UPDATED FEB. 28: Bullet News HURON COUNTY – Representatives from the county’s health unit and the union representing public health nurses are set for another mediation meeting Friday, just one day before the 26 nurses are in a legal strike or lockout position.
“We’re hoping that we can avoid a strike by continuing to work with the union to resolve the remaining issues,“ said Dr. Nancy Cameron, the county’s medical officer of health, in a press release.
A mediator from the Ministry of Labour is scheduled to lead the meeting that will focus on “mainly monetary” issues, she said.
The nurses, who are represented by Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), have been without a contract since its three-year contract expired Dec. 31, 2011. They held a strike vote Wednesday night, but the results remain in a sealed box at this time.
“This employer is attempting to force our dedicated health professionals to agree to serious concessions including the gutting of their sick-leave plan, a particularly nasty demand as nurses are the most injured and ill of all health care professionals simply due to the nature of their work,” said Linda Haslam-Stroud, who is ONA president.
“We’re heading into negotiations on Friday, into mediation, extremely hopeful and positive that we’re just going to come out with a fair contract and everyone will walk away from the table and business will carry on as usual on Monday, said Shelley Spencer, who has worked as public health nurse at the county’s health unit for nearly 20 years. She is also on the negotiating team for ONA Local 21, and says she cannot remember strike action ever being considered during contract negotiations.
The health unit is working on a contingency plan in the event nurses go on strike March 2 or beyond. A strike could affect some services such as prenatal education, clinics such as immunization, and home visits related the healthy babies healthy children program. It would also affect the health unit’s response a pandemic or mass immunization in the event of a public emergency.
A strike would not affect approvals for plumbing and sewage systems, water sampling, inspections, dental services, health hazard complaints, reporting of animal exposures (rabies), the smoking cessation Stop on the Road program, or access to immunization records.
In the event of a strike, information will be posted online at www.huronhealthunit.com or www.huroncounty.ca, or is available by calling 1-877-837-6143 during business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
