With the strike by local public health nurses in its sixth week, the Ontario Nurses’ Association is calling for the immediate resignations of the Board of Health Chair and Vice-Chair.
Prince Edward County councillors and board members Kate McNaughton and John Hirsch have both resigned from the board citing a lack of transparency as the reason for their resignation.
ONA President Erin Ariss says the union is now calling on Board Chair Jan O’Neill and Vice-Chair Michael Kotsovos to also resign asking on them to “take responsibility and resign immediately, if, as reported, important details are being withheld from other board members preventing them from making informed decisions about negotiations with health unit staff.”
The union is also asking Medical Officer of Health and health unit CEO Dr. Ethan Toumishey to step in to ensure striking workers receive a fair deal allowing them to get back to serving their communities.
Read the full release from the Ontario Nurses Association below:
With the sudden resignations of Kate McNaughton and John Hirsch – two Hastings and Prince Edward (HPE) counties Board of Health members – the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is calling for the immediate resignations of Board Chair Jan O’Neill and Vice-Chair Michael Kotsovos.
McNaughton and Hirsch cited a lack of transparency at the Board of Health – the employer of the striking workers – as the reason for their resignation.
“The community should be extremely concerned about the apparent mismanagement of their public health unit and its ongoing failure to provide a fair contract to its front-line staff, some of whom have been on strike for nearly six weeks,” said ONA President Erin Ariss, RN. “ONA is calling on Board Chair Jan O’Neill and Vice-Chair Michael Kotsovos to take responsibility and resign immediately. If, as reported, important details are being withheld from other Board members, preventing them from making informed decisions about negotiations with health unit staff, then the Chair and Vice-Chair must resign,” demands Ariss.
The union is asking Medical Officer of Health and health unit CEO Dr. Ethan Toumishey to step in to ensure that more than 200,000 residents receive the care they need, including life-saving vaccinations for COVID-19, which is ramping up in the communities. “Dr. Toumishey must step in to ensure striking workers receive a fair deal allowing them to get back to serving their communities. Under the watch of the current Chair and Vice-Chair, the health unit has done nothing to resolve the issues needed to bring nurses back to work, including budgeting appropriately for fair wages.”
“Our nurses have more than earned and deserve respect from this employer and this community, not only for their knowledge, education and skills, but their dedication to preventing illness and outbreaks among the 200,000 Ontarians who live in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. A new, fair deal must be offered to nurses, now,” notes Ariss.
