Hastings & Prince Edward County Public Health Nurses Overwhelmingly Reject Employer’s Final Offer

BELLEVILLE, ON., – Registered nurses, public health nurses and registered practical nurses providing care and services to 200,000 residents of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties have overwhelmingly voted to reject their employer’s final contract offer.

The 50 Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) members – registered nurses, public health nurses and registered practical nurses – have been working without a contract since December 31. They went to extraordinary lengths to reach a fair deal with their employer in a dispute in which wages are the main sticking point. However, their employer did not budge on its monetary offer throughout three days of negotiations and conciliation, bringing an identical monetary offer to the table throughout.

The nurses will be on the picket lines starting Monday, August 21.

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