TORONTO, ON, December 18, 2025 – Respiratory therapists (RTs) RTs from the Toronto General and Toronto Western sites of University Health Network have overwhelmingly voted to join the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), Canada’s largest nurses’ union.

ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN, notes that “these highly educated RTs have put their faith in our union to fight for more respectful wages and working conditions and take action to correct understaffing and scheduling issues. The 133 RTs at these University Health Network sites are dedicated to providing the best services and care possible to their patients joining with ONA enables them to focus on doing their best for their patients.

“We are a powerful movement of nurses and health-care professionals committed to fighting for each other and those we care for. ONA confronts governments, administrations and other policymakers head on to fight for quality publicly funded and publicly delivered health care,” says Ariss.

As members of ONA, these RTs are joining with 68,000 nurses and health-care professionals, using their collective voices to improve working conditions, fight attacks on the publicly funded and delivered health-care system and improve patient care.

“We welcome University Health Network RTs to our union and will work to fight for a stronger collective agreement, which they have more than earned and very much deserve,” says Ariss.

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 facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

-30-