WATERLOO, ON, October 7, 2025 – Today, representatives from the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) are making a deputation to the Community and Health Services Committee at the Region of Waterloo about nurses bargaining a new collective agreement with the Region of Waterloo Public Health. Ahead of conciliation, 92 per cent of the nurses signed and delivered a petition to call on the committee to increase funding for fair wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses.
“We’re here to tell the Community and Health Services Committee that they must take care of nurses so that in turn they can care for our communities,” notes ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN. “Instead of clawing back hard-fought victories like fair schedules, the committee must direct the employer to focus on improvements like fair wages and benefits.”
ROWPH nurses provide preventative and specialized health care to the fastest growing region in the country. They support people of all ages, lead infectious disease monitoring and response, provide care in homes, and support high-risk and equity-deserving populations. They are the first line of defence in health care and ensure strong, healthy communities.
“Our members are not going to accept below-inflation wage increases and unilateral control over their schedules. They worked relentlessly during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent measles outbreak, putting themselves and their families at risk,” explains Ariss.
“Employers must learn from their past mistakes. Poor management has led to a recruitment and retention problem costing you highly skilled, experienced nurses who are critical to the community's 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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