A group of nurses with Hastings Prince Edward Public Health went to the picket line Monday after bargaining talks broke down.
The talks between the Ontario Nurses Association and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health reached a standstill during negotiations and were unable to come to an agreement after conciliation on June 13.
Negotiations fell apart over the percentage increase in the next contract.
“We were impacted on our last contract negotiations and were informed that we should be happy to receive anything over one per cent as that was what the other nurses received,” explained Joshua Davidson Marcon, a registered nurse with HPEPH and an organizer of the picketing.
“As we are aware, after arbitration, those nurses received higher increases than we did.”
The union has been accusing their employer of “stonewalling” them.
“We don’t want to be forced to withdraw our services, but our employer is giving us no choice,” Davidson Marcon tells Quinte News.
“They did not come to the table prepared to negotiate and they did not come prepared to give us a wage that we deserve.”
A few more than 30 nurses took part in the picketing with the majority wearing pink and waving flags.
Davidson Marcon says there are also some nurses picketing at the offices in Picton, Trenton and Bancroft.
“We’re united and we’re ready to fight,” he said.
“We don’t want to fight but if we have to we will stand up for ourselves.”
