The Ontario Nurses’ Association represents 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry. Our members work throughout the province of Ontario.
There are five ONA Regions which are geographically broken down by districts, counties and municipalities. ONA’s Regions are:
Region 1 Districts of Kenora, Rainy River, Thunder Bay, Algoma, Temiskaming, Nipissing, Cochrane, Manitoulin, Regional Municipality of Sudbury.
Region 2 Counties of Prescott, Russell, Glengarry, Renfrew, Lanark, Grenville, Leeds, Dundas, Stormont, Frontenac, Hastings, Prince Edward, Lennox, Addington, Haliburton, Victoria, Peterborough, Northumberland, Regional Municipalities of Ottawa Carlton and Kingston.
Region 3 Regional Municipality of Durham, Municipalities of York, Peel, and Toronto.
Region 4 Counties of Simcoe, Brant, Wellington, Dufferin, Haldimand, Norfolk, Regional Municipalities of Waterloo, Halton, Hamilton-Wentworth, Niagara, District Municipality of Muskoka and District of Parry Sound.
Region 5 Counties of Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth, Oxford, Middlesex, Lambton, Elgin, Kent and Essex.
Within each Region are ONA Locals. There are 60 ONA Locals and each Local is represented by a Local Coordinator. Each Local houses ONA’s Bargaining Units. ONA has more than 500 Bargaining Units across Ontario. All ONA members belong to a Bargaining Unit.
How do our Bargaining Units work?
The Ontario Nurses’ Association is a union for nurses, by nurses. As an ONA member, you have a say in ONA’s agenda and your representatives.
ONA has strong Bargaining Unit representation and leadership. Individual members belong to an ONA Bargaining Unit. Members elect their Bargaining Unit President, Bargaining Unit committees and unit representatives, Local Coordinator, Secretary and Treasurer. Your elected team works with members to improve your working conditions and maintain your rights under the collective agreement.
Your Bargaining Unit belongs to an ONA Local. The Local Coordinator acts as a resource on governance issues and provides advice to Bargaining Unit Presidents on many items including funding of bargaining unit leave issues. The Local Coordinator also serves as a link between the broader membership and the ONA Board of Directors. Local Coordinators attend ONA provincial meetings and report back to membership on resolutions and/or directions that stem from the discussions.
ONA Fast Facts
68,000 – ONA members
18,000 – Nursing student affiliate members
63 – Number of ONA Locals
500+ – Number of ONA Bargaining Unit Presidents
ONA represents members in the following workplaces:
- Hospitals.
- Nursing Homes.
- Homes for the Aged.
- Public Health.
- Home and Community Care Support Services.
- Home Care.
- Clinics.
- Industry.
- Family Health Teams.
- Community Health Centres.
ONA members include:
- Registered nurses.
- Nurse practitioners.
- Registered practical nurses.
- Occupational therapists.
- Radiation therapists.
- Physiotherapists.
- Social workers.
- Medical Radiation Technologists.
- And more.
