WATERLOO, ON, August 25, 2025 – More than 100 nurses at Region of Waterloo Public Health (RWPH), members of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), head to conciliation tomorrow. They are seeking a fair new contract with their employer who wants unilateral control over schedules.
“Many nurses come to work public health to reclaim control over their time and lives. They have young families, take care of elderly parents and deserve work-life balance,” explains Erin Ariss, registered nurse and ONA Provincial President. “The Region of Waterloo Public Health needs to understand that without fair schedules and compensation nurses will leave this sector for work elsewhere.”
The RWPH wants unilateral control over schedules to force employees to work weekends. While nurses can and do work weekends, the employer has failed to demonstrate a need for consistent weekend coverage and is refusing to pay fairly.
“Public health nurses are the first line of defence in our health care,” says Ariss. “During the pandemic, public health nurses worked around the clock despite government and employer mismanagement, and often for low wages, contributing to an exodus of high-skilled nurses.”
RWPH nurses provide preventative and specialized health care to a population of over 670,000 in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, along with the townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich. They provide a range of services including supports for new parents, children and elderly, lead infectious disease monitoring and response, provide care in homes, underserved communities and to high-risk populations.
Ariss says, “At a time when our communities are still combating the measles outbreak and ahead of the viral infection season, I urge this employer to meet these nurses’ demands. Because without them, there is no public health.”
ONA is the union representing more than 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.
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