The Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit says its offer to the 50 registered nurses, public health nurses and registered practical nurses currently on strike is fair and reasonable.
The lone sticking point between the nurses with the Ontario Nurses Association Local 31 and the health unit is wages.
According to the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit, a 2% increase in wages was offered based on the available budget.
Director of Corporate Services at Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, David Johnston, says they offered the 2% up front.
“In some negotiations, what they do is, if we knew we had 2% available, we may start at one, and then say, 1.25, and then 1.5. Our approach was to go directly to the union to tell them what the maximum amount we had available was to them and to present them offhand,” Johnston explained at a media conference.
“So that is the top end of the mandate and anything beyond that mandate may impact our ability to maintain the number of FTEs (Full Time Equivalents) we have here on staff and also provide the program.”
Johnston says the health unit recognizes that the cost of living has increased for everyone but that the available budget has not increased at the same rate.
“This contract balances the need of a reasonable salary increase for ONA members, while remaining fair to all those reliant on our budget that’s being impacted. This includes the ONA staff, the other HPEPH staff, clients and all the taxpayers,” Johnston says.
The Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit says it is optimistic that ONA will accept the offer.
Medical Officer of Health and CEO for HPEPH, Dr. Ethan Toumishay and Director of Corporate Services, David Johnston, at a media conference in the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health building. August 28, 2023. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
Local 31 bargaining unit president Josh Davidson Marcon says health unit should have better planned its available budget.
“They should have been planning for their budgets to reflect what inflation was,” Davidson-Marcon tells media.
“They asked for a five to ten per cent increase in their budget and wages are a big percentage of that cost. So why wasn’t that part of their planning? It’s not our fault that they didn’t plan properly for what the current climate is.”
Johnston says there have been no negotiations between the two sides since the nurses went on strike.
“We have not had a negotiation session with ONA since they have decided to go on strike. They have not reached out to us to continue negotiations at this point.”
Davidson-Marcon says the union’s heels are not “dug in” and are willing to negotiate.
“We’ve also offered voluntary arbitration. If they believe that their numbers are fair then they should be willing to go to arbitration as the no strike option. They denied that offer. It was just an indication that they know that what they’re offering is substandard and not fair.”
A nurse showing her sign at the ONA Local 31 strike. August 28, 2023. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
The nurses continued their protest at Belleville City Hall, criticizing a decision by three municipalities, including Belleville, Hastings County and Prince Edward County, for not allowing nurses to speak at deputations.
The City of Belleville responded to the decision to not allow nurses to speak at deputations, citing two councillors who sit on the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Board.
“The City of Belleville as an organization has no intentions of being a part of the bargaining process for an outside party and joins surrounding municipalities, who are also partners with Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, in their position on the matter,” the city said in a statement to media.
Nurses with ONA Local 31 with pink tape over their mouth protesting a decision made by three municipalities in the Quinte Region to not allow the union to speak at delegations. August 28, 2023. (Photo: John Spitters/Quinte News)
The nurses have been without a contract since December 2022.
A full list of services impacted by the ongoing strike can be found at the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health website.
