THUNDER BAY — Local hospital nurses are adding their voice to a chorus across Ontario calling for the province to address wages and staffing challenges.
The Ontario Nurses' Association hosted an information picket on a chilly Thursday, marching along Oliver Road in the vicinity of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as part of a series of province-wide demonstrations.
Donna Wheal, Ontario Nurses Association Local 73 bargaining unit president and local coordinator, said nurses have undergone a period of salary suppression, including the Ford government’s legislation capping public sector raises at one per cent.
“We want better wages for nurses,” she said.
“We need better staffing. We need workloads that are reasonable so that we can provide patient care, and in that we want better care for Ontarians.”
The local represents about 1,100 members working at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
Wheal, who was backed by dozens of sign-carrying nurses, called on members of the public for their support, while also urging people to advocate for patient care.
The last few years have been a very challenging time for nurses, she said.
“A lot of nurses left when there was no proper [personal protective equipment] for nurses. They retired and didn’t come back,” she said.
“We have staffing shortages like never before. Nurses have been challenged with working extra shifts — double time, overtime, extra time, working short. These nurses behind me are trying so hard to provide the best patient care possible in sometimes untenable circumstances.”
The current contract for members of the Ontario Nurses' Association is set to expire at the end of March, with mediation scheduled for next week.
Wheal did not answer specific questions about bargaining, citing confidentiality, but said wage increases should help retain and recruit nurses into the profession, while also calling for provincial support of the education system.
“The Ford government could be a little bit more respectful in terms of our negotiations in putting forth a contract that is reasonable and respects nurses,” she said. “Patients let us into their inner sanctum when they’re most vulnerable and we provide the best care we can with the circumstances we’re in.”
