The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association

In This Issue . . .E4From ONA President

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

E5From ONA CEO

Lesley Bell, RN, MBA

E6From ONA First Vice-President

Vicki McKenna, RN

APRIL 2010Vol. 10 • No. 2

continues on page 3

continues on page 3

ONA Rallies Against London Cancer Cuts

egistered nurses at Cassellholme Home for the Aged in North Bay have performed more work than is consistent with proper resident care, an Independent Assessment Commit-

tee (IAC) confirms.ONA took the rare step of calling for an IAC, a panel of three experts who conducted a

hearing into nurses’ concerns in early February, after more than two

R

The community is rallying behind Local 100 after learning that cancer patients at Lon-don Health Sciences Centre will face longer wait times if the hospital goes ahead with its plan to cut five of its 22 full-time and four of its part-time front-line primary care nurses providing outpatient cancer care, and delete breast screening nurses.

Due to budget pressures, the hospital sent layoff notices to ONA in February of 23 per cent of the registered nurses that work in the outpatient cancer clinic, the equivalent of 14,000 hours of care. ONA immediately took our concerns about how this decision would affect patient care to the media, and were

A key reason for the IAC success was the unwavering dedication of ONA members, who doc-

umented their workload/practice concerns and supported each other, including Christine

Hildreth (left) and Bargaining Unit President Christine Byrnes. “The Professional Responsi-

bility Clause is the most important clause in the collective agreement,” Byrnes said.

RN Workload Concerns at Cassellholme Valid, IAC FindsFEATURESMember’s Olympic Experience ............10Focus on…Home Care Nurse ...............11March PCM Highlights ............................12

INDEXMember News ............................................. 7ONA News ...................................................14Queen’s Park Update ...............................18OFL News.....................................................18OHC News ...................................................19OH&S .............................................................20Human Rights and Equity .....................21Awards and Decisions .............................22CFNU News .................................................24

INSIDE tHIS PACkAgE: Updated Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care Material

SpEcIAl INSERT: Successes and Highlights

APRIL 20102

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

President, VM #2254Communications & Public Relations

Vicki McKenna, RN

First VP, VM #2314Political Action & Professional Issues

Diane Parker, RN

VP Region 1, VM #7710Occupational Health & Safety

Anne Clark, RN

VP Region 2, VM #7758Labour Relations

Andy Summers, RN

VP Region 3, VM #7754Human Rights & Equity

Dianne Leclair, RN

VP Region 4, VM #7752Finance

Karen Bertrand, RN

VP Region 5, VM #7702Education

Lesley Bell, RN, MBA

Chief Executive Officer,VM #2255

How to contact your 2010 ONA Board of Directors

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

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

operator’s prompts to access board members’

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

members in the Toronto office are listed below.

tel: (416) 964-8833

toll free: 1-800-387-5580

ONA Provincial Office

85 grenville St., Ste. 400

toronto ON M5S 3A2

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

health professionals and more than 12,000 nursing student affiliates

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

community, clinics and industry.

Fax: (416) 964-8864

E-mail: onamail@ona.org

www.ona.org

Design: Artifact graphic design

Printed by union labour: thistle Printing Limited

Copyright © 2010 Ontario Nurses’ Association

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

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

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

retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISSN: 0834-9088

Editor: Ruth Featherstone

Features Editor: Melanie Levenson

Send submissions to:

Communications and government Relations Intake at cgrintake@ona.org.

Contributors: Sheree Bond, Erna Bujna, Brooke Burns, Esi Codjoe, Colin Johnson,

Nancy Johnson, karen Sandercock, Jo Anne Shannon, Lawrence Walter.

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

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

EThunder Bay #300, Woodgate Centre,

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

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

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

ONA Regional Offices

The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association

APRIL 2010Vol. 10 • No. 2

APRIL 2010 3

ONA Rallies Against London Cancer Cuts

FebRuARy bOARd HigHLigHts

the following are key highlights from the most recent Board of Direc-

tors meeting, held February 10-11, 2010 at the ONA provincial office.

A ONA will be holding a Nurse Practitioner (NP) Focus group

on May 6, 2010 to further support and develop strategies to

represent our NPs.

A We are providing $20,000 to the Ontario Federation of Labour

for the “Communities that Work” campaign, which challenges

the government to retain and create good jobs.

A A donation of $20,000 is being given to Caribbean union

leaders to attend the 2011 Canadian Caribbean Emerging

Leaders Dialogue Conference in toronto. Conference chair is

the Princess Royal, Princess Anne.

A the Board will investigate what family status means in terms

of accommodation for partners of military personnel and the

Ontario Human Rights Code.

A ONA will host the 2013 Biennium Convention of the Canadian

Federation of Nurses Unions in toronto.

A Canadian Nursing Students’ Association outgoing President

tyler kuhk presented his draft toolkit on “Effective Mentorship

tips” for front-line registered nurses.

Complete highlights of the Board of Directors meeting are available

on the ONA website at www.ona.org.

years of unsuccessful attempts to convince management to rect-ify staff and supply shortages. Specifically, we encountered inad-equate staffing, unfilled vacancies on work schedules, a failure to replace RNs, heavy workloads, and a high volume of assigned non-nursing duties, taking them away from resident care. These issues were compounded by a very high staff turnover rate.

After considering the evidence, the IAC released its report on April 6, 2010, concluding that the current organization struc-ture, corporate culture and role responsibilities of staff within the Clinical Services Department do not support the effective use of RNs. It issued 25 recommendations, including that RN/RPN staffing levels, and RN care hours be increased; a care de-livery model be put in place; and the management structure undergo a revision. Recommendations related to roles and re-sponsibilities, leadership, quality care, culture and communica-tion were also made.

“We are pleased the IAC acknowledged nurses’ concerns and issued recommendations to improve their ability to provide safe, quality care to Cassellholme residents,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “We look forward to working with the em-ployer to put these changes in place.”

To view the recommendations, log onto the ONA website at www.ona.org.

overwhelmed by the outcry of public support.“The public reacted strongly to the announcement,” said Local

100 Bargaining Unit President Diane Strachan. “A Facebook page was set up, a petition started, letters to the editor written, and the phone lines at the hospital went crazy. Because of the public’s part-nership with nurses, the employer is delaying its decision. ONA is coming back to the table with our ideas for how quick changes can be made to support patients and families to increase capacity within the clinic, which will help the budget and change some of the pro-cess problems that have existed for the past five years.”

Not so lucky, however, is the Ontario Breast Screening Program at the facility. The employer plans to cut all seven RNs from the pro-gram, Strachan said. This is based on American research that states nurses don’t need to practice self-screening on patients because mammography is the gold standard.

“We don’t agree with that on many levels,” she added. “Not only do nurses conduct self-examinations on patients, which save lives, but they also teach and provide support. So, our advocacy on

continues from cover

RN Workload Concerns at Cassellholme Valid, IAC Finds

continues from cover

this issue will increase, beginning with our open forum, and we’re hoping we can get this decision reversed.”

That open forum, organized by ONA and the Myeloma Support Group, allowed the public to discuss how these cuts will affect the community’s health. The forum took place at the Lamplighter Inn in London on March 21, 2010 and approximately 100 people attended. Region 5 Vice-President Karen Bertrand emceed the event.

Community supporters drop by the ONA table at an open forum in

London to pick up information and sign a petition on local health

care cuts and the impact on patient care.

Up Front

APRIL 20104

From ONA President

Présidente, AIIO

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

Health Funding Changes Must Benefit Patients

While the government announced in its recent Throne Speech that changes are coming to health funding and that it will review the Public Hospitals Act, ONA is steadfast in

our belief that quality patient care must remain at the forefront.The speech outlined the government’s plan to pursue a “path

of constant reform,” and while we understand that some reform of health care has been necessary, we have suffered through constant restructuring for more than a decade – and we are tired. This reform has led to high levels of instability and little confidence in our health care system. Any further reform must be for the benefit of our pa-tients and not solely based on balancing the bottom line.

The same is true when it comes to the Act. Any changes must support quality patient care and be made with meaningful input from registered nurses. Along with our communities, we must have a say in how our hospitals operate.

And every RN position in the system must be maintained. On-tario spent 13.9 per cent less on hospital funding per capita than other provinces in 2009. As a result, more than 3-million hours of RN care has been cut in the past eight months alone, negatively im-pacting patient care. That is unacceptable.

I will continue to be your voice with the government to ensure they are aware of your current work environment. I also encourage you to add your voice by speaking with your MPP because Ontarians expect us to be their advocates. Ten minutes of your time is all it takes!

For more details on the Throne Speech, see pg. 14.

Les modifications au financement du système de santé doivent être à l’avantage des patients

Dans la foulée du récent discours du Trône, au cours duquel le gouvernement a annoncé qu’il apporterait sous peu des mo-difications au financement du système de santé et qu’il pro-

céderait à une révision de la Loi sur les hôpitaux publics, l’AIIO tient à réitérer que la qualité des soins aux patients doit demeurer une priorité absolue.

Dans ce discours, le gouvernement mentionne qu’il prévoit ins-taurer un « programme de renouvellement constant » relativement au système de santé. Bien que nous soyons conscientes qu’il était nécessaire d’apporter certains changements à ce système, nous sommes victimes de restructurations constantes depuis plus d’une décennie et nous en avons assez. Ces restructurations ont entraîné beaucoup d’instabilité et ont contribué à ébranler la confiance dans notre système de santé. Si d’autres changements sont apportés au système, ils doivent être à l’avantage des patients plutôt que de ser-vir uniquement à améliorer le bilan financier des hôpitaux.

Le même raisonnement s’applique à la Loi sur les hôpitaux publics. Toute modification à cette loi doit viser à améliorer la qualité des soins aux patients et faire l’objet d’une consultation en bonne et due forme auprès d’infirmières et infirmiers autorisés. De concert avec nos collectivités, nous devons avoir notre mot à dire sur le fonction-nement de nos hôpitaux.

Par ailleurs, aucun poste d’infirmière autorisée ne doit être aboli dans le système de santé. En 2009, l’Ontario a consacré 13,9 % de moins de fonds que les autres provinces au financement des hôpi-taux par habitant. Par conséquent, plus de 3  millions d’heures de soins donnés par des infirmières autorisées ont été abolies au cours des huit derniers mois, ce qui nuit à la qualité des soins aux patients. Une telle situation est inadmissible.

Je continuerai d’être votre porte-parole auprès du gouvernement pour veiller à ce qu’il demeure informé des conditions de travail de nos 55  000  membres. Je vous encourage par ailleurs à vous faire entendre en vous adressant à votre député provincial. La popula-tion de l’Ontario s’attend à ce que nous défendions leurs droits. Pour vous exprimer, dix minutes suffisent!

Pour obtenir plus d’information sur le discours du Trône, veuillez consulter la page 14.

Any changes must support quality patient care and be made with meaningful input from registered nurses. Along with our communities, we must have a say in how our hospitals operate.

APRIL 2010 5

From ONA Chief Executive Officer

Directrice générale, AIIO

Lesley Bell, RN, MBA

Vous êtes le cœur des soins de la santé!

Á l’aube de la Semaine des soins infirmiers 2010, j’aimerais vous remercier de votre engagement envers vos patients, vos ré-sidents, vos clients, votre profession, le système de santé et

votre syndicat, et je vous invite à prendre le temps de vous féliciter pour votre excellent travail.

Les membres de notre profession traversent sans contredit une période difficile. Des infirmières sont mises à pied, des heures de soins sont supprimées et les employeurs accusent de lourds déficits. Nous nous heurtons à une importante pénurie d’infirmières, ce qui alourdit énormément la charge de travail de nos effectifs et contri-bue à leur épuisement professionnel. Certains de nos membres sont victimes de comportements abusifs au travail, tant sur le plan verbal que physique. Bref, il ne semble pas y avoir beaucoup de raisons de célébrer.

Pourtant, j’aurais tendance à dire le contraire. Ensemble, nous avons réussi à faire des progrès remarquables dans nos conditions de travail, notamment en ce qui concerne la santé et la sécurité au travail de même que l’exercice professionnel. Avec une grande sin-cérité, le public m’a fait savoir que les infirmières contribuaient de façon tangible au bien-être physique et psychologique des patients. Pour vos patients – et votre syndicat –, vous êtes vraiment le cœur des soins de la santé, ce qui constitue notre thème de la Semaine des soins infirmiers de cette année!

J’ai beaucoup d’admiration pour votre engagement à offrir les meilleurs soins possible malgré les embûches, et je suis touchée par les nombreux témoignages de gratitude que je reçois pour le travail que l’AIIO réalise en votre nom. Je vous promets solennellement que l’AIIO sera toujours là pour représenter vos intérêts auprès du gouvernement et des employeurs.

Votre conseil d’administration envisage avec enthousiasme de se joindre à vous dans le cadre des différents événements qui jalonne-ront la semaine et à discuter avec vous pour rendre compte de vos préoccupations au personnel, au public, au gouvernement et, sur-tout, aux autres membres du syndicat. Joyeuse Semaine des soins infirmiers!

You are the Heart of Health Care!

As Nursing Week 2010 rolls around, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment to your pa-tients/clients/residents, profession, health care system and

union, and encourage you to take some time to celebrate all that you do.

There’s no question these are particularly difficult times for our profession. Nurses are being laid off and reduced as employers grapple with soaring deficits. We are faced with a crippling nurs-ing shortage, resulting in horrendous workloads and burnout. Our members suffer verbal and physical abuse on the job. No wonder you are tired. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot to be excited about.

But I’d say the opposite is true. Together, we have made tre-mendous inroads to our working conditions in areas such as occu-pational health and safety, and professional practice. The public is heartfelt in their descriptions of how nurses make a real difference to a patient’s physical and emotional wellbeing. To them – and your union – you truly are the heart of health care, our theme for this Nursing Week!

I remain in awe of your dedication to providing the very best care you can despite your challenges, and I am humbled by the number of you who thank me for the work ONA is doing on your behalf. You have my solemn promise that ONA will always be here to represent your interests to the government and employers.

Your Board of Directors and I look forward to joining you at various celebrations throughout the week and bringing back your stories to share with staff, the public, the government and, most importantly, other members. Happy Nursing Week!

Together, we have made tremendous inroads to our working conditions in areas such as occupational health and safety, and professional practice.

APRIL 20106

Public Finally Has Say on Local Hospitals

If there’s one thing ONA has learned over the years, it’s that if the government is not going to take the pulse of the public, we have to do so ourselves.That’s why ONA supported and participated in the Ontario

Health Coalition’s (OHC) public hearings on the future of rural and northern hospitals, which were held throughout the province this past March. Despite repeated OHC requests to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care that its own Rural and Northern Health Care Panel hold public consultations, they refused, choosing instead to speak to select organizations that didn’t include a single patient, senior, public interest or advocacy group, or municipality.

These hearings couldn’t have come at a better time. Hospital re-structuring has meant that some local hospitals are currently facing ER closures, the elimination and privatization of services and pro-grams, and, in some cases, the closure of the entire hospital itself – all without full disclosure, consultations and consideration of all the options.

During the OHC hearings, a non-partisan panel of well-respect-ed experts heard about service gaps people are experiencing while accessing hospital services and ideas on how local hospitals could be better run. The panel will deliver a report publicly to the Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in the near future, and ONA will let you know what it reveals.

You can be sure that ONA and our allies will always listen to what you have to say and pass those messages on to your elected leaders.

Le public a enfin son mot à dire sur le fonctionnement des hôpitaux locaux

Au fil des ans, l’AIIO a appris qu’elle doit prendre le pouls du public, car le gouvernement ne le fera pas à sa place.

C’est la raison pour laquelle l’AIIO a offert son soutien et a participé aux audiences publiques de l’Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) sur l’avenir des hôpitaux situés en milieu rural ou nordique, lesquelles se sont tenues partout dans la province en mars. Bien que l’OHC ait demandé plusieurs fois au ministère de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée de faire en sorte que son Comité d’étude des services de santé dans les collectivités rurales et du Nord tienne des consultations publiques, le Ministère refusait, préférant traiter avec des organismes qui ne défendent ni les droits des patients ni ceux des personnes âgées et qui ne représentent aucun groupe de défense de l’intérêt public, aucun groupe de revendication ni aucune municipalité.

Ces consultations ne pourraient se dérouler à un moment plus opportun. La restructuration du milieu hospitalier fait en sorte que certains hôpitaux locaux font face à la fermeture de leur service des urgences, à l’élimination ou à la privatisation de services et de pro-grammes et, dans certains cas, à la fermeture de l’hôpital lui-même, mesures qui se déroulent toutes sans transparence, sans consulta-tions et sans examen des autres options possibles.

Au cours des audiences de l’OHC, un panel indépendant com-posé d’éminents spécialistes a entendu des témoignages portant sur les difficultés que rencontre la population pour accéder aux services offerts par les hôpitaux et a pris connaissance des idées susceptibles d’améliorer la gestion des établissements hospitaliers. Prochaine-ment, le panel rendra public un rapport qui sera remis au premier ministre et à la ministre de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée; l’AIIO vous informera de ses conclusions.

Soyez sans crainte : l’AIIO et ses alliés veilleront toujours à écou-ter ce que vous avez à dire et à transmettre vos messages à nos élus.

From First Vice-President

Première vice-présidente, AIIO

Vicki McKenna, RN

You can be sure that ONA and our allies will always listen to what you have to say and pass those messages on to your elected leaders.

APRIL 2010 7

Hospitals

Ottawa Members Informed of Deep CutsIn the latest in a string of layoff announce-

ments across the province, ONA members

at the Ottawa Hospital have recently learned

the facility is cutting 70 RNs and deleting an-

other 120 RN positions.

Some of those positions will be replaced

with less-skilled workers, and some RNs be-

ing cut have provided more than 20 years of

knowledge, experience and critical thinking

to their patients. Local 83 Bargaining Unit

President Frances Smith has met with hos-

pital CEO and President Jack kitts to identify

the serious impacts the cuts will have.

“the cuts amount to some 300,000 hours

of RN care per year lost to the community

and will have a significant effect on the care

we provide for a large number of patients,”

ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud told the

media. “We’ll see rates of morbidity and mor-

tality rise as patients lose the expertise and

skills that RNs bring. It’s tragic the hospital is

putting patients at risk to balance the budget

on the backs of nurses and patient care.”

More than 150 radiation therapists from Lo-

cal 97 enjoy a special lunch in their honour on

January 22, 2010 at Princess Margaret Hospi-

tal in Toronto. During the lunch, which was

held in two shifts to accommodate everyone,

the Bargaining Unit handed out door prizes

containing gift certificates and ONA jackets.

Region 3 Vice-President Andy Summers also

attended the lunch. Because Medical Radia-

tion Technologists (MRT) Week is celebrated

in November and members were so busy in

December with other activities, a member-

ship vote determined that the lunch should

be postponed until the New Year when there

were fewer events happening.

Cuts at local hospitals mean registered nurses must provide additional care and that is taking

a toll on their health, and the safety of our patients, Local 105 Bargaining Unit President Cindy

Sandercock (pictured) of Northumberland Hills Hospital has told an Ontario Health Coalition

public hearing on the future of rural and northern hospitals.

At the hearing, held in Cobourg on March 10, 2010, Sandercock told the gathering of ap-

proximately 150 people that Northumberland will eliminate 11 full-time and nine part-time

RN positions, and close 26 Alternate Level of Care beds, the diabetes clinic and the outpatient

rehabilitation clinic in an effort to save money.

“Inadequate nurse staffing directly impacts on patient outcomes,” said Sandercock, who

also spoke to the media after the hearing. “Closing clinical services in small hospitals and out-

patient clinics does not improve patient care when patients are forced to travel distances to

access care. Balancing this budget by cutting staff and beds does not take into account that

processes will not be in place for the re-allocation of these patients, let alone future Alternate

Level of Care plans.”

Honouring our Allied Health Members

speaking Out Against Cuts

ONA Members Across Ontario

APRIL 20108

Don’t Fear your MPP, Member Urges

be reconnecting with him to ensure that hap-

pens, something I learned to do from ONA.”

Apart from relaying key messages, Rob-

inson said an important benefit of meeting

with her MPP is that it “framed the basis for a

Did You Receive Your Nursing Week Gift?As a small token of our appreciation in honour of Nursing Week

2010, you will find a gift included in this package with Front Lines.

this year, the gift is a retractable ONA badge clip. this is a

handy way to carry your access swipe card and has proven very

popular with our members in the past.

If you did not receive your badge clip or if it is in any way

damaged, call (416) 964-8833 or toll-free 1-800-387-5580

during regular business hours (press 0 for the receptionist if

you are calling toll-free), and ask for “CgRt Intake,” or send an

e-mail to cgrintake@ona.org.

We sincerely hope you take some time this Nursing Week

to acknowledge and celebrate the important work you

do for the patients/clients/residents of this province. And

please don’t forget to send Front Lines your Nursing Week

photos and stories for publication in the next issue at the

e-mail address listed above.

Local 49 Coordinator Bernie Robinson (centre) and

Region 2 Vice-President Anne Clark meet with

Robinson’s MPP John Yakabuski.

Updated Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care Info Inside!Included in this package with Front Lines is an

updated Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care brochure and a poster to

help you spread the campaign’s important message.

ONA’s Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care campaign was launched

in 2009 to bring attention to the continuing trend of employers

eliminating nurse positions and reducing their hours in an at-

tempt to balance budgets. You can read about the latest round

of cuts in this issue of Front Lines.

We are asking you to read the brochure and display the poster

in a prominent location, or pass them on to your family and friends

to let them know about this serious situation, and how they can

help. And don’t forget to check out our dedicated website –

www.cuttingnursescuttingcare.ca – for additional information.

ONA members shouldn’t be afraid

of meeting with their MPP to discuss

their issues, says one Local leader –

and she should know. She’s just met

with her elected official herself!

Local 49 Coordinator Bernie Robin-

son had been having no luck securing

a meeting with MPP John Yakabuski

(Renfrew, Nipissing and Pembroke)

when she bumped into him in the

pharmacy in Barry’s Bay. While Robin-

son said he initially appeared uninter-

ested in a meeting, “once I told him I

represented 500 members in Renfrew

County, he decided a conversation

would be worthwhile.”

geared with key messages from

ONA and accompanied by Region 2

Vice-President Anne Clark (ironically

none of her members could attend because

of staff shortages), Robinson had a very fruit-

ful one-hour meeting with Mr. Yakabuski.

“He said he would take our concerns to

the legislature to discuss them,” she said. “I will

continued relationship. He now knows

who we are and that we look after pa-

tients in his community.”

No stranger to political action, last

year Robinson and her members set

up a Cutting Nurses, Cutting Care infor-

mation booth at the Pembroke Mall

and arranged for campaign literature

to be inserted in their local newspaper.

But when it came to talking to her MPP,

she admits she was very nervous.

“In the end, I was surprised at how

enjoyable it was,” she said. “My best

advice is to swallow your nerves and

remember that you are advocating for

all members. take that first step and

the rest will come. there is a wonderful

support system at ONA to help.”

If you are interested in talking to

your MPP, contact the Communications and

Government Relations Team at cgrintake@ona.

org. If you can only identify one issue, tell your

MPP that for every nurse being deleted, 2,000

hours of care is lost to your community.

CuttingNursesCuttingCare.ca

ONA Members Across Ontario

APRIL 2010 9

pRoFEssioNal pRaCtiCE

Workload and Professional Responsibility: A Success StoryThe following article was submitted by Jane

Penciner (pictured), Local 6 Workload and Pro-

fessional Responsibility Representative, who

works at North York General Hospital.

Nursing is a constantly evolving, changing

and adapting profession. Changes in health care

practices, technology, hospital policies, budget-

ing issues and patient acuity all affect and shape

our practice. the only constant is our College

of Nurses of Ontario professional practice stan-

dards and our responsibilities to the public.

After many years in nursing, my colleagues and I found ourselves

working in an environment where the increase in patient acuity led to

increased workload. this made it very difficult for us to fulfill our profes-

sional practice responsibility to provide the best possible care for our

patients and maintain the standard of care. Simply complaining to our

manager and colleges did not get us anywhere.

It soon became clear that to effect change, we needed documenta-

tion. Our professional practice standards mandate us to report work-

load situations in which we are unable to provide the stan-

dard of care.

Staff started to document our workload issues on ONA

workload forms. As our ONA unit representative, I connected

with our Bargaining Unit President for guidance and support.

Our problems exceeded the authority of our manager;

they were too large for us to resolve at the unit level. Although

our manager worked diligently to recruit more staff, it wasn’t

enough to resolve our ongoing issues.

As staff continued to fill out ONA workload forms, we met

some resistance at the unit level. knowing that talking to our

manager directly about a workload issue might be less than a positive

experience, some staff began to slip them under her door.

the nurses who filled out workloads and the managers involved

were unable to come to a resolution at the Hospital-Association Com-

mittee meeting. We found ourselves negotiating with not only our

manager and the program director, but also the chief nursing executive

and vice-president. Our bevy of ONA workload forms, coupled with our

change to time records showing missed breaks and overtime, made it

clear to upper management that we had a problem that would take

serious measures to be resolved.

the entire process took more than a year before we were able to come

to a satisfactory agreement. Negotiations take time, it is not an easy pro-

cess, but our resolutions were collaboratively developed. the establish-

ment of the four-bed Enhanced Care Unit (step down) and the increase in

our staffing complement to one additional full-time equivalent 24/7 has

been instrumental in restoring our work environment into one in which

we are able to provide our patients with the standard of care.

We could never have accomplished our goals without the support

and vision of the chief nursing executive, program director, Human Re-

sources, ONA Professional Practice Specialist Mariana Markovic and, of

course, our very own Bargaining Unit President Carolyn Edgar.

It became apparent that education and collaboration were key fac-

tors in managing further workload issues. Administration has been very

supportive in promoting this ongoing education and commitment in

partnership with ONA throughout the hospital.

Somewhere during this adventure, I became the Bargaining Unit

Workload and Professional Responsibility Representative, and have

gone on to support other units with workload issues. I provided educa-

tion to our hospital managers on ONA workload forms, which helped

them realize this is not a grievance form, but a tool to help identify and

resolve workload issues. It is a collaborative process, which supports

our professional responsibilities as staff nurses and managers alike.

A new Local 81 Bargaining Unit leadership team from

Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig Community Clinic in

Kenora comes together for the first time on February 24, 2010 to

get to know each other, elect the Bargaining Unit President and

discuss issues and strategies. Pictured are (standing, left to right)

LeeAnn Desrochers (Bargaining Unit President), Tracy Bennett;

(sitting, left to right) Joan Grandbois, Jennifer Roberts, Patrick

Leinhoff, Cindy Price, April Preisentanz. We welcome the new

members from this clinic, who join as the result of a successful

certification vote.

A Leadership Team is Born

APRIL 201010

Member Receives Labour Appreciation Award

Dianna Cooper, RPN, proudly displays her

Labour Appreciation Award at a special

dinner on January 28, 2010 while Region 5

Vice-President Karen Bertrand and Labour

Relations Officer Phil Sarides look on.

ONA member Dianna Cooper, RPN, has

received the United Way of London and

Middlesex’s Labour Appreciation Award

for her philanthropic contributions.

Cooper, the Bargaining Unit President

at Four Counties Health Services, Local 19,

was recognized for 15 years of involve-

ment in United Way campaigns and for

her creativity in raising funds. She person-

ally approaches each staff member and,

as a result, Four Counties has doubled its

contributions in the past few years. Even

with the economic downturn and while

grieving the sudden loss of her beloved

father, her hospital’s employees, who

“take the task of caring for our community

very seriously,” nearly met last year’s com-

mitment.

“the leadership skills I learned through

many wonderful ONA workshops assisted me

in my hands-on approach to raising funds,”

said Cooper, who is also involved in the Day

of Caring program, which enables elderly or

disabled persons to have work done to their

homes without a fee.

And Cooper, who hopes to inspire her

15-year-old daughter Chloe the way her

father inspired her, knows of what she speaks.

For a brief period in her life, she found herself

homeless.

“knowing the United Way agencies sup-

port people in their hour of need makes it

easy to be a huge supporter,” she said. “this

award means a lot to me.”

Congratulations, Dianna, on this very de-

serving award!

She may not have been competing for a medal at the recent Vancouver Olympics, but

for one ONA member, volunteering at the games was the next best thing!

Laurel Bill (pictured), who works in the emergency department at Northumberland

Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Local 105, had the rare opportunity to serve as a volunteer on

the Olympics medical team, working out of the Polyclinic, a makeshift hospital at the

Whistler Athletic Village.

Bill first learned about the opportunity in early January from a work colleague, and

all the arrangements, including her B.C. temporary licence, were completed over the

Internet.

“I wanted to get involved for the experience of helping my country provide a need-

ed service, and because I am proud of my nursing career and to be Canadian,” said Bill.

“I was honoured to be selected and work with such a special group of people.”

Bill worked from February 8-19, 2010 (seven 12-hour shifts) at the Polyclinic, which

provided “absolutely everything” for athletes and their delegates, from MRIs to a mobile

medical unit four-bed ICU and operating room to dentistry, eye care, chiropractic, mas-

sage and physiotherapy services. Bill treated colds, cuts, chest pain and major trauma

during her stint, and even handed out ONA pins, which proved to be very popular!

But if not for her fellow members, who helped rearrange and work shifts for her,

Bill’s Olympic dream would not have been possible, and for that, she is extremely

grateful.

“I am very lucky to have such wonderful workmates, who allowed me to have many

special Olympic moments,” she said. But picking just one to highlight? Not possible.

“Seeing the Canadian flag and athletes in our ver-

sion of the opening ceremonies in Whistler, the buzz

of the crowd and excitement, the medals ceremony,

and the pure enjoyment on the athletes’ faces brought

a tear to my eye,” she said. “It was something I won’t

ever forget.”

Olympic Experience Golden for ONA Member

ONA Members Across Ontario

APRIL 2010 11

Focus on… Ruth Cooke, Home Care NurseAfter holding various non-nursing jobs

in her life and working in other health

care sectors, an ONA member from

Local 3 says she has found her true

niche in home care nursing.

Ruth Cooke, who works at the Vic-

torian Order of Nurses (VON) Peterbor-

ough, Victoria and Haliburton, began

her career working as anything but a

nurse, from cashier to file clerk to bank

teller. But she never felt fulfilled.

“I had always thought I would like to

be in a ‘helping’ job and nursing popped

into my head often over the years,” said

Cooke, who graduated from the nursing

program at Mohawk College in Hamil-

ton in 1985.

While working at St. Joseph’s Hospital in

Hamilton for the next nine years was a great

experience, “I never really felt it was my niche,”

said Cooke, who has been an ONA member

for 21 years. But the real catalyst for making

the switch to community nursing came when

Cooke, a single parent of two small children

at the time, found that the 12-hour hospital

shifts made it difficult to balance work and

home life.

After working at SEN Community Health

Care in Hamilton, Cooke and her daughters

moved to Peterborough, where her elderly

parents live. She worked at a non-union com-

munity health agency for nine months (“I

found it was not the type of workplace I want-

ed to be in”) before settling into VON in 2003.

“I learned many things that were so differ-

ent from working at the hospital,” said Cooke.

“A little known fact about community nurs-

ing is the complexity of the work and that

we need as many nursing and advocacy skills

as hospital nurses.”

And what exactly is that work? A typical

day for Cooke, who is currently mentoring

a student nurse, actually starts the night

before, as she checks her voicemail and re-

iNdustRy aNd CliNiCs

Family Health team begins bargainingONA’s first family health team at Queen’s University in kingston, Local 67, has commenced

bargaining for a first collective agreement.

ONA won the right to represent the registered nurses and nurse practitioners at the

family health team, which falls under our industry and clinics sector, as a result of a Public

Sector Labour Relations Transition vote last fall.

A family health team is an approach to primary care that brings together different

health care providers, including nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors, social workers, phys-

iatrists, dieticians and pharmacists to coordinate quality patient care.

trieves her daily assignment. She usually vis-

its between eight to 10 clients in a 7.5-hour

workday and drives anywhere from 20 to

200 kilometres between them. those clients

could include a breast cancer patient under-

going chemotherapy and requiring IV hydra-

tion; a palliative client with pain and agitation

control issues; a 12-year-old boy with osteo-

myelitis of his foot who needs IV antibiotics

and a dressing; and an 80-year-old woman

who needs to learn how to use a glucometer.

“Our assessments are holistic in focus,

and while we are called to see a client for one

problem, we find others that need to be ad-

dressed by their family doctors, special-

ists and nurse practitioners,” she said. “I

have found that involving clients and

their families in developing their care

plan and teaching them to perform their

care most often results in greater com-

pliance and better outcomes, and this is

wonderful to see.”

For Cooke, who would like to fur-

ther her education, the most rewarding

aspects of her job are providing quality

nursing care that empowers and en-

ables clients to return to good health;

adjusting their care to enable them to

achieve the highest level of “wellness”

and “independence;” and assisting pal-

liative clients and their caregivers maxi-

mize their quality of life for as long as pos-

sible and enable them to die with dignity.

But home care is not without its challen-

ges, which Cooke said are similar to any other

nursing work environment: not enough and

a high turnover of staff, constantly training

new staff, monetary cutbacks, and finding an

effective way to provide safe and sufficient

nursing care within those constraints. For that

reason, Cooke is very thankful for her union.

“ONA is very important to me,” she said. “It

gives nurses a public political voice, as well

as direct personal representation and protec-

tion, and we need that.”

APRIL 201012

Stories from our members on the front lines domin-ated the discussion at the March Provincial Coordin-ators Meeting (PCM), held from March 2-3, 2010 in downtown Toronto.

Almost 200 Local leaders attended the PCM to listen to reports on governance and operations, receive updates on ONA initiatives such as our 2010 Strategic Outcomes and membership research, and view DVDs on our recent ac-tivities (available on youtube.com).

Sid Ryan addressed the PCM for the first time as Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President, acknow-ledging how hard RN jobs are being hit. OFL Director of Research Sheila Block spoke on the impact of the recession on health care and the prospects for economic recovery, and Ontario

March PCM Highlights Member Stories

Hospital Association President and CEO Tom Closson discussed the Ontario budget deficit and its possible repercussions on nursing jobs and health care delivery.

But most notable of all were the inspirational stories from our leaders on the floor, who shared initiatives in their Locals, from succession planning to engaging their members in the work of the Bargaining Unit to political action events. You will see many of their stories captured within the member pages of Front Lines.

The week concluded on March 4, 2010 with an informative education session on RN and RPN scope of practice issues and the impact on our membership and union.

Full highlights of the meeting are available on the ONA website at www.ona.org. The June PCM, which rotates around the province, will be held in Windsor on June 15-16, 2010, with edu-cation on June 17, 2010.

APRIL 2010 13

talking CutsToronto Star health reporter Theresa Boyle takes advantage of

the gathering of Local leaders for the March PCM to discuss cuts

to hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area. ONA President Linda

Haslam-Stroud, First Vice-President Vicki McKenna, Region 3

Vice-President Andy Summers and Local leaders Dianne Brunton

and Carol Oates (Rouge Valley Health System), Sandra Bearzot

(Toronto Rehabilitation Institute), Danielle Latulippe-Larmand

(Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), Lynda Rath (Lakeridge

Health Corporation), Faye Loverock (Toronto East General

Hospital), Angela Johnson (St. Michael’s Hospital) and Michael

Howell (Humber River Regional Hospital) detailed how

budgetary cutbacks at hospitals are affecting our members and

patients. Ontario Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer

Marie Kelly also joined the lunch meeting.

March PCM Highlights Member Stories

supporting studentsCanadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA) President-elect

Branden Shepitka and incoming Ontario Regional Director

Jamie Kyriacou are flanked by ONA President Linda Haslam-

Stroud, CEO Lesley Bell and First Vice-President Vicki McKenna

during a break at the PCM. Shepitka highlighted the recent

CNSA national conference in Quebec City, and Kyriacou,

attending her first PCM, brought greetings.

Student Affiliate Member

Ontario Nurses’ Association

APRIL 201014

Federal Budget Ups Health Funding, but Lacks Job Creation StrategiesWhile the federal government’s recent

budget indicates that support to provinces

and territories for health care will be at an all-

time high in 2010 and will continue to grow,

the labour movement is concerned about its

lack of job creation strategies.

the federal budget, which came down

on March 4, 2010, will provide $25-billion to

the provinces and territories – a $1.4-billion

increase over 2009-10. this funding is legis-

lated to grow at 6 per cent annually until

2013-14. Direct spending and tax measures

for health will be close to $10-billion, which

includes $6.7-billion for First Nations and vet-

erans’ health care, health protection, disease

prevention and health-related research. Addi-

tional support of $285-million over two years

will be invested to improve aboriginal health

outcomes in five key areas, including mater-

nal and child health programs, and diabetes.

the Canadian Labour Congress, of which

we are a member through our affiliation with

the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions,

called the budget a disappointment because

the government focused on eliminating the

debt instead of creating jobs, which would

help balance the budget at a far lower cost.

Ontario Budget Final Nail in Coffin, ONA SaysONA is concerned that the recent provincial budget will mean even more service and nursing

cuts at a time when the government should be appropriately funding hospitals and retaining

and recruiting badly needed nurses.

In the budget, handed down on March 25, 2010, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan an-

nounced that base funding for hospitals will increase by just 1.5 per cent for 2010-11. Care has

already been cut in communities throughout Ontario and the marginal increase means more

of the same.

“Ontarians should brace themselves for yet more cuts to the health care they need and count

on,” ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud told the media. “We have the second-lowest ratio of

RNs per capita in Canada, and while we have the most efficient hospitals in the country, the dol-

lars don’t seem to be filtering down to retain front-line RNs who provide direct patient care. We

know that we are spending more money on drugs and for physicians, but doing little to retain

experienced registered nurses. RNs are looking for some stability in the system regardless of

their sector to retain the experienced nurses and recruit new nursing graduates.”

ONA is also concerned that the government’s intent to provide care to patients in the com-

munity has not been possible yet as the structural and human resource enhancements re-

quired to provide high-quality care have not occurred.

Hospital Funding System to Change, Throne Speech Revealsthe Ontario government is planning changes to the hospital funding system and will

re-examine the province’s Public Hospitals Act, the recent throne Speech reveals.

In the March 8, 2010 throne Speech, which outlined the Liberals’ five-year plan to

get the province’s economy back on track, Lieutenant-governor David Onley heralded

a new funding model for hospitals with a “patient-based” system expected to reign

in health care spending. the government said it wants to make sure it’s getting good

value for the health dollars it spends as it deals with soaring deficits and rising demand

for aging baby boomers.

the speech also revealed that the government will review the Public Hospitals Act and

introduce legislation to create a hospital system that “taps into the expertise of community

partners and all health care professionals.” No further details were provided in the speech.

ONA’s main concern is that any changes to health care funding and the Act must

benefit patients first and foremost.

For ONA’s take on the Throne Speech, see “President’s Message,” pg. 4.

ONA News

APRIL 2010 15

CCaCs

President’s Letter to the Editor Published

The following letter to the editor by ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud was published in the Owen Sound Sun Times on March 2, 2010 in response to a story on the cutting of eight case managers at the South West Community Care Access Centre (CCAC).

As President of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), the union representing the CCAC case managers being cut by the South West CCAC, I have to speak out about comments published about the cuts and their impact on those waiting for services.

To say the cuts will not affect the time it takes to reach a case manager by telephone is disingenuous, to say the least. The cuts mean a reduction in case management hours, totaling almost 29,000 hours per year. You may be able to reach someone by phone, but residents shouldn’t be surprised by longer wait times for services.

A case manager works with each client who is facing the challenges of aging, illness, injury or disability to ensure he or she has access to needed care and services. The cuts mean that seniors waiting for placement in long-term care facilities may wait longer; it means that those with a less than high-priority need may wait much too long. It means that everyone in the South West CCAC catchment area has less access to the care and services they need. Officials say the CCAC has seen a 15 per cent increase in demand in each of the last two years.

Cutting case managers is not the right approach to providing coordinated health care services that the community needs and requires. The provincial government says it wants to put more emphasis on home care and community services. Case managers are critical.

loNg-tERm CaRE

discharging Hospital Patients to unlicensed Homes Risky, Chief Coroner says

In an attempt to free up beds for surgical and emergency patients,

some hospitals are experimenting with discharging elderly patients

to unlicensed retirement homes, which could put them at risk,

Ontario’s Chief Coroner warns.

In his most recent report on geriatric and long-term care, Dr.

Andrew McCallum said these unlicensed retirement homes are not

obligated under legislation to provide the same standard of care as

provincial regulated nursing homes and aren’t always equipped to

provide the same round-the-clock care.

Dr. McCallum’s report specifically details an investigation by his of-

fice into the 2008 death of an unnamed 92-year-old woman, who was

transferred from the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa to a pri-

vately run retirement home. She died in part because of inadequate

care there, his report states, adding the practice could put other elder-

ly patients at risk. While the report did not fault the hospital for the

care it provided the woman, it stated that due to her condition, the

hospital should never have moved her in the first place.

ONA has long spoken out against the practice of hospitals shifting

Alternate Level of Care patients to the community without adequate

supports in place, and is lobbying to ensure there are sufficient beds

at regulated long-term care facilities in the province. ONA President

Linda Haslam-Stroud met with ken Deane, Assistant Deputy Minister

of the Health System Accountability and Performance Division at the

Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, who assured ONA that any

beds not in nursing homes will be classified as long-term care beds

and will fall under the regulation in the current Nursing Homes Act,

and eventually the new Long-Term Care Homes Act.

Permission to use Stories Granted!Are you an ONA member interested in a particular article

you’ve seen in Front Lines? Would you like to make copies of

a story you have read within our pages? If so, please go

ahead! You are not required to obtain permission from ONA

to do so. And if you would like a Word version of the articles

you have read in Front Lines, please contact the Communica-

tions and Government Relations Team at cgrintake@ona.org.

APRIL 201016

News in BriefE The March 3, 2010 issue of Inside Queen’s Park outlines ONA’s

pre-budget submission to the Standing Committee on Finance

and Economic Affairs, which stated that

the Ontario budget must allocate fund-

ing for new policies to support the 95

per cent of the workforce who are not

currently benefiting from government

initiatives, but are delivering care to pa-

tients under increasingly unsafe cir-

cumstances.

E Manitoba is asking its workers to either accept a two-year

wage freeze or face the prospect of job cuts. Finance Minister

Rosann Wowchuk said the demand is being made not only to

people who work directly for the government, but also to nurs-

es, teachers and anyone else who receives a salary based on

provincial funding. Manitoba labour leaders are fighting back,

saying the government appears to be violating a 2007 Su-

preme Court of Canada ruling, which overturned a cost-cut-

ting measure for health care workers in British Columbia and

said there are limits in what governments can do to interfere

with collective bargaining rights.

E Alberta will fund thousands of additional heart, cancer and

joint surgeries after a record increase in health care spending

in its new provincial budget. More than 2,200 procedures will

be added at eight hospitals around the province, along with

3,500 scans, at a cost of roughly $8-million.

E Doctors at cash-strapped kootenay-

Boundary Regional Hospital in British

Columbia are proposing to pay nurs-

es out of their own pockets to keep

operating rooms running. the 17 surgeons are fighting the In-

terior Health Authority’s recent move to reduce nursing staff

hours. If the cuts go as planned, one of four operating rooms

will close, fewer surgical procedures will be conducted each

week, and patient wait times will increase. British Columbia

Nurses’ Union (BCNU) President Debra McPherson says that

while it’s a noble offer, “proposing to fund what essentially

amounts to a private clinic within a public facility goes com-

pletely against the notion of publicly-funded health care for all

citizens, and as such, the BCNU is fundamentally opposed to

this offer and the idea it proposes.”

publiC HEaltH

ONA to Participate in Public Health Funding Reviewthe Public Health Division of the Ministry of Health and Long-term

Care is undertaking a review of the base funding provided to public

health units, and ONA will be involved.

the review will determine: current levels and sources of funding;

current expenses and cost pressures; variances among public health

units; potential models for funding; risk/impact analysis; and imple-

mentation approaches.

A Funding Review Working group, which will include government

and board of health/public health unit representation, will be con-

vened to provide advice on funding models and options, equity fac-

tors used in funding models, risk management and implementation

approaches.

the funding review will be conducted from March to Decem-

ber 2010, with the implementation of a new funding methodology

planned for 2011. Consultation with stakeholders, including ONA, on

the models and options is anticipated for summer 2010. the extent

of the consultation has not been finalized, but we have been told to

expect at least a web-based consultation survey. We will continue to

monitor the government’s planning for this consultation and provide

feedback through our Public Health Network.

ONA News

APRIL 2010 17

NamesE the government has appointment Saad Rafi as Deputy Minister

of Health and Long-term Care, replacing Ron Sapsford, who re-

signed for personal reasons late last year. Rafi is the former Deputy

Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.

E International banker, diplomat and senior Canadian government

executive David Marshall has been named President of Ontario’s

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Marshall has held key pos-

itions in the toronto and New York banking sectors, as well as with

the federal government. He was most recently Canada’s ambassa-

dor to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

Recent StudiesE Almost two-thirds of Canadians surveyed in an Ipsos-Reid poll

support reductions in government programs, but 84 per cent

warn health care shouldn’t be among them. the survey, prepared

for the Canadian Medical Association,

asked Canadians what they felt

should be the focus of the federal

government’s recent budget.

While health care is a provincial

not federal responsibility, 70 per

cent said that because the federal

government transfers so much

money, it must ensure the funds are

well spent. In addition, Canadians felt

strongly that the federal government should take on a “long-term,

national strategy” for the future of health care, the poll revealed.

E Reprocessing and reusing

some medical devices can

save hospitals millions of dol-

lars without risking patients,

research published in the

American journal Academic

Medicine states. Noting that government standards are strict, the

researchers said resterilizing and retesting items, such as metal

tubes used to insert instruments or the compression stockings

that fit around legs to prevent blood clots, could safely reduce the

amount of waste in hospitals.

E One-quarter of Ontario hospitals don’t have a plan for dealing

with an influenza pandemic, a survey in the American Journal of

Infection Control finds. Among smaller and rural hospitals, only

about 60 per cent had such a plan when the data was collected in

2007, well before the spring 2009 H1N1 outbreak, a team led by

Dr. Zoutman, an infection control expert at kingston general Hos-

pital, discovered.

E Nearly two-thirds of British nurses sur-

veyed say patients are treated in areas

not designated for clinical care, includ-

ing storerooms, hospital kitchens and

mop cupboards. According to the poll of

more than 900 nurses by Nursing Times,

the trade magazine, nearly 60 per cent

of those who indicated the situation

exists said it happens more than once a

week and can last for days at a time. Al-

most four-fifths of nurses believed the practice of putting extra

beds on wards was putting the safety of patients at risk, as they

have no access to call bells, water and suction facilities, and emer-

gency equipment. Although 83 per cent said they complained to

senior managers about rooms unfit for care, that advice had been

heeded in only four per cent of cases.

E Canadian researchers have developed a new index to score pa-

tients being discharged from hospitals on their risk of dying or be-

ing readmitted in the next 30 days. Using data collected from al-

most 5,000 medical and surgical patients discharged at 11 Ontario

hospitals, the researchers came up with a mathematical model al-

lowing them to estimate the probability of a bad outcome with

four key variables emerging – the length of stay in hospital, acuity

of the original admission, co-morbidities, and emergency depart-

ment use. If someone scores high on the so-called LACE index, it

could be a signal to health care providers that the patient will

need extra attention in the days to come, the research, published

in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, states.

Nursing practice: encouraging staff to support self care

9 - 15 March 2010 £1.80 Vol 106 No 9

EXCLUSIVE SURVEY

● 63% SAY PATIENTS ARE TREATED IN AREAS NOT DESIGNED FOR CLINICAL CARE

● 29% SEE THIS EVERY DAY

● 79% BELIEVE PATIENTS’ SAFETY IS AT RISK

100S OF

NURSING

JOBS

of Canadians warn health care shouldn’t be among reductions in government programs.

84%

APRIL 201018

E Ontario has announced a process for the francophone community to

provide more input into the planning and integration of French lan-

guage health services in local communities. At least five new French

language planning entities in regions across the province will be cre-

ated through a new regulation under the Local Health System Integra-

tion Act. these entities will be selected by the Minister of Health and

Long-term Care by July 1, 2010, and will provide advice to the 14

Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) to ensure that the needs

of francophone communities are reflected in local health planning,

such as:

• Methods of engaging the francophone community in the area.

• Health needs and priorities of the local francophone community.

• the identification of francophone health services and health care

providers currently available to the community.

• the improvement of access to, and integration of, French language

health services in the area.

E The province is rebuilding 4,183 existing beds and updating facilities

at 37 long-term care homes. the redeveloped homes are expected to

be completed as early as 2012.

E Ontario has appointed investigators to review and report on issues

related to the quality of care and treatment of patients at three Essex

County Hospitals: Hotel-Dieu grace Hospital, Windsor Regional Hospi-

tal and Leamington District Memorial Hospital, with particular focus

on pathology results and recent reports of surgical errors. the investi-

gators will work closely with the hospital, community, key stakehold-

ers and the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) to

review and report on:

• Circumstances surrounding the recently reported incidents of

unnecessary surgery and errors in pathology reports.

• the quality of surgical care and pathology services.

• the monitoring of patient care and professional staff conduct.

• the role of the hospitals’ Medical Advisory Committees.

• the status of recommendations from all previous studies,

strategies and reports regarding medical care quality, surgical

services, and pathology services.

the investigators will also:

• Provide recommendations on hospital board accountability

relating to pathology processes and surgical care provided in the

hospitals.

• Provide recommendations and identify next steps for the hospitals

and the LHIN to respond to issues identified in the investigation.

• Provide regular updates and submit a final report to the Minister

of Health and Long-term Care upon completion of their duties.

QUEEN’S pARk Update OFl News

E THE ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR (OFL) has

marked International Women’s Day, March 8, 2010, by

demanding the government advance women’s eco-

nomic equality. “Women and their families need sup-

port in these troubled times; they need the support of

our public services and access to good jobs in both the

public and private sectors of the economy,” said OFL

Secretary-treasurer Marie kelly, who is also the OFL offi-

cer responsible for women’s issues. Specifically, the OFL

is calling on the government to: support private sector

labour markets in preserving existing good jobs and

facilitating the creation of new good, green jobs; main-

tain important public sector jobs and services; and pro-

vide support for employment through training, retrain-

ing and support for child care. International Women’s

Day celebrates the gains women have made and calls

for changes that are still needed.

E THE OFL HAS APPLAUDED the creation of an Expert

Advisory Panel on Workplace Health and Safety, which

will conduct a comprehensive review of the province’s

health and safety prevention and enforcement system.

the panel, comprised of safety experts from labour

groups, employers and academic institutions, will rec-

ommend options for structural, operational and pol-

icy improvements, including how existing legislation

serves worker safety. “We know there are changes and

improvements that need to be introduced and we have

lots to contribute to that discussion,” said OFL President

Sid Ryan. “But we also want to highlight the need to ac-

tually use the laws, regulations and processes that are

already on the books.” the panel will report back to the

Minister of Labour in the fall.

APRIL 2010 19

Discussing Long-Term CareCommunity and senior group representa-

tives converge at ONA’s provincial office on

February 4, 2010 for a debrief and informa-

tion-sharing session on the provincial gov-

ernment’s draft long-term care regulations,

organized by the OHC. Pictured are (left to

right) Jane Meadus, staff lawyer at the Ad-

vocacy Centre for the Elderly, OHC Director

Natalie Mehra and OHC intern Deka Ibrahim.

Government Relations Officer Lawrence

Walter represented ONA at the meeting.

OHc News

E FOLLOWING A WRITTEN REQUEST

by the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC),

which was supported by many other

labour and community groups, the Chief

Coroner for Ontario has announced that

an inquest will be held into the death of

18-year-old Reilly Anzovino, who lost her

life on route to the hospital following a

car accident. the closest emergency de-

partment to the accident site (Fort Erie)

was closed in 2009 as a result of hospi-

tal restructuring by the Niagara Health

System, and Anzovino died in the ambu-

lance just before reaching the Welland

Hospital, which is much further away.

the OHC has raised questions about

whether the ER closure contributed to

the teenager’s tragic death.

JI_ONA_Apr09_FINAL.eps 1 21/04/09 3:52 PM

JI_ONA_Apr09_FINAL.eps 1 21/04/09 3:52 PM

APRIL 201020

OccUpATIONAl Health and Safety

Supervisors not only play a key role in keeping

workplaces safe and healthy, the law requires

that they be familiar with health and safety

legislation and knowledgeable about how to

protect workers from harm. the Occupational

Health and Safety Act (OHSA), section 25 (2) (c),

requires employers, when appointing a super-

visor, to choose a “competent person,” who:

• Is qualified because of knowledge,

training and experience to organize the

work and its performance.

• Is familiar with this Act and the

regulations that apply to the work.

• Has the knowledge of any potential or

actual danger to health or safety in the

workplace.

Can an ONA Member be a supervisor?the OHSA defines a supervisor as “a person who

has charge of a workplace or authority over a

worker.” this definition does not require that a

person be in a “permanent” charge position, and

does not speak to the usual labour relations no-

tion that managers are managers because they

have the power to “hire, fire and discipline.”

the cases vary and are dependent on the

facts and how much “authority” the person has

over workers, but there are cases that confirm

“lead hands” can be considered “supervisors”

under this law. Similarly, nurses often end up

directing or supervising other workers. For ex-

ample, nurses in nursing homes clearly act as

supervisors. Nurses in other sectors often act

as supervisors, as the factors qualifying a hos-

pital nurse for responsibility pay illustrate.

Relatively recently, the Criminal Code of

Canada (CCC) was amended by section 217.1,

which sets out that, “Everyone who under-

takes, or has the authority, to direct how an-

other person does work or performs a task is

under a legal duty to take reasonable steps

to prevent bodily harm to that person, or any

other person, arising from that work or task.”

While it is fairly clear how to interpret

“supervisor” under the OHSA, there has been

little litigation on this new section of the CCC,

so we have few, if any, cases to guide us.

What if i am a supervisor? given the legislation and case law, ONA be-

lieves that if acting as a “supervisor,” temporary

or permanent, our members may have obliga-

tions and potential for liability under the OHSA

or the CCC, including the following situations

when they may be in charge of the workplace:

• Work refusals.

• Needlestick injuries.

• Violence or threats of violence in the

workplace (by patient, resident or

coworker).

• Lifting injuries.

• Sudden infectious disease outbreak or

chemical exposure with measures and

procedures to deal with an emergency

contingency plan.

• Chemical hazards specific to health care/

nursing, etc.

While there have been numerous cases of

prosecution and conviction of industrial super-

visors for not meeting their responsibilities

under the OHSA, until relatively recently, there

have been few prosecutions in the health care

sector for health and safety violations. But that

is changing, as the Ministry of Labour now

has a permanent team of health and safety in-

spectors who specialize in health care.

Next stepsIt is increasingly obvious that employers need

to review their health and safety programs

and ensure that supervisors are “competent”

in matters of health and safety. ONA urges you

to discuss the foregoing with your employer,

pointing out its legislated obligation.

this means that the employer must pro-

vide all supervisors, including ONA members

and physicians working in a supervisor cap-

acity, with full training on the Act, regulations,

hazards, protections, etc. If the employer does

not immediately comply, before the next Joint

Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) meeting,

caucus with other worker/union JHSC mem-

bers, solidify your position and present a writ-

ten recommendation, seeking endorsement

from the entire committee. (A sample recom-

mendation can be found on ONA’s website at

www.ona.org in the health and safety section.)

According to section 9 (20) of the OHSA,

the employer has 21 days to respond in writ-

ing to a written recommendation from the

committee. If the response is deficient, or if

the committee as a whole will not make the

recommendation to the employer, there is an

“unresolved health and safety concern” and it

is appropriate to call the Ministry of Labour.

Where the inspector makes an order or

fails to do so, the employer or the union may

file an appeal. Consult your Bargaining Unit

President for more information and she/he will

consult with ONA staff.

Are your supervisors Competent?

APRIL 2010 21

HUMAN RIgHTS and Equity

ONA is an inclusive and equitable organization that recognizes and

values membership diversity. You probably already know that. But

what you may not realize is the variety of services that ONA offers to

our members in this important area.

Along with human rights and equity advocacy, the union provides

ongoing grievance support and representation in all areas of human

rights. key initiatives include ensuring members are protected from

discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and are provided

with appropriate workplace accommodation of disabilities, religion,

family status and other protected grounds.

In the forefront at the provincial level is ONA’s Human Rights

and Equity team, comprised of the Vice-President holding the hu-

man rights and equity portfolio, ONA members from our designated

equity groups (aboriginal, francophone, lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans-

gendered, disabled and racialized) and staff. Under the direction of

the ONA Board of Directors, the team deals with issues covered by

the Ontario Human Rights Code and other areas of disadvantage, and

increases members’ awareness of these issues. It does so through a

variety of initiatives, including:

Human Rights and Equity Caucus: Each November, ONA holds a

Caucus to allow members of ONA’s designated groups and mem-

bers who are Friends and Allies to discuss issues pertinent to them,

identify solutions, and receive relevant education.

Publications: the Human Rights and Equity Bulletin is published four

times per year, highlighting “hot-off-the-press” news. Every issue of

Front Lines contains a section dedicated to human rights and equity,

and our website is chocked full of useful information. the team has

also developed a series of Frequently Asked Questions on key topics,

such as bullying in the workplace and homophobia.

Education: ONA provides formal education (Human Rights and

Equity Workshops) and informal education (courses/seminars) for

members interested in learning more about human rights and equity

issues. ONA has also held a Leadership Development Program to en-

hance the leadership skills of women from our designated groups

who have traditionally been underrepresented in leadership roles.

Commemorative Dates: Commemorative dates of the equity

groups are publicized in a variety of communication vehicles, in-

cluding the ONA calendar, Front Lines and our website.

Human Rights and Equity Bursaries: ONA offers five annual bur-

saries of $1,000 each for ONA members to participate in human

rights and equity education and outreach.

Human Rights and Equity Bargaining Unit Representatives:

Several Bargaining Units with more than 100 members have desig-

nated Human Rights and Equity Representatives, who serve as a re-

source to their members and liaise with the team and each other on

issues and strategies.

Human Rights and Equity Bargaining Unit Representatives

Alliance Working Group: this group of five Bargaining Unit Hu-

man Rights and Equity Representatives, the Vice-President with the

portfolio for human rights and equity, and ONA’s Human Rights and

Equity Specialist participates in monthly teleconnects, sharing and

enhancing their knowledge base on human rights and equity issues

and identifying ONA best practices for greater distribution to Hu-

man Rights and Equity Representatives in all ONA Bargaining Units.

Human Rights and Equity: What Does ONA do for Me?

For more information on ONA’s human rights and equity initiatives, click on the “Human Rights and equity” or “education” links on the ONA website at www.ona.org. still have questions or concerns? Leave a confidential message for the Human Rights and equity team at (416) 964-8833 (in toronto), or toll-free 1-800-387-5580 (press 0 for the toronto office if calling toll-free), and ext. 7768 (english) or 7769 (French). Or send an e-mail to Vice-President Andy summers at asummers@ona.org.

APRIL 201022

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

AwARDS AND DEcISIONS: The work of our Union!

RightsCourt upholds ONA arbitration award ordering nursing home to rescind layoffsE Community Nursing Home, Port Perry

(Ontario Divisional Court, March 1, 2010)

In 2005, this nursing home laid off 17 nurses.

the collective agreement required the home

to give ONA 90 days notice of layoff and to

meet and review the reasons for layoff with

the union.

the home did provide proper notice, and

while it met with ONA, it refused to share

any relevant information, including finan-

cial statements and budgets, which ONA re-

quested in advance. ONA filed a grievance

challenging the home’s refusal to share this

information, and the fact that the layoffs

dropped staff levels below those agreed to in

a separate staffing letter.

In 2008, a Board of Arbitration chaired

by Arbitrator Margo Newman ruled in favour

of ONA, upholding the grievance. the Board

held that the home’s failure to provide ONA

with the financial information requested vio-

lated the purpose of the “meet and review”

language in the agreement. the Board in-

ferred that the purpose of such language was

for the parties to have a meaningful consulta-

tion regarding the reasons for layoff, and this

was impossible if the home refused to share

financial information. the Board also found

that the layoffs violated the parties’ staffing

letter, and ruled that the layoffs were void ab

initio and remained seized if the parties could

not agree to appropriate compensation for

those affected.

the employer sought to judicially review

the Board’s decision. Upon review, the Div-

isional Court upheld the Arbitration Board’s

decision in ONA’s favour, concluding that the

Board’s approach was consistent with pur-

poses of the Labour Relations Act to encour-

age communications between parties.

the Court also concluded that the Board’s

approach was consistent with other accepted

arbitral jurisprudence, recognizing the obli-

gation of employers to disclose relevant in-

formation to their unions to facilitate mean-

ingful consultation. to do otherwise, in the

Court’s words, would render the requirement

to meet “little more than a sham.”

this is an important victory for ONA, as it

strengthens our position to challenge layoffs

where an employer refuses to share financial

information to justify the layoffs.

Interestboard recognizes significant challenges faced by RNsE Cassellholme Home for the Aged,

North Bay(December 3, 2009)

On December 3, 2009, the Hospital Labour

Arbitration Act interest award was issued for

Cassellholme Municipal Home for the Aged.

the parties were able to agree on a number

of items during bargaining, and the remain-

ing items were determined by the Board of

Arbitration.

these issues included improvements

to the wage grid, premiums, staffing issues

and benefits. the Board considered factors

such as the economy, a comparison between

Cassellholme nurses and comparable public

employees, and the employer’s ability to at-

tract and retain qualified employees.

ONA asserted that the employer’s sub-

stantial RN workload problems were at a crisis

point. RNs were frequently unable to perform

the duties, as required by the College of Nurses

of Ontario. ONA noted that RNs made a num-

ber of professional responsibility complaints in

the past two years, including 54 in 2008, which

is substantial, given that the Bargaining Unit

is comprised of eight full-time and two part-

time nurses. the Board, chaired by Arbitrator

Laura trachuk, recognized the significant chal-

lenges faced by Cassellholme RNs, renewed

a Letter of Understanding regarding staffing,

and directed the employer to make every ef-

fort to address the workload problems. the

Board’s comments were helpful to the union’s

case before the February 2010 Independent

Assessment Committee regarding workload

issues at the facility (see cover story).

Additional improvements to the collect-

ive agreement included:

• Across the board wage increases of 3.25

per cent, 3 per cent and 3 per cent to match

the Participating Hospitals wage grid.

• Premium improvements to the levels

found in the Participating Hospital

Agreement.

• A cap of $1,000 per pay for short-term

disability (StD) benefits was changed

to $2,500, and the monetary cap on

long-term disability (LtD) benefits was

completely removed.

• StD and LtD benefits were made subject

to the grievance and arbitration procedure

under the collective agreement.

APRIL 2010 23

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wSIBONA wins appeal; recurrence at home due to work-related injury denied by Wsib E East Hospital

(December 30, 2009)

In February 2005, a full-time dialysis nurse

suffered a herniated disc as a result of a grad-

ual onset disablement. WSIB eventually al-

lowed the claim as a disablement.

In December 2005, the worker was bend-

ing over at home and suffered a recurrence.

the WSIB denied entitlement to the recur-

rence because the worker had returned to

her regular duties following the initial Feb-

ruary injury and was no longer receiving

physiotherapy. A further appeal was denied,

despite solid medical evidence.

ONA appealed to the Workplace Safety

and Insurance Appeals tribunal and a hear-

ing was held on November 19, 2009. the

worker testified to the long-standing prob-

lems she has had with her back and how she

managed to accommodate it while remain-

ing at work in her regular duties. this in-

cluded changing jobs. She testified that the

February 2005 injury was different than the

previous problems and that her back has not

been the same since.

ONA argued the worker’s claim met all

criteria for a recurrence as per Policy 15-03-

01: there was an insignificant new incident

and there was medical compatibility and

continuity of complaint and treatment (the

worker had continued physiotherapy up to

November 2005, even after WSIB stopped

paying for it). the Vice-Chair agreed with

ONA, allowing the appeal and ordering en-

titlement to all benefits applicable due to

the recurrence. the worker should be en-

titled to full loss of earnings (LOE) benefits

for approximately two months and partial

LOE while on modified work. We have also

requested entitlement to a permanent im-

pairment, non-economic loss (NEL) award.

Importance to ONA: this case underscores

the importance of continuing to seek med-

ical treatment and complaining about on-

going problems even after returning to

work, as well as the need for strong union

representation to follow up with injured

members to ensure they document their

ongoing problems.

ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION

85 grenville St., Ste. 400

toronto ON M5S 3A2

cFNU News