition Demands Minimum Standard of Care for LTC FacilitiesA coalition of stakeholders in Ontario’s long-term care (LTC) sector, including ONA, is call-

ing on the provincial government to address increasing incidents of violence in LTC homes

by setting a minimum standard of care to be provided in all facilities.

Members of the recently formed group SAFER (Staffing Alliance for Every Resident),

which include seniors’ advocates, non-profit and for-profit facilities, academic researchers

and bargaining agents for nurses and personal support workers (PSWs), is demanding a

fully funded minimum staffing level to be set at four hours of direct care per resident per

day. ONA South District Services Team Manager Bev Mathers is ONA’s representative on the

group’s steering committee.

Since 2002, the Chief Coroner has reported 29 homicides in Ontario LTC homes. As well,

recent evidence shows that among a population of about 80,000 residents, 61 per cent

have a diagnosis of some degree of dementia, 47 per cent have some degree of aggressive

behaviour, and 24 per cent have severe or very severe aggressive behaviour.

“The situation is urgent,” warned Mathers. “Nurses and PSWs are expected to perform

extraordinary duties in providing quality care under very stressful conditions. We need a

comprehensive approach to staffing and funding that is tied directly to front-line care.”

ONA has written a series of letters to the editor to newspapers throughout the province in

response to calls to eliminate the province’s community care access centres (CCACs), specifi-

cally by former Ontario Deputy Health Minister Michael Decter and the Registered Nurses’

Association of Ontario, which calls them “a duplication of existing services and bureaucracy.”

The following is excerpts from one such letter by ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, pub-

lished in the Sarnia Observer on February 26, 2014.

To write off CCACs as “needless bureaucracy” is to completely negate the valuable health care

services and quality patient care provided to the public.

CCAC care coordinators work in a variety of settings, ensuring that patients have nursing care

and health care support available in their homes and in hospitals to make assessments and arrange

home supports. ONA knows the system requires improvement to support our care coordinators in

providing more care. However, any proposal to eliminate CCACs will undoubtedly hurt our patients.

ONA has recommended to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care that, among other chang-

es, it eliminates the current system of contracting out to providers by having the CCAC provide all

home care. This will save costs and decrease bureaucracy while improving reporting and care. ONA

believes Local Health Integration Networks are the very bodies that are driving some of the inconsis-

tencies in care across Ontario, and they should certainly not be handed the CCACs as well.

Hiring more nurses would mean more direct home care provision and an enhanced ability for

care coordinators to conduct home assessments to determine an appropriate care plan. A public

home care system will also reduce the high level of staff turnover as a result of lower wages and

a fragmented delivery of home care services. The end result will be higher-quality home care ser-

vices for our patients. The system must respect the skills of care coordinators to identify the needs

of their patients and be able to ensure that care is received. Our care coordinators need to have

appropriate case loads to ensure they can properly manage and follow their patients.

Let’s not scrap a system that can be easily fixed and ensure that Ontarians who are relying on

care at home or in the community can access it. This province has a valuable asset in care coordi-

nators – let’s allow them to use their experience, knowledge and skills to their full extent, without

barriers and bureaucracy, and help our patients thrive.

MAY 2014 15www.ona.org

CFNU News

QUEEN’S PARK Update

E Two byelections were held in the province

on February 13, 2014. Wayne Gates, a local

councillor running for the NDP, won the

riding in Niagara Falls, while the PC can-

didate, optometrist Gila Martow, held the

riding in Thornhill.

E Six-million dollars is being provided

to fund the expansion and development

of community paramedicine initiatives

across the province. These programs in-

clude paramedics providing home visits

to seniors known to call emergency ser-

vices frequently; educating seniors in their

homes about chronic disease manage-

ment; and referring patients to their local

community care access centre so they can

receive appropriate home care services.

ONA will be monitoring this development.

E Ontario has allocated $260 million in

2013-2014 across the province to improve

access to home and community health

care supports. The funding includes $15

ONA CEO/CAO Michael Balagaus, First

Vice-President Vicki McKenna, Region 2

Vice-President Anne Clark and Region 5

Vice-President Karen Bertrand join other

members of the Canadian Federation of

Nurses Unions (CFNU) in Ottawa on Febru-

ary 4, 2014 for the CFNU’s annual break-

fast for parliamentarians, entitled An Ag-

ing Population, Prescription Drugs and

the Future of Public Health Care in Cana-

da. The group is championing for a Nation-

al Seniors Strategy with a strong emphasis

on a national prescription drug program

that could save Canadians up to $11.2 bil-

lion per year. “Canada is the only OECD

(Organization for Economic Co-operation

and Development) country with universal

health care and no national prescription drug plan,” said CFNU President Linda Silas. “As

nurses, we know that Canadians value health, community and family and the savings and

standards of care that a national prescription drug program would provide.”

Breakfast of Champions!

million to ensure medically complex pa-

tients receive a visit from a nurse within

five days of being discharged from a hos-

pital.

E Funding to the tune of $10 million is

being provided by the provincial govern-

ment to support local programs for the

prevention of type 2 diabetes, including

the Diabetes Prevention Program through

seven local public health units and five

community health centres across Ontario.

The program provides:

• Screening of high-risk populations and

referral to relevant health services.

• Resources that encourage healthy eat-

ing and increased physical activity.

• Training to health professionals and

educators on diabetes prevention.

• Local awareness campaigns to direct

people to appropriate programs and

services.

EA number of MPPs have announced they

will not be running in the next provincial

election:

• John Milloy, Minister of Government

Services and Government House Leader

(Kitchener Centre).

• PC MPPs John O’Toole ( Durham) and

Frank Klees (Newmarket-Aurora).

• Attorney General John Gerretsen

(Kingston and the Islands).

• Former Cabinet Ministers Rick Barto-

lucci (Sudbury) and Harinder Takhar

(Mississauga-Erindale).

• Liberal MPPs Donna Cansfield (Etobi-

coke Centre) and Phil McNeely (Ottawa-

Orleans).

MAY 201416 www.ona.org

PENSIONS

DB Pension Plans Good for You – and the Economy!New research suggests that defined benefit (DB) pension

plans, the plan of the majority of ONA members, not only help

ensure beneficiaries retire in dignity, they have a very positive

impact on the economy.

While conservatives have been touting DB plans as gold-

plated and too expensive, wanting instead to replace them

with defined contribution plans, a recent study on the eco-

nomic impact of DB plans by the Boston Consulting Group

(BCG), shows the opposite is true. In fact, according to the

study, only an estimated 10 to 15 per cent of DB beneficiaries

collected the government’s Guaranteed Income Supplement

(GIS), a benefit provided to low income seniors, compared to

45 to 50 per cent of other Canadian retirees. That means that

DB pensions reduce the annual pay out of GIS by a whopping

$2 - $3 billion a year!

Further, the study, commissioned by a group of Canada’s

leading DB pension plans, including the Healthcare of Ontario

Pension Plan (HOOPP) and the Ontario Municipal Employees

Retirement System (OMERS), also finds that DB recipients con-

tribute $14 - $16 billion annually to government coffers across

Canada through income, sales and property taxes.

In the years analyzed (2011 and 2012), DB beneficiaries

spent $56 - $63 billion annually on durable and consumable

goods. The impact of DB pensions was especially strong in

Ontario, translating into $27 billion in expenditures on con-

sumables and durables, shelter, recreation and services, and

generating $6 billion in taxes, the study reveals.

A separate analysis by BCG released in June 2013 also

found that Canada’s 10 largest public pension funds – which

include the DB plans in this new analysis – provide Canadians

with one of the strongest retirement income systems in the

world and also contribute significantly to national prosperity.

“Most people aren’t aware that up to 80 per cent of the

funds used to pay DB pensions come from returns on plan in-

vestments,” said HOOPP President and CEO Jim Keohane. “Ca-

nadians should look at how we can replicate this success story

for those without adequate, or in many cases any, workplace

pensions.”

Added OMERS President and CEO Michael Nobrega, “We

need to change the conversation. We must not allow ‘pension

envy’ to define the debate on the reform of our pension sys-

tem. Let’s work together to fix what’s really broken – the lack of

adequate retirement savings among the majority of Canadians.”

HOOPP in Strong PositionImpressive results in 2013 have propelled the Healthcare of Ontario

Pension Plan (HOOPP) to its strongest funded position in more than

a decade.

HOOPP reports that it now has a record $51.6 billion in net assets

following a rate of return of 8.55 per cent in 2013. HOOPP President

and CEO Jim Keohane said the strong showing and stellar funded

position prove that the defined benefit pension model works – and

works well. And because of this solid funding, the contribution rates

made by HOOPP members and employers have been stable for a de-

cade. HOOPP’s rate of return over the past decade is a solid 9.66 per

cent.

“Being fully funded means we are able to deliver the pension

promise for all of our members,” Keohane added.

To learn more, review HOOPP’s annual report, Fully Committed, on

its website at www.hoopp.com.

MAY 2014 17www.ona.org

STUDENT Affiliation

ing the students to sign our More Nurses

postcards – and more than 100 did!

Just as the students who attended our

More Nurses campaign launch at Ryerson

University in Toronto this past February, stu-

dents at the Nursing Games added their own

personal messages to our More Nurses cards,

promising to promote the campaign to their

fellow students, professors, family and friends.

“I am so pleased with how well the games

went,” reported Nursing Games Fundrais-

ing Coordinator and University of Toronto

student Andrea Somers. “Everyone was very

supportive of the ONA campaign.”

She isn’t the only student singing the

praises of our campaign. Lakehead Univer-

sity Nursing Association President Breanne

Bencharski said, “I want to thank ONA for all

you do for nurses and students. Lakehead is

looking forward to joining nursing students

and registered nurses alike to create a bright-

er future for us all.”

Students from various nursing programs

across Canada have come together in Toron-

to for a friendly test of academic and athletic

ability.

Dubbed the Nursing Games, the annual

competition, hosted by the University of To-

ronto from March 21-23, saw the students

showcasing their talents, and collaborating

and networking with each other all while

enjoying a fun-filled weekend. “Games” in-

cluded the Amazing Nurse Competition, the

Nursing Skills Challenge and Nursing Trivia.

Local 111 Coordinator Susan Brickell (pic-

tured, right) and Local 6 Coordinator Carolyn

Edgar were happy to be the face of ONA at

the games, showcasing our union’s unwav-

ering commitment to future nurses. Brickell

staffed an ONA table at the exhibitors’ fair to

answer student questions about our exem-

plary services and distribute ONA material

and promotional items, along with informa-

tion on our defined benefit pension plans,

which we are working hard to ensure will still

be there for the students who become ONA

members one day. Edgar was out on the floor

during a special breakfast event, encourag-

Let the (Nursing) Games Begin!

MAY 201418 www.ona.org

• • •

OCCUPATIONAL Health & Safety

Workplace violence legislation under the Occupation-

al Health and Safety Act (OHSA) is finally bearing fruit

as an Ontario hospital heads to trial this November

for charges filed under the Act.

A Ministry of Labour (MOL) investigator found

sufficient evidence of flaws in the workplace violence

prevention measures to warrant charges against Roy-

al Ottawa Hospital, a mental health facility, stemming

from a violent July 2012 incident in which a patient

attacked and injured several RNs at a nursing station.

“Too often our members are attacked and seri-

ously injured in their workplaces,” said ONA President

Linda Haslam-Stroud. “The legislation was intended

to protect them from such events and we are pleased

to see it being applied appropriately in this case. A

Ministry of Labour investigator found evidence that

the hospital failed to take every precaution reason-

able in the circumstances to protect its workers, and

charges were laid. We are hoping the trial will result in

a wake-up call for this employer and other health care

facilities that they have clear legal duties to protect

their workers from workplace violence.”

This is the first time charges have been laid in our

health care workplaces for violation of the violence

prevention sections of the legislation, which took ef-

fect on June 15, 2010. ONA advocated strongly on

behalf of our members for workplace violence legis-

lation to be included in the OHSA, but up until now, it

has not been successfully prosecuted.

Charges Laid for Violation of Health and Safety Act

OHC News

Keep Public Services in our Hospitals, OHC Demands!The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) has launched a door-to-door Save our Services

campaign to stop private clinics and keep services in our hospitals, which culminated

in a massive province-wide referendum in early April.

The campaign, launched on March 10, was initiated in response to the government’s

plans to bring in new legal regulations to cut services, such as MRIs, cataract surgery and

other medical services, from our community hospitals and outsource them to private

clinics by mid-summer. While the government continues to downplay the announce-

ment, the OHC believes this is a giant step towards American-style private health care.

“Virtually all of the private clinics that exist in Canada bill the public health system

and charge extra user fees,” said OHC Director Natalie Mehra. “That’s illegal under the

Canada Health Act, but it’s routine in private clinics. These are services patients have

paid for already through our taxes, but the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has

turned a blind eye to these charges and is now expanding the private clinic sector.”

To fight back, the OHC targeted a number of high-priority communities – Kitch-

ener-Waterloo, London, Windsor, Peterborough and Sudbury – delivering leaflets and

postcards, which ask if the reader supports local public hospitals or supports contract-

ing those services out to private clinics. During the referendum, almost 56,000 Ontar-

ians voted to stop the dismantling of community hospitals.

A canvass “blitz” was held on March 29, where leaflets were handed out in large

public areas, such as farmers’ markets and shopping malls.

Sounding the Alarm on Loss of the Health AccordTimed to coincide with the day when the 2004 Health Accord expires,

ONA members across the province, including Local 67 Coordinator

Ann Murray and Region 2 Vice-President Anne Clark, supported their

local health coalitions at a National Day of Action on March 31, 2014

demanding a new Health Accord to ensure there are national health

care standards across the country. Going forward, the Harper Conser-

vatives are linking health transfers to economic growth and cutting

health care spending by $36 billion over 10 years, which will lead to a

fragmentation of services. We’re deeply concerned that failing to rene-

gotiate the Health Accord eliminates any leverage the federal govern-

ment has to ensure provinces are complying with the Canada Health

Act. “Without a Health Accord, federal funds are given to the premiers

with no strings attached so they can spend the money however they

like,” warned ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “We’re holding this

National Day of Action as a wake-up call to the loss of the Health Ac-

cord and Harper’s plans to dismantle public health care. We have to

take action now if we want to save public health care in Canada.”

MAY 2014 19www.ona.org

Sounding the Alarm on Loss of the Health Accord

LEAP

The following story was relayed to Front Lines by one of our members. To protect her confidentiality, we have kept

her name and other identifying features anonymous.

“I’m so thankful that I am part of this union”LEAP Helps Member through “Two Years of Hell”

During a rally to protect services

at Sudbury’s Health Sciences

North on March 10, 2014, Re-

gion 1 Vice-President Pam Man-

cuso joined members of the OHC

in asking the city’s residents to

vote against a provincial plan to

open up more private clinics.

Mancuso was happy to do so on

her own Save our Services post-

card, telling the media “Our

grandparents fought hard for

our public health care system

and we need to protect it.”

I graduated as an RN in 2003 at 22 years old. Imme-

diately, I was hired full-time with [a long-term care

facility] and fell in love with my role and my job.

In 2008, I gave up posting with [my employer]

to accept a full-time medical float pool position [at

a local hospital]. As a float nurse, I was in a different

place every day, always doing something different.

With floating, I seemed to know a little bit about

everything. Again, I more than loved my job and

nursing. That would soon change. 

In April 2012, I was fired from my position on an

allegation of abuse of an elderly patient on a long-

term care floor. My union, including my Local Co-

ordinator and health and safety rep, were present.

The allegation stemmed from a complaint from

a personal support worker (PSW), whom I had sent

home unpaid on March 10, 2012. The allegation

was that during care of this violent, psych-geriatric

patient, I elbowed him in his face and made igno-

rant comments to him.

I was devastated, and that was only the begin-

ning. I had no idea what was coming or what my

children and I were about to endure. Obviously, I

denied the allegations, solid in the fact that I did

not assault anyone. But no matter what I said, man-

agement wanted to hear none of it, and continued

to pursue their attack against me.

On April 17, 2012, I was arrested for criminal

assault. My world came crashing down. I was pho-

tographed, fingerprinted and humiliated. Stories

about my arrest made the local newspaper and

were plastered all over social media. My two chil-

dren and I were subjected to various attacks and

judgments. It was hell. Thankfully, ONA’s Legal Ex-

pense Assistance Plan (LEAP) came to the rescue.

Unable to get a job due to the media involve-

ment in this small-city case, I struggled to pay for

my criminal defense. Here I was, an educated nurse

who had done nothing wrong, but was being cru-

cified in the public eye. The College of Nurses of

Ontario (CNO) put a flag beside my name on their

website, stating that I was being referred to the Dis-

cipline Committee and why. My life seemed over.

Testifying against me were two PSWs, and on my

side was an RN at the hospital, who ended up quit-

ting her job after 32 years. I was found not guilty

criminally on February 14, 2013, which lifted a small

weight off my shoulders, but didn’t make it any eas-

ier to obtain employment. All through the criminal

trial, I worked part-time, cleaning hotel rooms at the

local Holiday Inn. It was the most difficult part of my

life. The financial hardship was intense. Here I was, a

single mother making $24,000 a year.

In August 2013, I faced the CNO’s disciplinary panel.

After hearing “evidence” from the same three peo-

ple who testified in the criminal trial, as well as two

other RNs and two expert witnesses (one for the

College and one for me), I was found not guilty, with

the statement being released March 14, 2014.

I lived this hell for two years, and I am beyond

thankful that I had the LEAP Team to assist with my

legal issues. Without LEAP, I would have not been

able to afford my legal team. I’m not sure that prior

to this event I was fully aware of what programs

and assistance ONA offers. I am extremely grateful.

I am still trying to put the pieces of my life back

together and it hasn’t been easy. My reputation was

ruined, and my kids have been put through some-

thing they never should have endured. It’s been cra-

zy, but I’m so thankful that I am part of this union.

This member still has one more hurdle to jump. She

recently headed back to arbitration for the third time

and her Bargaining Unit President, who refers to her

as “my hero, who, like ONA’s motto, never, never, never

gave up,” vows she will fight to the bitter end to get her

job back. To learn more about LEAP, including how to

contact the team, log onto www.ona.org/LEAP.

I am beyond grateful that I had the LEAP Team to assist with my

legal issues.

HUMAN RIGHTS and Equity

MAY 201420 www.ona.org

How You Can Support PrideYou can see what your support means to these

members – and so many others. Here’s how to get

involved:

• Join ONA’s World Pride Parade contingent on

June 29, 2014 and encourage others. We will be

meeting at 12:30 p.m. at Rosedale Valley Road in

Toronto. Water, snacks and t-shirts will be provid-

ed, along with colourful ONA bracelets and Pride

fans to help us celebrate our fabulousness!

• Drop by our booth promoting our union, labour

rights, More Nurses campaign and commitment

to human rights and equity on June 27-28 at

the Church and Wellesley Street Fair.

• Download our sign-up sheets (available on the

ONA website at www.ona.org/pride) and ask

members who want to attend to sign up. Email

or fax the sign-up sheets to Stacey Papernick

(staceyp@ona.org or (416) 964-8864, ext. 2282),

who will send parade reminders to those mem-

bers closer to the date.

• Post the ONA World Pride poster (also available

on our website) on your workplace ONA bulle-

We told you in the last issue of Front Lines about an exciting international festival coming to

Toronto this June: World Pride 2014 (WP14TO)! And now we’d like to tell you why your support

is so important to your fellow members.

From June 20-29, members of LGBT communities from around the globe will gather in

Toronto, together with their allies, to express pride as LGBT people and celebrate their diverse

histories, cultures, and progress made to date on human rights. The week will culminate with

the World Pride Parade on June 29.

ONA’s planning group, consisting of members and staff, has been hard at work since last

September to ensure ONA has a strong presence. Thanks to the group’s outreach efforts, more

than 100 ONA members, Board members and staff have confirmed attendance – our largest

presence ever in an LGBT community event in Ontario! ONA has also invited the Canadian

Nurses’ Association and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions to join us in the parade.

Reflections on PrideThe planning group has grown to 20 participants from a variety of ONA Locals/Bargaining

Units across the province. Here’s what some of them have to say about the importance of

this event, and why all members should get involved in Pride celebrations throughout the

province:

• Bargaining Unit President James Murray, Local 100: Pride is a celebration of our strength

and diversity as a community, and an opportunity to share our pride. It is self-affirmation,

inclusion, acceptance, acknowledgment, love and respect. It’s not only necessary for oth-

ers to participate, it’s crucial. As a leader within the labour movement and the preeminent

nurses’ union in Canada, ONA must demonstrate that our human rights and equity policies

have meaning.

• Bargaining Unit President Cyndra McGoldrick, Local 97: ONA needs to be visible for our

members to feel affinity. Participating in Pride is amazing and something all members need

to experience.

• First Vice-Coordinator/Secretary Treasurer Paul LoStracco, Local 80: Pride tells the

world we are proud to be who we are and value that there is no discrimination because of

who we are. Members need to be present at Pride to show they support the LGBT commu-

nity and stand behind us.

• Local 6 Coordinator Carolyn Edgar: Pride celebrates diversity in a way that is fun and up-

lifting and brings groups of people together to enjoy the festivities. It allows for creativity

in dress and design and for us to take ourselves less seriously. I can laugh and be merry and

stand proud. ONA members should support and attend the parade, feel its power, show

solidarity and engage with our brothers and sisters in the spirit of togetherness.

• Region 1 Vice-President Pam Mancuso (portfolio human rights and equity): Pride is im-

portant to me as an Aboriginal equity group member because it allows us to demonstrate

that, despite our differences, we are still the same. ONA is a union that supports all equity

groups and all members and it is important to show how inclusive we are. It is crucial for ONA

members to come out and be part of the ONA Pride contingent because no matter what your

belief is, we support each other as human beings and members of a union.

ONA Members Express “What Pride Means to Me”

For a full list of Pride events in the province, log onto www.ona.org/pride.

MAY 2014 21www.ona.org

EDUCATION

Preparing New Leaders: How ONA Education Can HelpAre you a new leader with our union? If so, ONA education is here to help you transition into your

important role!

The ONA Board of Directors has identified four “core” programs intended to support new leaders

in developing the knowledge and skills needed to effectively represent members on labour rela-

tions issues. Grassroot members who are interested in getting involved in or learning more about our

union are also welcome to attend.

The core programs are:

1. How to be a Great ONA Unit Representative

This program, available as a full-day workshop

and in a short lunch and learn format, covers the

day-to-day tasks of the ONA Unit Rep in relation

to her/his accountabilities, reviews Bargaining

Unit committees and how to refer various labour

relations matters to the appropriate one, and

identifies the Unit Rep’s role in both the griev-

ance and workload reporting process.

2. Bargaining Unit StructureOffered as a full-day lecturette, this workshop

provides clarity on the Bargaining Unit structure

and how it fits into the overall structure of ONA.

It also gives Bargaining Unit leaders the tools to

provide role clarity through the development

of committee and position descriptions. Partici-

pants discuss effective methods of communica-

tion and will be provided with sample communi-

cation plans currently used by their peers.

3. The Grievance Process This education is available in either a full-day

or half-day format and provides an overview

of the grievance process, resources offered

by ONA and tasks related to the Union Rep/

Grievance Chairperson, defines the duty of fair

representation, and describes the four types of

grievances.

4. Professional Responsibility Workload Reporting Process

Available as a full-day or half-day workshop and

in a lecturette format, this session provides an

overview of professional practice and/or work-

load issues and assists participants in identify-

ing the root causes of their own workload issues

and linking those issues to the College of Nurses

of Ontario standards. Specifically, it covers the

Professional Responsibility Complaint (PRC)

process, how to complete the PRC form and

how to make the PRC process work.

Check ONA’s provincial education calendar at

www.ona.org/education.html to learn when these

workshops have been scheduled in your region.

New Bargaining Unit Presidents and Griev-

ance Chairpersons who are unable to enroll

in one of the recommended workshops listed

above within a reasonable amount of time

should attend the half-day New Bargaining

Unit President/Grievance Chair workshop.

This session should be viewed as a “stop gap”

only to provide some foundational information

about their roles and accountabilities, including

required meetings as per ONA’s Constitution;

the Service Delivery Guidelines, with a special

focus on the grievance process, workload com-

plaint process and negotiations; and communi-

cation pathways regarding governance and la-

bour relations matters. This workshop has been

scheduled monthly in 2014 to make it acces-

sible as new leaders transition into these roles.

And don’t forget all members can also ac-

cess a wealth of free ONA education on our

eLearning platform at eLearning.ona.org. If you

experience problems creating your eLearning

account or have any other issues with the plat-

form, contact eLearningEnquiries@ona.org.

tin board and on your Local/Bargain-

ing Unit websites, and share with ev-

eryone you know. If you would like

hard copies, contact Paul O’Brien at

paulo@ona.org.

• If your Local is participating in Pride

events in your own community, con-

sider attending. Thunder Bay mem-

bers will participate in Thunder Pride

on June 14, and for the first time a

group of ONA members will join the

Sudbury Pride Parade in July. Don’t

forget to send photos of your events

to cgrintake@ona.org so they can be

printed in Front Lines and/or posted

on our website.

• Like ONA on Facebook and follow us

on Twitter for Pride updates.

If you would like any additional informa-

tion about ONA’s involvement in WP14TO

or support in organizing ONA’s presence

in your own community, contact Re-

gion 1 Vice-President Pam Mancuso at

pmancuso@ona.org or (416) 964-8833,

ext. 7703.

ONA Members Express “What Pride Means to Me”

MAY 201422 www.ona.org

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.

RightsSettlement demonstrates power of collective agreement in setting and maintaining RN staffing levels in LTC Region 2 Nursing Home

(October 2013)

In this case, ONA successfully fought against

the erosion of RN hours in a Region 2 nursing

home.

Article 2.06 of the nursing homes collec-

tive agreement provides that the employer

must schedule the same number of RN hours

that were scheduled in the week prior to June

30, 2009. RN hours may be decreased only if

the average resident care requirements, as

measured by the Case Measure Index (CMI)

or occupancy rates, are decreased. This pro-

vision protects RN staffing levels from being

unilaterally decreased by the employer.

In 2013, the employer experienced a

4.76 point decrease in the CMI. In response,

the employer gave ONA notice of layoff, an-

nouncing that it would be cutting the num-

ber of total scheduled RN hours in half, from

317.5 hours weekly to 157.5 hours. This af-

fected five RNs, who subsequently experi-

enced a significant decrease in hours.

ONA filed both union and individual

grievances, alleging that the employer had

violated the collective agreement by improp-

erly laying off ONA members and reducing RN

hours in disproportion to the CMI reduction.

The employer agreed to immediately add

120 RN hours every week to the schedule,

increasing hours to a total of 277.5 hours

weekly, and a further increase by April 2014.

Importantly, the employer confirmed that in

the future, adjustments to RN hours would

be calculated in proportion to adjustments

in the CMI or occupancy rates. The five RNs

who had been affected by the layoff received

compensation for their lost hours.

Importance to ONA: This is a significant vic-

tory in protecting the Bargaining Unit work

of our members in the nursing home sector.

This settlement demonstrates the power of

Article 2.06 in setting and maintaining RN

staffing levels in the long-term care sector.

WSIBMedical evidence substantiates bleach fumes can cause adverse health effectsWest Hospital

(November 13, 2013)

The employer appealed an initial entitlement

for occupational asthma due to exposure to

bleach used to clean surfaces in the work-

place.

When it can be established there is an

existing condition prior to the workplace in-

jury/illness, the employer may receive cost

relief from WSIB under the Secondary Injury

and Enhancement Fund (SIEF). In this case,

the employer sought reimbursement from

SIEF and was also looking for cost relief on

the claim.

The Appeals Resolution Officer (ARO)

determined there was enough medical evi-

dence to establish the member was suffering

from an irritant-induced asthma when ex-

posed to the bleach, therefore, the employ-

er’s arguments were not accepted.

The employer also argued they were

entitled to 100 per cent cost relief because

the member exhibited signs of asthma-like

symptoms prior to the accident. The ARO de-

termined from the medical that there was no

history of any pre-accident asthma condition

and no evidence of an underlying or asymp-

tomatic condition, which only manifested

post-accident.

SIEF was denied.

Importance to ONA: ONA has received nu-

merous reports about workers experiencing

similar symptoms after being exposed to

MAY 2014 23www.ona.org

bleach fumes in hospitals around the province. Symptoms have

ranged in severity, and some workers have even exercised their

right to refuse unsafe work when facing this hazard. This case cor-

roborates that medical evidence substantiates this hazard can

cause adverse health effects.

“Suitable Occupation” not so suitableNorth Hospital

(January 3, 2014)

The worker was injured at work in 2005 and received entitlement

from WSIB following ONA’s successful appeal.

At that time, the WSIB determined that the worker was unem-

ployable and allowed loss of earnings (LOE) benefits to the age

of 65. In November 2011, the WSIB re-activated the claim under

the new Work Reintegration policies (just short of the 72-month

review) and referred the worker to Work Transition (WT).

The worker had one meeting with a WT specialist, then suf-

fered an injury at home. WSIB closed off WT and deemed the

worker able to return to the Suitable Occupation (SO) of home

care nurse and reduced his benefits significantly.

ONA appealed the decision, submitting evidence that the

worker’s level of impairment had not changed since the original

decision and that the SO was not, in fact, suitable – that it was

potentially more strenuous than the pre-injury occupation. The

evidence showed that the worker’s tolerance for work was no

more than three hours a day; he also had sitting and standing tol-

erances of only 15 minutes at a time.

We argued that given his level of impairment and the remote

geographic location, the worker is not competitively employable

and full LOE should be restored and locked in to the age of 65.

After no success with one Appeals Resolution Officer, a new

one agreed with our submissions on the main issues stating, “The

SO was not suitable and this injured worker remains competitively

unemployable. Full LOE benefits are to be reinstated from 2012

until 2024.”

Importance to ONA: This member won the appeal, securing

more than $600,000 in WSIB benefits. Not only is the win impor-

tant for this ONA member, the decision provides the basis for our

arguments and hope for success in similar cases in the future.

Nursing Week May 12-18, 2014

Ontario Nurses’ Associationmorenurses.ca

MORE NURSES BETTER

CARE