TORONTO, ON, June 15, 2026 – The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) – the union representing more than 4,400 nursing homes nurses and health-care professionals – is entering into two days of arbitration hearings with for-profit employers today.
“Once again, contract negotiations with employers have failed and are now at arbitration,” says ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN. “Round after round of bargaining for our nursing homes nurses and health-care professionals ends this way – which is both unacceptable and infuriating to ONA members who are the backbone of resident care.”
Thousands of nurses and health-care professionals across the province have held a series of escalating public actions to spotlight their bargaining priorities: safe working conditions and fair pay. Despite providing the same level of 24/7 comprehensive care, nurses working in nursing homes are paid more than 10 per cent less than nurses in hospitals.
"This pay gap sends the wrong message to nurses and makes retention increasingly difficult,” notes Ariss. “We cannot expect dedicated professionals to remain in long-term care when their expertise and commitment are valued less than those of their peers in other health-care settings."
For-profit nursing homes rake in record profits year after year. In 2025, Extendicare reported $96 million in profits, up 28 per cent from the previous year. “For-profit nursing homes should never be allowed to prioritize profits over resident care. Every dollar diverted to shareholders is a dollar that could be invested in front-line staffing, better working conditions, and higher-quality care,” says Ariss. “Public health-care dollars should be used to improve care, not enrich shareholders. Unfortunately, the Ford government continues to pursue an aggressive privatization agenda that drains resources from the public system and puts profits ahead of the quality care Ontarians deserve.”
ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 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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