TORONTO, ON, March 5, 2026 – Nurses at the Northeastern Public Health (NEPH) have overwhelmingly voted to be represented by the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), joining Ontario’s largest union dedicated to health care and North America’s largest nurses’ union.
“As Ontario’s largest health-care specific-union, we are proud that nurses at Northeastern Public Health felt best represented by ONA,” says Erin Ariss, Registered Nurse and ONA Provincial President. “Now that the decision has been made, we can continue our fight for better funding, fair wages and respect in public health.”
In January 2025, the Ford government approved the merger of nine public health units into four entities. At the time, workers at these public health units across the province were represented by several different unions.
The Ontario Labour Relations Board later determined that the workers at NEPH would be divided into two bargaining units: a “nurses” bargaining unit and an “all employees” bargaining unit. ONA earned overwhelming support from members of the nurses’ bargaining unit.
Throughout the campaign, ONA connected with nurses about the importance of a union that knows health care, knows how to win and can fight back against funding cuts on a local, municipal and provincial level.
Notes Ariss, “With a super majority of nurses voting in favour of ONA, we’re strengthening our grassroots movement in every sector across the province. I’m excited to work alongside all ONA members to fight for high-quality public health care and fair working conditions.”
ONA is the union representing 68,000 health-care professionals, along with 18,000 nursing student affiliates, who provide care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, community settings, clinics, and industry.
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