IN THIS ISSUE . . .E4From ONA President

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

E5From ONA First Vice-President

Vicki McKenna, RN

Vol. 14 • No. 4SEPTEMBER 2014

egotiations have broken down for a renewed contract for ONA’s 3,000 members work-ing in 174 provincial nursing homes.Our Nursing Homes Central Negotiating Team completed two weeks of bargaining

with the employer in downtown Toronto during the weeks of June 16 and June 23, 2014. Mediation also took place with the assistance of well-respected mediator/arbitrator Kevin Burkett on June 25 - 26.

During those two weeks, the team put forward proposals that address the priorities of our nursing home members, as identified in our most recent Have a Say bargaining survey. Unfortunately, this has been a challenging round, with little agreement from the employer on any substantive issues. In fact, the participating nursing homes tabled a number of regressive proposals, including the gutting of our staffing language that protects

The Members’ Publication of the Ontario Nurses’ Association

continues on page 3

N

Members of the Nursing Homes Central Negotiating Team prepare for bargaining during a

week-long orientation session at ONA’s provincial office this past April. As a result of the

recent breakdown in talks, arbitration is scheduled for October 22-23, 2014.INDEXUp Front ........................................................ 3Member News ............................................. 6ONA News ..................................................12OH&S ............................................................16Queen’s Park Update .............................17Student Affiliation ..................................18Education....................................................19Human Rights and Equity ....................20OHC ...............................................................21Awards and Decisions ...........................22

ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION85 Grenville St., Ste. 400Toronto ON M5S 3A2Special Pull-out Feature:

Challenges and Rewards of Home Care Nursing

Included with this issue:THE WORK OF THE UNION: Summer Update

Nursing Homes Contract Talks Break Down

SEPTEMBER 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, Erna Bujna,

Nicole Butt, Mary Lou King, Katherine Russo,

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. 4SEPTEMBER 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

SEPTEMBER 2014 3www.ona.org

continues from cover

Nursing Homes Contract Talks Break Downnurse-patient ratios and nursing hours of care, and benefit and sick leave concessions

– all of which would greatly hamper our abil-ity to provide quality resident care.

While ONA is currently booking additional mediation dates with Mr. Burkett, if a settlement cannot be reached, we have agreed to proceed to arbitration on October 22 - 23, 2014 with Louisa Davie as the Arbitration Board Chair.

“We are frustrated and disappointed that we were not able to achieve a settlement that reflects the valuable services you provide to the residents in your homes,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “Instead, we were faced with bargaining with an em-ployer that continues to make a profit and pay its shareholders, but does not want to ensure we are able to provide quality care with appropriate hours of resident care or pay us a respectable salary.”

It is already difficult to recruit and retain nurses in the province’s nursing homes because they receive lower wages, benefits and pensions than their comparators in not-for-profit homes for the aged and hospitals in Ontario, and we are concerned the situa-tion will only get worse if a decent contract is not put on the table.

“Despite this setback, your team remains strong and united in achieving a contract that respects your value and the care needs of nursing home residents,” added Haslam-Stroud. “We will never waiver from that goal.”

For the latest bargaining news, log onto www.ona.org/bargaining.

JUNE BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

The following are key highlights from

the most recent Board of Directors

meeting, held in London from June 2 - 5,

2014 to coincide with ONA’s Leadership

Conference (see pg. 19 for more infor-

mation on the conference):

A The Board officially kicked off stra-

tegic planning for the upcoming

year, which will focus heavily on

membership engagement. That

includes succession planning at

the Local, Bargaining Unit and staff

levels, revitalizing ONA’s education

programs to reflect our members’

ever-changing needs, and engag-

ing students in the work of the

union.

A The Board Common Mandate and

Accountabilities was refined to

strengthen transparency and en-

sure the Board continues to serve

our members efficiently and effec-

tively.

A ONA will provide a donation in sup-

port of the Working Families cam-

paign, which makes voters aware

of policies that threaten the well-

being of Ontario’s working families.

A ONA President Linda Haslam-

Stroud has accepted an appoint-

ment to the Board of Directors of

the Emerging Leaders Dialogue.

You will find a copy of Board High-

lights on our website (www.ona.org)

under “ONA News.” The next Board

meeting takes place in the ONA pro-

vincial office from September 16 - 19,

2014, and highlights will appear in an

upcoming issue.

Poll Shows Ontarians Concerned about LTCJust as bargaing talks broke down for our

nursing home members, a new survey by

Nanos Research has found that Ontarians

are very concerned about staffing levels at

long-term care homes (LTC) and the physi-

cal condition of older homes in the province.

The survey, commissioned by the On-

tario Long-term Care Association, also

found that 82 per cent believe the govern-

ment needs to invest in LTC now to ensure

seniors receive the quality care they need.

Survey findings include:

• 93 per cent are concerned/somewhat

concerned that staffing levels are insuf-

ficient to properly care for medical and

mental health needs of seniors.

• 92 per cent are concerned/somewhat

concerned about ensuring the good

physical conditions of LTC homes.

• 91 per cent are concerned/somewhat

concerned about the availability of LTC

beds to meet future needs.

• Only 11 per cent believe that because of

government budget pressures, invest-

ments in LTC homes in the province can

be delayed to a later time.

“It’s rare to see Ontarians rally so overwhelm-

ingly around one issue, “said Nik Nanos,

Chairman of the Nanos Research Group. “The

findings are clear – Ontarians have a sense of

urgency about investments in LTC, even in

the face of provincial budget pressures.”

SEPTEMBER 20144 www.ona.org

From ONA President

Chronique de la présidente, AIIO

Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN

Please Join Me

I know from personal experience that there are few actions in life more rewarding than trying to fix what is unfair.

Many of you who know me may have heard about why I first became active in ONA’s work – and it was all about fair-ness. I was a young registered nurse and my employer denied my request for a day off – to attend my own wedding. While I admit that this was a number of years ago, that incident lit a fire in me to fight unfair treatment and practices impacting our members who care so deeply for our patients.

I have been an active, passionate and dedicated advocate for ONA members – and therefore patient care – for decades now, and it has been one of the most rewarding things I could have done. I want to continue to be a voice that makes a difference, and I know that you do too.

I want to ask you to become engaged in our union. Through-out the provincial election period and ONA’s More Nurses campaign, I saw personally the energy and

commitment all ONA members bring to your work. Let’s capital-ize on this energy! Let’s advocate together for quality care, qual-ity collective agreements, and quality work environments.

If this is intimidating, remember that it does not have to mean a huge time commitment. If you have an interest or a knack for scheduling, you could help work on fair scheduling in your place of employment; perhaps it is representing a member to re-turn to work after an injury or illness. You could advocate for reasonable workloads or healthy and safe work environments.

At the provincial level, I will be working with our new health minister to determine exactly where RNs fit in the government’s quality agenda and how all members can be supported in the work you do every day. I invite you to join me to keep ONA a vi-brant, professional, powerful union. Just send your Bargaining Unit President an email, or email me at lindahs@ona.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

I want to ask you to become engaged in our union.

Je sollicite votre aide

Par expérience personnelle, je sais que dans la vie, rien n’est plus gratifiant que de tenter de corriger une injustice.

Parmi ceux et celles d’entre vous qui me connaissez, bon nombre savent peut-être ce qui m’a poussée au départ à participer ac-tivement à l’AIIO : c’était fondamentalement une question de justice. J’étais une jeune infirmière autorisée et mon employeur avait refusé le congé que j’avais demandé pour assister à mon propre mariage. Bien que cet incident remonte à plusieurs années, il m’a sensibilisée aux pra-tiques et aux traitements injustes que subissent nos membres, qui se soucient tellement de nos patients.  

Depuis plusieurs décennies maintenant, je défends avec dyna-misme, passion et dévouement les intérêts des membres de l’AIIO – et, par le fait même, les soins aux patients – et cette expérience a été l’une des plus valorisantes que j’ai connues. Je souhaite continuer de changer le cours des choses, et je sais que vous le voulez également.

Je vous invite à participer activement à notre syndicat. Tout au long des élections provinciales et de la campagne Plus d’infirmières de l’AIIO, j’ai pu constater l’énergie qui anime l’ensemble des membres de l’AIIO et leur dévouement au travail. Tirons parti de cette énergie! Militons ensemble pour des soins de qualité, des conventions collectives de qua-lité et des milieux de travail de qualité.

Si l’idée vous intimide, rappelez-vous qu’il n’est pas nécessaire d’y consacrer énormément de temps. Si l’établissement d’horaires vous intéresse ou si vous êtes douée pour ce genre de tâche, vous pourriez prendre part à l’établissement d’horaires équitables dans votre milieu de travail; ou alors, peut-être seriez-vous intéressée à représenter un membre qui revient au travail après s’être absenté en raison d’une bles-sure ou d’une maladie. Vous pourriez militer en faveur de charges de travail raisonnables ou de milieux de travail sains et sécuritaires.   

À l’échelle provinciale, je compte collaborer avec notre nouveau mi-nistre de la Santé afin de définir le rôle exact des IA dans le programme de qualité du gouvernement et la façon dont tous les membres peuvent être soutenus dans le travail qu’ils et elles accomplissent chaque jour. Je vous invite à vous joindre à moi pour faire en sorte que l’AIIO demeure un syndicat dynamique, professionnel et puissant. Il vous suffit d’en-voyer un courriel à votre présidente d’unité de négociation ou à moi à l’adresse lindahs@ona.org. Au plaisir d’avoir de vos nouvelles.

SEPTEMBER 2014 5www.ona.org

From ONA First Vice-President

Chronique de la première vice-présidente, AIIO

Vicki McKenna, RN

The Devil’s in the Details

The new RN numbers are in – and there’s little to celebrate.While the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s

annual report on the nursing workforce appears to be some-what rosy on the surface, showing that there were more than 408,000 regulated nurses eligible to practice in Canada in 2012 - 2013, the devil really is in the details.

That’s because the words “eligible to practice” have little mean-ing in today’s environment. The fact is new nurses are finding it in-creasingly difficult to land full-time employment. For a new grad, it’s taking up to five years to find a full-time position as an RN; for RPNs, it can take up to 10 years.

And while the report shows the country’s supply of RNs has grown just 15 per cent since 2003 – the ratio of RNs to population in Ontario (the number that is really key to safe pa-

tient care) is now 710 to 100,000 – we maintain the second worst RN to population ratio in Canada. And Ontario would still have to hire 17,000 more RNs just to catch up to the average. That’s a long way from rosy.

What is particularly telling is that of the increased RNs in On-tario, most were in a part-time position, meaning there were actu-ally 564 fewer full-time RNs working here. We know that full-time positions are instrumental for new RNs to successfully integrate into the profession and reach their full potential in meeting the health care needs of their patients/clients/residents.

We have said this many times, but it bears repeating. Study after study demonstrates the direct link between the number of RNs in the system and the rate of patient mortality and morbidity. Improved RN staffing is associated with better patient outcomes, including a decrease in urinary tract infections, pneumonia, medi-cation errors, falls and skin breakdown, as well as shorter lengths of stay and reduced readmission rates.

ONA will continue to push the government for a commitment to increase the number of RNs working in this province to ensure the quality care Ontarians deserve and expect from us. And I know I can count on you to lobby with us.

There were 564 fewer full-time RNs working here.

Les difficultés surgissent des menus détails

Nous venons de recevoir les nouveaux chiffres au sujet des IA, et il n’y a pas de quoi célébrer.

Alors que le rapport annuel de l’Institut canadien d’infor-mation sur la santé sur les effectifs infirmiers semblait plutôt promet-teur à première vue, indiquant qu’il y avait plus de 408 000 infirmières et infirmiers admissibles à l’exercice de la profession au Canada en 2012-2013, les difficultés surgissent réellement des menus détails.

Le problème réside dans le peu de signification que les termes « admissibles à l’exercice de la profession » revêtent dans le contexte actuel. Dans les faits, les nouveaux infirmiers et infirmières ont de plus en plus de mal à trouver un emploi à plein temps. Les personnes nouvellement diplômées peuvent mettre jusqu’à cinq ans pour trou-ver un poste à plein temps comme IA; quant aux IAA, cela peut prendre jusqu’à 10 ans.

Et tandis que le rapport indique que le nombre d’IA au pays a crû de 15 % seulement depuis 2003 – le ratio IA-population de l’Onta-rio (un chiffre très important pour assurer des soins sécuritaires aux patients) s’établit maintenant à 710 pour 100 000 – soit le deuxième pire ratio IA-population au Canada. Il faudrait que l’Ontario em-bauche 17 000 IA supplémentaires juste pour rattraper la moyenne. Voilà qui est loin d’être réjouissant.

Ce qui est particulièrement révélateur c’est que parmi le nombre d’IA venues s’ajouter en Ontario, la plupart occupaient des postes à temps partiel; ainsi, dans les faits, la province a perdu 564 IA à plein temps. Nous savons que les postes à plein temps jouent un rôle déterminant dans l’intégration professionnelle efficace des IA et dans l’atteinte de leur plein potentiel au chapitre de la prestation de soins de santé à leurs patients/clients/résidents.

Nous l’avons dit plusieurs fois, mais il serait utile de le répéter : étude après étude, on a démontré qu’il existe un lien direct entre le nombre d’IA au sein du réseau et le taux de mortalité et de morbidité des patients. L’augmentation du nombre d’IA est associée à une amé-lioration de l’état de santé des patients, y compris une diminution des infections urinaires, des pneumonies, des erreurs de traitement, des chutes et des lésions de la peau, de même qu’à des durées de séjour plus courtes et à des taux de réadmission moins élevés.

L’AIIO continuera d’inciter le gouvernement à s’engager à aug-menter les effectifs d’IA en Ontario pour que nous puissions donner aux Ontariens les soins de qualité qu’ils s’attendent, à juste titre, à recevoir de notre part. Je sais que je peux compter sur vous pour faire campagne avec nous.

In MemoriamONA is deeply saddened to learn of

the passing of former Local 51 Coor-

dinator Jo-Anne Bilodeau on July 12,

2014.

After graduating from Oshawa

General Hospital School of Nursing

in 1971, Jo-Anne worked at Oshawa

General Hospital, which became Lak-

eridge Health, for more than 35 years

in the labour and delivery unit.

Actively involved in ONA through-

out her nursing career, Jo-Anne

served many positions within her Lo-

cal, including negotiations represen-

tative, grievance representative and

Local 51 Coordinator from 1998-2000.

She also ran for a position on the ONA

Board of Directors for (the then) Re-

gion 8.

A nurse through and through, Jo-

Anne, who considered “lazy movie

afternoons” with her grandchildren

highlights of her life, didn’t com-

pletely give up nursing practice af-

ter retiring from Lakeridge Health in

2004, working at Comcare (Revera)

where she trained personal support

workers, among other tasks. She also

continued to nurse those within her

condo community.

ONA extends our heartfelt condo-

lences to the family, friends and col-

leagues of this remarkable member.

ONA Members Across Ontario

SEPTEMBER 20146 www.ona.org

ONA members working at Humber River Hospital in Toronto have once again called in an In-

dependent Assessment Committee (IAC) to examine RN staffing levels, fragmentation of pa-

tient care, improper staff support and an incorrect use of skill mix for the type of patient on

the endoscopy unit.

“The hospital has not used a skill mix of caregivers that complies with College of Nurses of

Ontario standards, leaving patients vulnerable and our nurses’ licenses to practice at risk,” said

ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “In addition, there have been front-line staff cuts that

have resulted in staff having to work too many overtime hours, miss their breaks and work

late. This, studies have shown, only leads to burnout, injury and a higher risk of staff making

errors that hurt patients.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first time our members have had to call for an IAC at Humber

River. In the spring of 2013, RNs in the emergency department of the Church and Finch Street

sites called for an IAC to examine the hospital’s decision to implement a new model of nursing

care. Unfortunately, more than a year later and despite our best efforts, Humber management

has refused to address the serious issues.

“While our members have gone to great lengths to attempt to solve the concerns, the

employer is not interested in ensuring that our patients get the care they need and deserve,”

added Haslam-Stroud. “But we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure they

finally do.”

Humber River RNs Call for IAC to Look at Unsafe Staffing Levels – Again

The team preparing for the IAC at Humber River Hospital’s endoscopy unit gets to

work at the Holiday Inn Toronto-Yorkdale this past June. Pictured are (back row, left

to right) Litigation Team Manager Sharan Basran, Labour Relations Officer Sheri

Street, member Beverley Gilley-Yannuzzi, Region 3 Vice-President Andy Summers.

Front row (left to right) Bargaining Unit President Micheal Howell, member Nancy

McCarron, Professional Practice Specialist Mariana Markovic.

SEPTEMBER 2014 7www.ona.org

ONA’s Bargaining Unit Presidents: Working Hard for You!Name: Maureen Williamson, RN.

ONA Claim to Fame: Local 70

Coordinator and Bargaining Unit

President for 3,100 RNs at Hamil-

ton Health Sciences (HHS).

The Early Years: After graduat-

ing in 1984 from Mohawk Col-

lege, I worked temporarily in the emergency

department (ED) of McMaster University

Medical Centre (now part of HHS). I eventu-

ally secured a part-time and then full-time

job before leaving to work in private practice

in a plastic surgery and then a neurosurgery

office. I came to the Henderson site of HHS

(now Juravinski site) in January 2002 as an

RN/charge nurse in the ED.

Why She Got Involved: I knew about the union

from my time at McMaster, as the Chedoke

site was organized. At the time we had talked

amongst ourselves about the union, but never

brought it forward because we had been

warned not to. So, it was quite different when

I came to HHS and began as a unit rep pretty

much right away at the encouragement of my

fellow members. There were a lot of changes

in management and people felt intimidated

talking about the collective agreement. A lot

of members asked about scheduling, vacation

time and seniority. As time went on, more man-

agers would discuss the collective agreement

with me, asking if they were following the right

process. I’d refer them to our Bargaining Unit

President because that’s where final decisions

need to be sent – not that I minded helping. In

2010, I was elected to the site VP position, and in

the fall of 2012, as Local Coordinator/Bargaining

Unit President. I wanted to do more with the

union because it’s all about proper workload

and being able to care for our patients. The only

way to make changes was to get involved and

have my voice heard. There are good ideas out

there. I felt I could help facilitate them.

Why She Loves it: I love this role,

I really do. ONA is so well organ-

ized. I have helped build an execu-

tive team of 13 women, who do a

lot of brainstorming. And without

this team by my side, I couldn’t do

the work I need to do for Local 70.

I was seconded to Clinical Man-

ager of the ED (2009-2010), which has helped

tremendously with my executive team. But

even during those management years, I kept

in touch with ONA. In my heart, I was still

union.

Biggest Misconception: Members mis-

takenly perceive my role as a 9-to-5 job.

Some mornings, I start at 7 a.m. if I need to

work around a member’s schedule. I could

be running around from two to three sites

all day, meeting with members about things

such as practice issues, grievances and at-

tendance awareness because we have that

program here, and HR people about program

and master schedule changes, and then fin-

ish at 6 p.m. I will sometimes call members

from home during the evening, and on week-

ends, I’m often on my computer doing work.

I’m involved in the Nursing Grad Guarantee

Committee (NGG), as both an RN and ONA

rep, and the NGG Reinvestment Fund Com-

mittee. We have regular Hospital-Association

Committee meetings that I attend, and mem-

bers will often drop into the Local office.

Reaching out: A couple times a year, the

site VPs will visit each unit to see what’s hap-

pening. We promote ONA provincial and our

Local 70 website as much as possible. Every

year during Nursing Week, we hold an event

at a local restaurant and we’ll have a lot of

dialogue about ONA. At each site, members

generally seem to be aware of who their site

VP is. That’s good, as they should reach out

to the site VP first. That person can provide

more immediate answers and contact. But

In this ongoing Front Lines series, we profile our Bargaining Unit Pres-

idents in all sectors, including the ins and outs of their challenging role,

how they manage to give so much of themselves for their members – and

why they wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m still aware of everything that goes on, and

if they come straight to me first, that’s fine.

Most Rewarding Part of the Job: When we

succeed at keeping someone with perma-

nent restrictions in a job, and when people

are wronged and have a loss of income, espe-

cially in the area of long-term disability, and

we can fix it, it’s very rewarding. I believe I’m

making a difference, and when we see a posi-

tive change, it makes me feel good.

And the Most Challenging: When I can’t

find a fit for permanently accommodated

members. I remember talking about conflict

resolution during an ONA workshop and the

facilitator said we can’t take things person-

ally. When you have a member who berates

you in an email, for example, you have to

leave it. I know I won’t get better at that, but

I’ve learned that it’s OK if I don’t.

Why She’s Proud: I support everything ONA

stands for. We are the ones who speak for the

optimal patient care that we can provide.

I love how ONA promotes the jobs we love

and to maintain what we have. On our Local

office wall, we have the ONA Vision State-

ment [Our Union. Respected. Strong. United.

Committed to members who care for people]

and that really says it all. That’s exactly what

ONA does. I truly believe in the union.

Calling all Inactive Members: To inactive

members, I would say I would be happy to

talk to you. Let me tell you what your union

dues do for you. If you get into an unfortu-

nate situation, you might have to involve

our Legal Expense Assistance Plan (LEAP)

Team, and we can’t ask for anything better. I

would drop everything to guide you. I would

invite you to come to a meeting and share

your ideas because we can’t do it alone. Even

though you are not involved in ONA, we are

all ONA. It’s your union and we have to work

together.

ONA Members Across Ontario

SEPTEMBER 20148 www.ona.org

Showing your ONA Pride for a Good CauseInterested in promoting your profession

and union while raising money for a good

cause? Then one of our Locals has just the

answer!

Local 8 is selling ONA decals in a va-

riety of colours and sizes with differing

messages, including “ONA,” “Proud to be

an ONA RN,” “Proud to be an RPN,” “Proud

to be an NP,” and “ONA Supporter.” You

can also customize your own decals if, for

example, you wanted to include your Lo-

cal number.

“When Locals 8 and 11 were merged,

I thought it would be a good idea to do

something to bring us all together as one

Local,” said Local 8 Coordinator Susan Som-

merdyk. “And what better way than to ap-

peal to the caring nature of our work and

our union by raising money for charity?”

One dollar from every decal sold goes

to charity and the Local does not make

any profit off any of these items, she said,

noting “we are supporting charities that

are underfunded and are really suffering,

including food banks, homeless centres,

street kids’ programs, women’s shelter

and school lunch programs. They desper-

ately need our help.”

If you are interested in purchasing de-

cals, go to www.bradgoldring.com/ona to

view available colours and sample pictures.

To customize the wording, or if you have

any other questions, contact Sommerdyk

at local8@ona.org.

Expert Panel Issues Recommendations for First Time at CCACAn Independent Assessment Committee (IAC) looking into care coordinators’ concerns about

patient care and access to community services, staffing levels and patient safety at the Erie St.

Clair Community Care Access Centre (ESC-CCAC) has issued 32 recommendations – the first time

a panel has been called in to resolve CCAC issues.

The care coordinators, highly-skilled RNs, physiotherapists, social workers, occupational

therapists, respiratory therapists and speech therapists, had provided written documentation

that inadequate staffing levels and process issues were negatively affecting patient care, leaving

them concerned about meeting their professional standards. These members have the respon-

sibility of assessing the level of care patients require, developing and implementing patient-cen-

tered plans for in-home and community health care services, and providing ongoing evaluation

to ensure the changing care needs of their patients are addressed.

Following a three-day hearing, the expert nursing panel issued recommendations to address is-

sues it acknowledges exist at the CCAC. Among them, 10 recommendations dealt with staffing and

workload; four with the scope of unregulated health care providers working at the CCAC and the

need for training; four with keeping the professional responsibility clause of care coordinators flow-

ing in a timely manner; and eight address morale and workplace culture. The panel acknowledged

the passion these members have for their work and the dedication to the care of their clients.

While the organization has failed to add a promised additional 15 care coordinators – just

eight have been hired – the panel also agreed the remaining vacancies must be filled to ensure

patients receive the care they deserve.

“We are pleased to see the panel acknowledged that workload and staffing levels are signifi-

cant issues at the Erie-St. Clair CCAC,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “ONA is counting

on the employer to implement all the recommendations contained in the report so patients who

require timely access to CCAC services receive the quality care they need and deserve.”

To read the full report, log onto www.ona.org/iac.

Getting into the Swing of Things!Looks like Local 21 is having a ball! The sun shone brightly this past May as members

headed to Bluewater Golf Course in Bayfield to take part in the Local’s annual golf tourna-

ment. While all clearly showed they are up to “par,” including the team from Clinton

Hospital (left photo) – Janine DeJong, Richard Degraffenreid, Kim Kruse and Local 21 Co-

ordinator Dianne Miller – it was the team from the OB unit of Huron Perth Healthcare Alli-

ance (right photo) that took home the grand prize – and showed a little Canadian spirit

along the way!

SEPTEMBER 2014 9www.ona.org

Workload Settlement will See Positive Changes in Sault Hospital Labour and Delivery UnitDespite the flurry of Independent Assessment

Committee (IAC) hearings of late, ONA has

had yet another successful professional prac-

tice complaint settlement that has not had to

reach that stage, this time at Sault Area Hospi-

tal’s (SAH) labour and delivery unit.

Workload and practice concerns in this

unit were brought to the forefront in April

2013. The unit used to participate in the Man-

aging Obstetrical Risk Efficiently Program

(MOREOB), a comprehensive performance

improvement program that creates a cul-

ture of patient safety in obstetrical units, but

ceased to do so in 2009 as a cost-cutting mea-

sure by the hospital. In addition, in 2011, the

dedicated nurse educator was replaced by a

“corporate” educator, who was split between

corporate initiatives and supporting both

the maternal/child and surgical programs.

The unit was also experiencing significant

workload and practice issues on shifts where

either one or more caesarian section(s) was

scheduled and/or two inductions of labour.

Furthermore, the unit’s policies were outdat-

ed and not supportive of best practices.

“The nurses were very concerned and had

some concrete ideas about what they wanted

to happen on this unit,” noted Professional

Practice Specialist Jo Anne Shannon. “The

employer was committed to working with us

to resolve the issues and avoid an IAC.”

As a result, ONA and the employer signed

a binding Minutes of Settlement this past

May, which includes the following significant

achievements: the MOREOB Program will be

re-instituted; the nurse educator will be solely

dedicated to the maternal/child program for

two days per week; the hospital will do every-

thing reasonably possible to have one addi-

tional RN scheduled when there is one c-sec-

tion or two inductions of labour; and a large

number of policies will be developed/updated

to deal with workload/practice concerns.

The parties will evaluate the implementa-

tion of the resolutions in six months for com-

pletion and in 12 months for effectiveness

and sustainability.

“This settlement is another example of work-

ing with our SAH employer to improve work-

load, working conditions and quality patient

care,” said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud.

Supporting our Union Allies

Instead of relaxing in their downtime this summer, ONA members

throughout the province have been showing the true meaning of

the word, “solidarity.” Waving banners reading, “nurses support

Durham municipal workers,” members of Local 51, including Local

Coordinator Cynthia Rogers (wearing green hat), join striking mem-

bers of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1764

outside the Durham Regional Headquarters in Whitby this past

June (right photo). Approximately 1,500 inside municipal workers

were forced to take job action on June 19, 2014 after the employer

continued to push for concessions, targeting Emergency Medical

Services workers’ sick leave plans, during bargaining talks. A new

contract has since been ratified. No doubt remembering the support

shown to them during their strike in April 2012, Haldimand-Norfolk

Health Unit Bargaining Unit President Melanie Holjak and member

Carley Willems showed their support at a CUPE information rally on

June 4 for Children’s Aid Society workers (left photo). The workers

were protesting forced unpaid days, workload issues and cuts to

services for children.

ONA Members Across Ontario

SEPTEMBER 201410 www.ona.org

Public Health Members Concerned with Revised Medication Practice Standard

While ONA welcomes legislative and regula-

tory amendments that provide RNs and RPNs

with access to the controlled act of dispens-

ing medication, some members, particularly

those in public health, have expressed con-

cerns about the wording of the revised Medi-

cation Practice Standard from the College of

Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and are seeking clar-

ity from ONA.

Those concerns relate to the requirement

that RN and RPNs “accept an order to dis-

pense that is complete and includes the or-

der date, client name and medication name,

dose in units, route, frequency, purpose,

quantity to dispense and prescriber’s name,

signature and designation.”

Requiring prescribers to include the pur-

pose of the medication is causing some is-

sues in public health units, especially ones

that do not have a physician in the sexual

health clinic. For example, vulnerable clients

seeking low or no-cost contraception from

public health units with a prescription from

an external provider are now experiencing

delays in accessing their medication because

the purpose, which could be not just preg-

nancy prevention, but cycle regulation or

acne control, is not included.

Because the College of Physicians and

Surgeons does not require the purpose of

What the Revised Medication Practice Standard MeansE The CNO’s Medication Practice Standard has been revised to include

dispensing by both RNs and RPNs.

E It does require the prescriber to include the purpose of the medication before the nurse can dispense the medication.

E Nurses would not be authorized to dispense the medication if the purpose is not on the prescription.

E If the purpose is not included, the nurse would be accountable to approach the prescriber.

the medication to be included on a doctor’s

prescription, nor does the CNO require that

nurse practitioners include such information,

public health nurses can be left scrambling

trying to contact the prescriber. And many

report to us that some physicians refuse

this information or write inappropriate com-

ments on prescriptions, leading to concerns

about patient privacy.

ONA Professional Practice staff looked

into the revised Medication Practice Standard

and confirmed that RNs and RPNs are not au-

thorized to dispense medication without a

purpose, meaning these nurses are account-

able for approaching the prescriber if the

purpose is not indicated.

Several of our members and the Regis-

tered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)

have written letters expressing these con-

cerns to the CNO, with the RNAO urging the

College to remove the requirement to in-

clude the purpose of a medication in an or-

der to dispense, or work with the College of

Physicians and Surgeons to harmonize prac-

tice standards to ensure that prescribers are

required to include the purpose of the medi-

cation in their prescriptions in the first place.

SEPTEMBER 2014 11www.ona.org

RNs’ Quality of Worklife Initiative Put into PracticeThe quality of worklife pilot project designed

by ONA members at North York General Hos-

pital (NYGH) more than two years ago is not

only being put into practice on a permanent

basis at their hospital, it’s being implement-

ed at other provincial facilities as well.

Transforming our Culture was one of the

projects approved for funding in the fall of

2011 by the Ministry of Health and Long-

Term Care, in conjunction with their local

Bargaining Unit. The money supported front-

line nurses looking at ways to enhance qual-

ity nurse environments and patient care,

thereby augmenting nurse retention (see

June 2012 issue of Front Lines, pg. 11).

For the next several months, project lead

Tiffany Wichert and her team Susan Pearce,

Alicia Jones, Primrose Mharara and Siew Tang

– all RNs – conducted 237 face-to-face in-

terviews with patients on all inpatient units,

asking open-ended questions about their

experiences at the hospital and what could

improve them.

The team presented their findings in May

2012, recommending that nurses “get back to

the basics” when it comes to communicating

with patients to not only put them at ease,

but to determine if there are any underlying

issues or concerns. The timing was perfect,

as the hospital was moving towards patient

and family-centred care, which shares similar

principles.

While the nurses expected that might be

the end of it, two years later, they are thrilled

to report their project has been put into place

in the hospital’s emergency department (ED),

where Tang works, and applies to all ED staff.

“Questionnaires sent to patients by the

hospital following discharge have found

a dramatic increase in patient satisfaction

since these new principles were put in place.”

said Tang.

“In the pilot, we recommended that it

needs to be more than just nurses who do

this,” said Wichert. “So to see our vision com-

ing true in the ED is wonderful.”

Also wonderful for the team is seeing the

project spreading, as the hospital recently re-

ceived funding to implement it through the

late-career initiative.

“The late-career initiative is a way of

moving the project beyond the ED,” added

Wichert. “It’s basically taking that pilot and

getting late-career nurses to do those in-

terviews and allowing them time away from

their regular duties. If it is successful, maybe

we’ll find other ways to implement it for oth-

er nurses down the road.”

Pearce already has. As NYGH is a teaching

hospital, she frequently sees new residents

and clerks on her labour and delivery unit,

which “gives you the opportunity to teach

them that this basic thing can change the

whole outcome for their career and the pa-

tient.”

And Jones notes that she and Mharara are

now engaged in a project about increasing

family presence in the intensive care unit, as

a direct result of the pilot, where “the staff are

becoming more aware of what it means to

provide care from the patient’s perspective

and acknowledging that they are an impor-

tant part of the interprofessional team.” 

As the nurses have presented their pilot

to several hospitals in the province and at

many conferences, word is spreading beyond

their facility walls as well.

“It seems like every conference we go to

some other organization is asking how can

we do that, can you teach us?” said Wichert.

“It’s a good feeling. We hold our heads high.”

“It’s the little things that

make a huge difference,”

said Siew Tang (left), pic-

tured with two members of

the Transforming our Culture

pilot project team, Tiffany

Wichert (middle) and Susan

Pearce at North York General

Hospital. Missing from the

photo are Alicia Jones and

Primrose Mharara.

Did You Receive Your Annual Planner?You spoke and we listened! As many of you had requested your 2015 annual planner a bit earlier, we are including it in this issue of Front Lines.

If you did not receive your annual planner or if it was damaged in any way, please contact Communications and Government Relations Team Intake at cgrintake@ona.org.

ONA News

MAY 201412 www.ona.org

With ONA members stepping up to the plate

like never before in the lead-up to the recent

provincial election, two words came up time

and time again at the June Provincial Coordi-

nators Meeting, hosted by Region 3: thank you.

“We have shown true advocacy throughout

this campaign, not only within our Bargaining

Units as front-line leaders, but also as political

activists, and I thank you all for that,” ONA Presi-

dent Linda Haslam-Stroud said in kicking off

the meeting, held from June 10-11 at the pic-

turesque Nottawasaga Inn and Resort in Allis-

ton. “Your passion to fight for a publicly funded,

administered and delivered health care system

and RN positions has been inspiring. This is crit-

ical as patients are looking for us to advocate

for them. And I think with this campaign, we

have done just that.”

That message was echoed enthusiastically

by guest speaker Ontario Health Coalition Pro-

vincial Director Natalie Mehra, who commend-

ed ONA for our radio ads urging the public to

choose care, not cuts on Election Day because

the provincial election campaign was bereft of

any real discussion about health care.

“I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all

of you for everything you do with us,” she said.

“MPPs know who we are. Every single issue we

work on, we bring about change – we may not

get all the things we want, but we get close.

And we couldn’t do it without your involve-

ment in our local health coalitions.”

Past Ontario Regional Director and National

President of the Canadian Nursing Students’ As-

sociation Carly Whitmore, now “a proud Local

75 member,” said she felt ONA’s presence every

day as a student and feels it now a new grad.

“Thank you for really looking out for stu-

dent nurses and new grads,” she stated. “What

the Ontario Hospital Association was propos-

ing during the recent round of bargaining [a

three per cent decrease in the start rate for

new grads] didn’t happen because of you.

Thank you for fighting to have new nurses val-

ued as members of the team.”

Local Leaders Thanked for Advocacy at June PCM

And after hearing our own members and

staff present about their workload success

stories, including the Nipigon Independent

Assessment Committee (IAC) and the pre-IAC

settlement at Sault Area Hospital’s labour and

delivery unit (see pg. 9), First Vice-President

Vicki McKenna said, “thank you all for bring-

ing your workload discussions to the table

and putting your employers’ feet to the fire.

We mean business when it comes to patient

safety and are leading the way in the country. I

know it’s hard, but I am very proud of the work

you are doing on the front lines.”

The week, which also included some

much-needed down time so delegates could

get to know this corner of the province a let-

ter better, concluded on June 12 with a highly

informative education session on our defined

benefit pension plans, featuring presentations

by experts in the field.

Full highlights of the meeting are avail-

able at www.ona.org/news_details/june14_

pcm.html. Our PCM Précis wrap-up video is

also available on our home page and the

ONA YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/

ontarionurses.

MAY 2014 13www.ona.org

With the influenza season just around the

corner, ONA is continuing to work hard to en-

sure both the rights of our members and the

health of our patients are protected.

The Right to ChooseWhile British Columbia and Saskatchewan

have implemented policies forcing health

care workers to get the flu vaccine or wear a

surgical mask while caring for patients dur-

ing the flu season, generally considered to be

from October/November until March/April,

and several Ontario health care employers

have followed suit, ONA remains steadfast

that such workers should have the right to

choose whether they receive the vaccine.

“We strongly believe that forced vaccina-

tion is not the way to go,” said ONA President

Linda Haslam-Stroud. “It’s a violation of our

human rights, plain and simple, and akin to

assault on health care workers.”

The Ontario government has announced

no plans to implement similar policies as our

western counterparts – in fact, at the Novem-

ber 2013 Provincial Coordinators Meeting,

Premier Kathleen Wynne told ONA delegates

that while she supports health care workers

voluntarily receiving the flu vaccine, “at the

end of the day, I believe it has to be a choice.”

But that hasn’t stopped a flurry of provincial

health care employers from giving their health

care workers the immunize-or-mask ultima-

tum, even if there is no outbreak of the flu.

“This heavy-handed approach is intended

to punish health care workers for making a

personal health decision, especially because

there is no research to suggest that wearing

a surgical mask does anything to lower the

Where we’re at with the Flu Vaccine

transmission rate of influenza,” added Haslam-

Stroud. “Outing nurses who do not choose

vaccination with mandatory mask-wearing

provides a false sense of security for our pa-

tients, who think they are protected from the

flu if a nurse walks into their room wearing a

surgical mask or because she or he has had a

flu vaccine, and skirts health care employers

from looking for and implementing more ef-

fective and non-punitive measures.”

Infection Control PlansWith that in mind, ONA is calling for evidence-

based infection control plans, which would

go far beyond vaccinations and masks. These

plans would involve a complex and sustained

number of actions by health care employers,

including stopping the overcrowding of pa-

tients, ensuring good ventilation, disinfect-

ing surfaces, good hand-washing practices,

screening patients and visitors thoroughly,

and implementing good sick-leave policies

that don’t force staff to come to work when

under the weather. It also goes without say-

ing that such plans also require an appropri-

ate number of RNs in our system.

“Employers are putting all their eggs

into this one fragile basket they are calling

vaccination and it’s just full of holes,” noted

Haslam-Stroud. “Practicing good infection

control all around is much more effective

in influenza prevention and stopping the

spread of infectious diseases than forcing

the wearing of ineffective masks, which can

become uncomfortable and at some point

intolerable for a large fraction of wearers.”

With the flu season soon upon us, Region

3 Vice-President Andy Summers and ONA

Health and Safety Specialist Nancy Johnson

have begun meeting with the country’s fore-

most flu experts and infectious-disease spe-

cialists to discuss infection control and cur-

rent research. Our goal is to formulate pro-

posals/strategies that rely on evidence and

science while taking into account freedom

of choice to receive the flu immunization,

which we hope can be used as province-

wide directives. We will also engage the gov-

ernment in discussions to see where we can

move forward.

ONA is also taking on this issue through

the grievance process to ensure our mem-

bers’ rights are upheld.

Collective Agreement Language“The fact is RNs are well educated in the ap-

propriate protective equipment to don in

the appropriate circumstances, and we have

negotiated language in our collective agree-

ments about procedures during an influenza

outbreak in our facilities, which protect both

patients and nurses,” concluded Haslam-

Stroud. “We cannot be denied the opportu-

nity and right to make decisions about our

health and welfare, especially knowing that

health care employers can and should be

doing so much more to prevent the spread

of infectious diseases than imposing immu-

nize-or-mask policies.”

“Masking” the Problem:

ONA News

SEPTEMBER 201414 www.ona.org

Provincial Elections Coming this Fall

It’s almost that time of year again – time for

the election to determine who will form the

next ONA Board of Directors.

This fall, the election is for the positions

of the five Regional Vice-Presidents. The term

of the ONA President and First Vice-President

does not end until December 2015.

All members with entitlements are eligi-

ble to vote, once again through the televote

system. Televoting – or voting with the key-

pad of your telephone using a series of easy-

to-follow prompts – is fast, accurate, com-

pletely confidential and can be done from

the comfort of your own home. It only takes

about three or four minutes.

You will be able to vote for the candi-

date of your choice as soon as you receive

your nomination package in the mail this

fall, which contains information about the

candidates and what you need to access

the televote system – right up until the vote

closes at 2400 hours on November 1, 2014.

Results will be made available soon after the

televote closes on our website and published

in the subsequent issue of Front Lines.

The November issue of Front Lines will

contain information on the candidates run-

ning and details on how to place your vote.

Election information will also be posted on

the ONA website at www.ona.org/VPelections.

Front Lines, Media Guide Win 2014 Apex AwardsYour Front Lines magazine, feature section and ONA’s user-friendly media

guide have recently won prestigious North American Apex awards.

The Apex awards, which are sponsored by the editors of the news-

letter Writing That Works, are based on excellence in graphic design,

editorial content and success in achieving overall communica-

tions effectiveness and excellence. This is the 26th year of the

awards.

Front Lines received an award for Publications Excellence in the “Magazines, Journals

and Tabloid Print” category. The pull-out feature section, Speak out for Your Rights, included

in the October 2013 issue of Front Lines, won in the “Editorial and Advocacy Writing Cat-

egory.” And ONA’s handy booklet, Media Relations: Your Guide to Engaging the Media was

singled out in the “Print Media” category.

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

open to communicators in corporate, non-profit and independent settings throughout

North America. More than 2,100 entries were submitted in 2014.

Find it Fast: Your Collective AgreementIt takes only one click to find your workplace collective agreement on the ONA website at

www.ona.org.

Now part of the main navigation (the very top menu) on the site, “Contracts” contains

the central agreements and the Local appendices for all sectors. On your mobile device,

Contracts is one of the top menu choices.

The new hospital central collective agreement (English and French versions) are found

at the top of the Contracts page, while the Local agreements are found further down. Use

the links at the top to jump to your sector.

Visit www.ona.org/ca to access the Contracts page directly.

Can’t find something on the ONA website? Email Communications Officer Katherine

Russo at katheriner@ona.org with your queries.

SEPTEMBER 2014 15www.ona.org

Fund Hospitals Appropriately, ONA Urges in Response to Provincial BudgetThe reintroduction of a provincial budget on

July 14, 2014, mirroring the one that spurred

the provincial election in May, has ONA calling

for a review of hospital funding to ensure safe,

quality patient care.

In the budget, funding for the health care

sector increases overall from $48.8 billion to

50.1 billion in 2014-15, $51.0 billion in 2015-16

and $52.1 billion in 2016-17, which amounts

to an increase overall of $3.3 billion and an av-

erage growth of 2.2 per cent.

The overall health sector increase for 2014-

15 of $1.3 billion includes funding for home and

community care and for infrastructure in hos-

pitals and the community sector. However, the

budget continues to hold overall base operating

funding for hospitals to zero per cent for 2014-

15. This is the third year of zero growth in base

funding for hospitals and the sixth year of hospi-

tal base funding below the rate of inflation.

“While we certainly welcome community

care funding, it cannot come at the expense

of already underfunded hospitals,” said ONA

President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “The lack of

funding increases for hospitals continues to

result in job cuts, millions of lost hours of RN

care, bed closures and services cuts – and our

patients are suffering.”

ONA continues to call on the government to

fully fund the key services that our patient must

be able to access in public hospitals because

the reality is there will always be patients who

are seriously ill enough to require hospital care.

“Cuts leave our patients in the cold when

they need hospital-based acute nursing care,”

Haslam-Stroud concluded. “The infrastructure

spending for hospitals is positive, but bricks

and mortar mean nothing without sufficient

caregivers at the bedside.”

ONA Legal Counsel Receives Recognition for Promotion of Women’s Equality Rights

On hand to congratulate and support ONA counsel Kate Hughes on her receipt of the 2014 Ontario Bar

Association Award of Excellence in the Promotion of Women’s Equality are (left to right) Director Dan

Anderson, Litigation Team Manager Sharan Basran, ONA general counsel Elizabeth McIntyre, who

presented the award, Hughes, ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, Director Marie Kelly and First Vice-

President Vicki McKenna.

A member of ONA’s legal counsel has received the 2014 Ontario Bar Association Award of

Excellence in the Promotion of Women’s Equality.

Kate Hughes, who works for the firm Cavalluzzo, Shilton, McIntyre, Cornish LLP and has

been a speaker at many ONA education sessions, received the award during a special awards

dinner on May 27, 2014, attended by ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, First Vice-President

Vicki McKenna and members of staff. Only one such award is given per year, and ONA was a

strong supporter of Hughes’

nomination.

The award recognizes

the significant contributions

made by feminist lawyers to

the promotion of women’s

equality rights in Canadian

society, through their work

for social justice or the ad-

vancement of substantive

laws. The recipient must be

a woman lawyer who has

demonstrated her com-

mitment to the values of

equality and equity by her

outstanding, sustained con-

tribution to the advance-

ment of women’s equality in

Canada.

“Kate encompasses

all these attributes and many more,” said

Haslam-Stroud. “She has worked tirelessly,

fighting for the rights of our members and

the rights of all women for many years. I

know you join me in congratulating Kate on

this much-deserved award.”

SEPTEMBER 201416 www.ona.org

• • •

OCCUPATIONAL Health & Safety

Panel Hears Collective Messages about OHS Improvements It is an unfortunate reality that worker inju-

ries and illness occur in all workplace sectors

– from health care to manufacturing to min-

ing. Yet, when an opportunity arises for unions

and stakeholders to raise common issues and

awareness to decision-makers, their collective

messages become louder and clearer.

This is precisely what occurred this past

May. The Ministry of Labour’s (MOL) Chief Pre-

vention Officer (CPO) launched a Review Panel

to learn about mining occupational health

and safety (OHS) issues and to prevent injuries

and illness in miners.

Enact the precautionary principleAmong those that presented to the panel

were ONA Health and Safety Specialist Nancy

Johnson and Sylvia Boyce from the United

Steelworkers. As Johnson noted, “Our sec-

tors do have common occupational health

and safety issues. In fact, Sylvia’s number one

recommendation for the mining sector is to

enact the precautionary principle, which Jus-

tice Archie Campbell highlighted in his SARS

Commission Report.” (See sidebar below.)

Although some may think it’s a bit of a

stretch to compare health care workplaces

to mines from an occupational health and

safety (OHS) perspective, there are common

threads that can be weaved together – and

fraught with serious hazards and issues –

from workplace violence to falls to chemical

exposures – Johnson’s frank presentation fo-

cused on the Internal Responsibility System

(IRS). Briefly, employers are most responsible

for workplace safety and employees play a

contributory role to ensure that a safe and

healthy workplace is maintained for all work-

ers. The IRS is supported by a Joint Health

and Safety Committee (JHSC), which should

be comprised of employer and employee

representatives. A functional IRS is key to a

sustained OHS prevention program.

Unfortunately, the IRS does not always

work well in health care, as Johnson pointed

out to the panel.

“The IRS is supposed to rain down from

the highest levels. Yet in our experience,

Workplace Violence Count

Schedule 2 1,107

(employers not covered under the WSIB)

Health care 639

Services 140

Manufacturing 77

Exposures Count

Schedule 2 980

Health care 932

Services 720

Manufacturing 236

Total Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

Schedule 2 4,866

Services 4,483

Health care 2,729

Manufacturing 2,161

Hospitals are dangerous workplaces, like mines and factories, yet they lack the basic safety culture and workplace safety systems that have become expected and accepted for many years in Ontario mines and factories.

—From Justice Archie Campbell’s

SARS Commission Report

instilling the precautionary principle is one

of them. In brief, this principle means that

reasonable steps should be taken to reduce

risk – there should be no waiting for scientific

certainty. The precautionary principle can be

enacted in health care, and should be enact-

ed in mining and across the workforce.

Health care workplace IRS must improve Johnson presented a snapshot to the mining

panel of a health care system that is rife with

non-compliance in dealing with occupation-

al health and safety problems.

Although the health care system is

Health Care Sector Injury Rates Continue to ClimbONA Health and Safety Specialist Nancy Johnson emphasized to the mining panel that

while workforce injury rates are generally declining across Ontario, the reverse is oc-

curring in health care. “In the past decades, other sectors have made some progress in

health and safety,” she said. “Unfortunately, health care health and safety never made

progress in the first place and injury and illness rates continue to climb.”

According to WSIB statistics from the Public Services Health and Safety Association,

in the third quarter of 2013, accepted lost-time claims from exposures climbed 20 per

cent, workplace violence claims increased by 13 per cent, and there was an increase of

33 per cent in critical injuries.

OHS by the Numbers – WSIB Lost-time Claims by Type and Sector (2013)

SEPTEMBER 2014 17www.ona.org

QUEEN’S PARK Update

E A Vision for Home and Community Care in Ontario has been released to achieve

better care for patients and better value for Ontarians’ health care dollars. To achieve

this vision, the government is planning to hold a series of home and community

care summits across Ontario to gather feedback from providers, patients and their

families. The summits will focus on patient and caregiver experiences, and share so-

lutions for improving patient care. In addition to the summits, the government will

seek input from health care experts on how to improve the quality and value of

care provided in the home and community sector. More information is available at

www.health.gov.on.ca/en/news/bulletin.

E Ontario had previously announced plans to increase wages for personal support

workers (PSWs) in the publicly-funded home and community care sector by $1.50 per

hour retroactive to April 1, 2014, and through the budget intend to increase wages by

another $1.50 per hour on April 1, 2015, and a further $1 on April 1, 2016. The mini-

mum wage for PSWs will also be set at $14 per hour in 2014-15 and rise to $16.50 on

this same timeline.

E Dr. Eric Hoskins, MPP for St. Paul’s, is taking over as Minister of Health and Long-

Term Care and Dipika Damerla, MPP for Mississauga East-Cooksville, becomes Associ-

ate Minister for Health and Long-Term Care (Long-Term Care and Wellness). Indira Nai-

do-Harris, MPP for Halton, and John Fraser, MPP for Ottawa South, were appointed as

Parliamentary Assistants to the Minister of Health. Dr. Bob Bell was also named Deputy

Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, effective June 2, 2014. Former Health Minister

Deb Matthews continues as Deputy Premier and takes on the portfolio of President of

the Treasury Board. Charles Sousa remains Finance Minister and Mitzie Hunter, MPP for

Scarborough-Guildwood, takes on the role of Associate Minister of Finance (Ontario

Retirement Pension Plan). Kevin Flynn continues as Labour Minister. The full list of the

Cabinet can be viewed at www.ontla.on.ca.

E In the Speech from the Throne, which was delivered on July 3, 2014, the govern-

ment said it supports jobs in the public sector, but will not allocate new money for

compensation increases. The government said it is transforming health care, placing

patients at the centre, and funding community care to keep people where they want

to be: in their home rather than in hospital. Promising the right care, in the right place,

at the right time, the government will expand home and community care, will guar-

antee every Ontarian a primary care provider and will place an added focus on com-

munity wellness with the new Associate Minister of Long-Term Care and Wellness.

E Access to publicly funded clinic-based physiotherapy for seniors and eligible

patients in southwest Ontario will be expanded. As part of Ontario’s physiotherapy

reforms, the province is providing more than $2.35 million to support the addition of

23 new publicly funded physiotherapy clinics across the region. This new funding will

provide access to physiotherapy services for more than 7,500 additional individuals in

the southwest region.

• • •

Learn MoreE Read ONA’s speaking notes to the

mining panel here:

www.ona.org/MiningPanel.

E Visit ONA’s health and safety

section on the ONA website for

resources, tools and guides to help

you with OHS issues:

www.ona.org/OHS.

E For more about the Internal

Responsibility System: www.ona.

org/health_safety/rights.html.

management deflects or doesn’t feel able to

accept responsibility,” she said.

All too frequently, ONA receives reports

about supervisors attempting to intimidate

ONA members who raise basic OHS issues.

“There is a perception among health care

management that workers must first bring

safety issues to the JHSC, but this is not the

case,” said Johnson. “An OHS system cannot

function well when supervisors and manag-

ers redirect hazards to a committee that is

not well attended, resourced or supported

by management.”

Mandate OHS training at all levelsAlthough ONA’s report to the panel included

several recommendations for OHS improve-

ment across all sectors, one request was

made clear: Hold employers accountable for

health and safety failures; they must be made

to understand and respect the IRS. Until they

do, ONA joined other presenters in calling

on the MOL to firmly enforce occupational

health and safety law in our workplaces.

As Johnson noted, ONA has made many

submissions to inquests and panels and has

repeated the same evidence and the same

issues, yet few appear to have taken our sug-

gestions and implemented them.

“For the sake of all workers, we hope things

will change with this panel,” she concluded.

SEPTEMBER 201418 www.ona.org

STUDENT Affiliation

Engaging students in the work of our union doesn’t

simply mean inviting them to your Local and pro-

vincial meetings and assisting them in their clinical

placements. Student engagement can happen at

any time, at any place and when you least expect it,

as Local 15 Coordinator Muriel Vandepol enthusias-

tically explains to Front Lines.

I wanted to share an interesting encounter that I had during the provincial election cam-

paign that started when my doorbell rang.

Thinking it was my grandson and his mom returning (and him playing with the door-

bell), I did not rush to answer the door. After a small amount of time elapsed and no one

came in, I went to the door to see a young male adult about to leave my front porch.

When I opened the door, he turned around and I realized he was there to try and sell

me something. He introduced himself as a student working for a company doing lawn

aeration. I was reviewing the cost and service and was about to decline when I asked him

what he was studying. He informed me that he had just finished his second year of nursing

at the University of Ottawa and was working with this company travelling around com-

munities doing door-to-door work.

How could I decline the services of a nursing student trying to pay his way through

school? I identified myself as a nurse and chatted briefly with him before I accepted the

service, which is rare for me. He did a good job and thanked me at the end for the payment

and the work with a handshake. I decided that I could take this opportunity to thank him

for his work and to provide him with some political education as a parting gift.

[As it was just before the provincial election], I encouraged him to vote – and not for

the Hudak-led Conservatives if he was hoping to launch his nursing career with a good sal-

ary and a means to repay his student loans. He asked who he should vote for, as he would

not vote for the Conservatives, and I advised him to ask his political party candidates what

their position was on health and nursing. While I unfortunately didn’t have the list of can-

didates’ questions sent to me by ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud in front of me, I didn’t

want to lose this opportunity.

This was the first positive encounter that I can say that I’ve had with a door-to-door

salesman! And I hope I was able to leave this nursing student with some education in re-

turn for his good service.

A Different Approach to Engaging Students

LONG TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS

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

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

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

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

To learn more, please contact Johnson Inc.

Johnson Inc.

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

905.764.4959 (local)1.800.461.4155 (toll-free)

Local 51 Coordinator Muriel

Vandepol.

Local 15 Coordinator

Muriel Vandepol.

SEPTEMBER 2014 19www.ona.org

EDUCATION

Leadership Conference “Eye-Opening Experience”

“Inspiring,” “energizing” and “empowering”

are just a few strong adjectives participants

have used to describe ONA’s recent Leader-

ship Conference in London.

Sixty Bargaining Unit Presidents and ONA

representatives from all regions of the prov-

ince gathered at the University of Western

Ontario in London from June 2-6, 2014 for

the Leadership Conference, which consists of

an Advanced Program for experienced lead-

ers and a Novice Program for new leaders.

Seizing the opportunity to liaise with partici-

pants throughout the week, the ONA Board

of Director moved its June meeting from our

provincial office in Toronto to London.

“Being able to meet and intermingle with

so many influential people, including the

Board, has truly been an eye-opening and re-

flective experience,” said Local 46 human

rights and equity chair Lee Scullard-Biluk. “The

passion for what we do was certainly captured

throughout the week, and I know with the

Novice group, we have truly been inspired.”

Through a series of lectures, presenta-

tions, videos, case scenarios, meetings with

members of the Board and other Canadian

nursing union leaders and small group work,

the participants discussed the workings

of ONA, negotiations and grievances, the

history of nursing unions and the broader

labour movement, membership services,

leadership styles, mentoring, effective com-

munication and political action – to name a

few. The leaders of the Novice Program were

also required to develop an action plan for

the next 12 months.

“This was a wonderful opportunity to

learn how to be good leader,” said Local 95

rep Jenny Poon, who took vacation time to

attend the Novice Program. “I really enjoyed

the networking and the learning. It was an

excellent program, and I feel so energized.”

That seems to be a common sentiment, if

evaluation forms from participants are any-

thing to go by. Overall satisfaction with the

conference was extremely high, with most

remarking that information provided will be

taken back to their Locals and applied in rep-

resenting their members.

“I prefer to effect change rather than com-

plain about problems, and ONA has been

the conduit to effect positive change in my

workplace,” said Novice Program participant

and Workload and Professional Responsibility

Chairperson for North York General Hospital

Jane Penciner. “If we can assist our members

through their hurdles, they will realize the

abundance of support available to them.

The program was very enlightening, and

topics covered were relevant to everyone

no matter where you come from. It has in-

spired me to become more involved in ONA.”

Scullard-Biluk couldn’t agree more,

noting, “The experience has sparked a fire

in me to empower and inspire my new col-

leagues to seek an active role within ONA

as a whole.”

And it wasn’t just the Novice Program

participants singing the praises of the

week. Advanced Leadership participant

John Lowe, Local 21 Health and Safety Rep,

was equally impressed.

“I am blown away at how ONA goes

about things, including coordinating the

Board members to attend, having such

professional staff, and bringing in other

nursing union presidents,” he said. “I hap-

pen to be wearing a t-shirt saying, ‘rise

above the rest’ at the conference. It was

so appropriate because I really feel that’s

what ONA does: rises above the rest.”

HUMAN RIGHTS and Equity

SEPTEMBER 201420 www.ona.org

It was a Pride event like no other.

On June 29, 2014, the largest ONA con-

tingent ever in a Pride event came together

to celebrate World Pride 2014 in Toronto, un-

der the motivational theme, Rise Up. Enthusi-

astically waving ONA pennants and decked

out in eye-catching sage green ONA Pride

t-shirts, more than 175 ONA Board members,

Local leaders, members and staff members,

along with their friends and families, proudly

rode on and marched alongside our vibrant

flatbed adorned with a rainbow of balloons,

colourful streamers, and a larger-than-life

nursing cap.

As part of the 10-day lead-up to World

Pride, where members of the LGBT commu-

nity from around the globe gathered with

their allies to express pride as LGBT people

and celebrate their diverse histories, cultures

and progress made to date on human rights,

ONA also staffed a booth promoting our

union, labour rights, More Nurses campaign

and commitment to human rights and equity

at a downtown Toronto street fair.

But Toronto wasn’t the only place where

Pride celebrations were taking place this

summer. From Sudbury to London, ONA

members participated in Pride parades and

other special events in their own communi-

ties. Local 73 was particularly creative, don-

ning body suits the colour of the rainbow

flag for Thunder (Bay) Pride on June 14, 2014,

Showing the World our Pride!

which no doubt turned a few heads!

“As an inclusive organization committed

to equality, diversity and human rights, ONA

is a strong supporter of Pride events – and

World Pride was a particularly exciting oppor-

tunity for us to show that to the world,” said

ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud. “While a

wonderful celebration, Pride also helps bring

awareness to the issues and needs that many

LGBT people deal with daily.”

2014 HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY CAUCUS SUBSIDIES

The 2014 Human Rights and Equity

Caucus will be held on Monday,

November 17 at the Westin Harbour

Castle in Toronto. The theme for this

year’s Caucus education session

will be “Disability Rights are Human

Rights.”

Information  about Caucus subsidy

applications has been sent to Bar-

gaining Unit Presidents, Local Coor-

dinators, and HR&E Reps/Advocates

and posted on the ONA website

(www.ona.org/hre).

The deadline to submit applications

is Friday, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014.

Thunder (Bay) Pride

SEPTEMBER 2014 21www.ona.org

OHC News

If you’ve seen a 10-foot high wooden rocking chair materialize seem-

ingly out of nowhere in your community this summer, you are not see-

ing things. It’s the symbolic showpiece of the Ontario Health Coalition’s

(OHC) tour to raise awareness about the levels of care in long-term care

(LTC) homes in Ontario.

The Giant “Rock-in” Chair Tour, which will hit 27 communities

throughout the province before it winds down, is collecting 20,000 sig-

natures to represent the same number of people on the wait list for

long-term care in this province. From being rocked to sleep as a baby

to swaying on it during our twilight years, we have come to symbolize

the rocking chair with comfort and care.

Stop Private Clinics Now!ONA Region 3 Vice-President Andy Summers looks on solemnly as

the Ontario Health Coalition delivers more than 82,000 postcards to

Queen’s Park during a Day of Action event on July 8, 2014 to oppose

moving health care services out of hospitals and into private clinics.

“The dismantling of hospital services must stop,” Summers told the

large gathering of ONA members, other unionists, health care advo-

cates, community groups and supporters from all regions of the

province. “I can tell you that the 60,000 members of the Ontario

Nurses’ Association will not stand by as we privatize and give profit

to private organizations who benefit from the suffering of others.”

The OHC’s Save our Services campaign, which targeted several high-

priority communities, delivering leaflets and postcards, was

launched on March 10, 2014 in response to the government’s plans

to bring in new legal regulations to cut services, such as MRIs, cata-

ract surgery and other medical services, from our community hospi-

tals and outsource them to private clinics this summer.

During each stop of the tour, many of which were attended by ONA

Board members, Local leaders, members and staff, the OHC held a media

event to relay its two key demands for the government regarding LTC

homes: set a minimum staffing standard of four hours of hands-on care

per resident per day and improve access to care/reduce wait times.

“This is a team effort,” ONA Region 4 Vice-President Dianne Leclair

told the media at the chair’s stop in Welland on May 23, 2104. “If we

don’t have enough RNs, personal supporter workers, the whole group,

we’re never going to get residents to stable and safe conditions. We’re

working together to ensure that their needs are met.”

For more information, log onto www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca.

Rocking the Conversation on LTC

SEPTEMBER 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.

RightsNurses can displace other nurses with less seniority in higher classifications Region 3 Hospital

(Arbitrator Laura Trachuk, April 30 2014)ONA has successfully argued that nurses who

have been provided with notice of layoff are

permitted to bump “upwards” into higher-

rated classifications, as long as they are oth-

erwise qualified for the position.

In this case, the hospital eliminated a

full-time position in Diagnostic Imaging.

The most junior nurse was provided with

layoff notice in accordance with the collec-

tive agreement. She attempted to exercise

her bumping rights to displace the resource

nurse, who had less seniority than her. The

hospital refused her request, indicating that

nurses could not bump into higher-rated

classifications.

Article 10.09 provides that nurses may

“displace another nurse in any classification.”

The arbitrator found that this meant that

nurses could bump into other classifications

within the Bargaining Unit, including those

that were higher rated.

Importance to ONA: This decision confirms

that the options available to nurses who have

been provided with layoff notice are exten-

sive, and include the option to displace nurses

with less seniority in other classifications.

Employer cannot make unauthorized deductions from wagesRegion 3 Hospital

(Arbitrator Sheehan, June 6, 2014)An arbitrator has found that an employer is

not permitted to make deductions from wag-

es to recover alleged overpayments, unless a

nurse has first consented to the deduction or

a tribunal has ordered that the deductions

are permitted.

In this case, the hospital allegedly over-

paid nurses for a number of years. Once the

error was discovered, the hospital unilater-

ally decided to recover the overpayment by

deducting money from the nurses’ biweekly

wages. The amounts deducted were sig-

nificant, ranging from $350-$500 every pay-

cheque for several months.

ONA argued that the hospital’s actions

were a violation of s.13 of the Employment

Standards Act. The arbitrator agreed with

ONA that such deductions are not permit-

ted, particularly where an employee earns an

hourly wage.

The hospital was ordered to repay the

nurses all amounts deducted. To recover any

overpayment in the future, the hospital

must make consensual arrangements

with the affected nurses, or receive a

court order permitting the deductions.

Importance to ONA: This decision con-

firms that an employer cannot make un-

authorized deductions from wages.

WSIBAppeal establishes proof of accidentSouth Hospital  On June 7, 2011, the worker suffered

a left meniscus and ACL tear in

his knee after walking in a narrow

hallway and bumping it on the pa-

tient’s bed. 

The injured worker continued to work un-

til July 15, 2011. He took his normal vacation

from July 20 - July 29, 2011. He was unable to

work from July 29 - August 19, 2011 and then

returned to work on modified duties.

The injured worker had surgery on his left

knee on January 26, 2012. The WSIB denied

the injured worker’s claim, indicating there

was no proof of injury despite medical that

showed the injury occurred at his workplace.

ONA appealed and successfully estab-

lished proof of accident. The appeal was al-

lowed and WSIB was directed to pay loss of

earning (LOE) benefits from July 29, 2011

until August 19, 2011 when the worker was

under medical care and totally disabled.

The Appeals Resolution Officer (ARO)

also stated that LOE benefits from January

26, 2012 are to be determined by the case

SEPTEMBER 2014 23www.ona.org

manager. The ARO further directed the

case manager at the WSIB to assess and

determine the worker’s current level of

disability to see if he is also entitled to

NEL award.

 

LTDEmployer’s letter to carrier assists with appealHospital, Region 3

(July 24, 2013)The member in this case suffers from mul-

tiple musculoskeletal issues and fibro-

myalgia. She has pursued and diligently

complied with various treatments with

little improvement.

Due to the multiple diagnoses, her

treating practitioners provide a poor

prognosis for her eventual return to work.

Two permanent restrictions have been

identified: no lifting greater than five ki-

lograms, and no standing longer than 30

minutes. Return-to-work attempts have

been unsuccessful.

The turning point for the appeal

was perhaps the letter provided by the

employer to their carrier, in which the

employer stated that the permanent re-

strictions preclude the member from per-

forming the duties of her own position,

and “is at a loss to understand why the

member has been denied LTD benefits.”

This employer letter accompanied the

appeal submitted by the union.

NOVEMBER 18 - 20, 2014WESTIN HARBOUR CASTLE, TORONTO

For more information, check the ONA website at www.ona.org/biennial in the upcoming weeks. Biennial online registration begins in the fall.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY CAUCUS November 17, 2014

Theme: “Disability Rights are Human Rights”Guest speaker: Maysoon Zayid

GALA DINNER – NOVEMBER 19Music provided by The McFlies

EDUCATION SESSIONNovember 21, 2014

Topic: To be determined (labour relations)

ONA BIENNIAL CONVENTION