Health Care unions are putting forward a five-point plan, which they say can put an end to emergency room closures.
Ontario Nurse’s Association interim Chief Executive Officer Catherine Hoy says it starts by getting rid of the wage-restricting Bill 124.
“In my opinion, it’s the root cause restoring our collective bargaining so that nurses and healthcare professionals can be compensated fairly and be showing the respect that they have more than earned,” says Hoy.
The health care unions also want more support for the existing workforce by increasing staff, providing mental health support, offering more full-time employment and implementing on-site support such as childcare.
They also propose financial incentives to discourage early retirements and enhance hiring and retention.
They also want incentives to help get back nurses, paramedicals and others licensed but currently not working in hospitals.
Labour also wants to see post-secondary health care programs expand, with tuition waved and incentives to graduates to study and practice in Ontario.
Ontario Council of Hospital Union’s Michael Hurley says the current workforce is exhausted, demoralized and looking at walking out the door.
“Frankly, we need to make working in hospital better paid and safer, and we need to step up our hospitals to deal with the workloads which are impossible and which threaten the quality of patient care,” says Hurley.
Hurley notes there are 20 thousand vacancies that now exist in Ontario hospitals.
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