Essex Nurse Practitioners and Health-Care Professionals Head to Conciliation Ministry of Health must properly fund clinic

ESSEX, ON., September 20, 2023 – Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) members providing high-quality primary care and services at a nurse practitioner (NP)-led clinic in Essex County are heading to conciliation tomorrow, seeking a fair new contract.

The 17 ONA members include NPs, registered practical nurses (RPNs), social workers, dieticians and medical receptionists. NPs receive extended education and provide comprehensive primary care including the ability to assess, diagnose, prescribe medications, monitor, and educate their patients on managing chronic illness and a host of other issues.

Along with all members of their health team, they provide holistic, patient-centered care to those in Windsor, Essex and Amherstburg, with plans to expand to Kingsville. Their care improves health outcomes, relieves pressure on hospitals and results in savings to the health-care system.

“In a province suffering from a lack of primary care providers and health-care services, the work of our dedicated professionals at this NP-led clinic is incredibly valuable,” says ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN. “We are at a point where no nurse or health-care professional is willing to accept a less-than-respectful wage increase. Unfortunately, bargaining has failed to result in an offer of any wage increase because the Ministry of Health has refused to provide much-needed additional funding. Health Minister Sylvia Jones must properly fund this health clinic in order for them to continue to keep Windsor, Essex and Amherstburg residents healthy and safe. COVID-19 infections are on the rise again and we need all hands on deck,” says Ariss.

Despite their valuable work, the workers received only a minimal wage increase for six years. “These dedicated health-care professionals cared for residents during the pandemic, risking their own health and putting their families at risk to ensure that residents were safe and healthy,” says Ariss. “Their true dedication to providing care – even though they didn’t even receive the Bill 124 one per cent that they were entitled to – is selfless, yet is unsustainable,” says Ariss.

She says it is vital that the employer come to conciliation prepared to find a way to properly recognize the value of the care the health-care team provides. “The Ford government must properly fund our health-care services. With a severe labour shortage, nurses and health-care professionals are simply no longer accepting real wage cuts after working through the pandemic.”

ONA is the union representing 68,000 ONA 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.

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