TORONTO, ON, April 20, 2026 – More than 4,400 nurses and health-care professionals working in long-term care homes – members of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) – are calling for urgent investments in resident care, rather than allowing public funds to flow to shareholder profits.
“For far too long, for-profit long-term care operators have generated tens of millions in profits with little accountability to residents, their families, or Ontarians,” said ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN. “Nurses and health-care professionals deliver round-the-clock care to some of the most vulnerable people in our society, yet they earn more than 10 per cent less than hospital nurses providing comparable care. It’s time these employers show respect for the essential work nurses perform every day.”
The concerns come amid rising profits in the sector. In 2025, Extendicare reported $96 million in profits – an increase of 28 per cent over the previous year – while CEO Michael Guerriere received total compensation of $2.6 million. Front-line staff say these gains are not reflected in their wages or working conditions. Instead, they continue to face chronic understaffing and limited resources while striving to provide high-quality care.
The widening wage gap between long-term care and hospital nurses, combined with difficult working conditions, is driving many skilled professionals out of the sector in search of better pay and support.
“Under the Ford government, we’ve seen non-profit long-term care homes close while for-profit operators receive funding and contracts to expand,” Ariss added. “Residents deserve consistent, high-quality care, and the best way to achieve that is through legislated staffing ratios and fair compensation.”
ONA members say the provincial government must take decisive action to hold corporations accountable. By mandating safe staffing levels, improving wages, and ensuring public funding is directed to care – not profits – Ontario can strengthen its long-term care system and deliver the quality of care residents deserve.
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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