Workers from Rapids Family Health Team Enter Conciliation Talks to Try to Avoid Services Withdrawal that Could Swamp Sarnia Hospitals

SARNIA, ON – Forty-eight Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) members – comprised of nurses, health-care professionals and clerical staff from the Rapids Family Health Team in Sarnia – are entering conciliation talks today to try to reach a respectful contract and avoid being forced to withdraw their services.

“Should negotiations fail and our members be forced to withdraw services, the people of Sarnia and its hospitals would bear the burden as patients would no longer have access to primary care or a large range of health-care services,” says ONA President Erin Ariss, RN. “No one wants those needing care to suffer, and we call on the Rapids Family Health Team board to step up and come to conciliation prepared to bargain a better contract.”

Ariss notes that ONA members have had no wage increases for the past three years – a period during which inflation rose dramatically, causing great financial hardship for employees. This employer has proposed a zero-wage increase going forward, yet managers have awarded themselves significant yearly increases.

These nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, dietitians, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and receptionists provide services that range from primary care to special respiratory clinics that keep people out of the emergency department. They have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and expect the dedication, skills and value they bring to the community to be recognized and rewarded. They have been without a contract since the end of 2022, and with just one collective bargaining date held in March – at which the employer offered no proposals.

The below-average wages paid by this employer make it difficult to retain and recruit nurses and others to this Family Health Team, says Ariss. “There are currently a number of vacancies which this employer cannot fill. It simply makes sense for the board to come to the table prepared to do what it takes to reach a new contract and ensure people can access the care they need. We ask the people of Sarnia to support us in our efforts.”

ONA is the union representing 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as more than 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics, and industry.

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