ONA UPDATE: SUMMER 2013 - Ontario Nurses' Association

Member Education
E Guest speakers and several sessions at the June Provincial Coordinators
Meeting (PCM) in Kingston continue our quest to educate leaders and members
about the real threats posed to workers, workers’ rights and unions.
E A well-received education session at the June PCM highlights the impact of
mental illness on ONA members.
E Participants in ONA’s Leadership Conference say they feel empowered to better
service their members thanks to the information and tools provided during
the week-long event.
E Key sessions at the Leadership Conference include: Marshalling Solidarity,
Packing a Political Punch, Building Bridges with Allies, Workplace Investigations,
A Grievance May Not be the Only Avenue, and Union Renewal: A Call to Action.
E ONA’s Membership Education and Events Team launches a new negotiations
eLearning series to help members prepare for local bargaining.
Professional
Issues
E After years of advocacy by ONA and our
members, the College of Nurses of Ontario
(CNO) drafts bylaws in response to a
government directive regarding personal
liability, meaning members will continue
to be covered by the ONA Liability Plan
in addition to what their employer offers
and will not have to purchase additional
personal liability insurance – a huge win
for our union!
E By diligently documenting their workload
concerns, members from the Hamilton
Niagara Haldimand Brant Community
Care Access Centre are successful in
obtaining 10 additional care coordinator
positions.
E ONA meets with Humber River Hospital
to discuss the implementation of the recommendations
of a recent Independent
Assessment Committee (IAC) hearing
looking into RN concerns in the emergency
departments of the Church and
Finch Street sites, and as a result, new
leadership and restructuring of the program
is in place and the employer is set
to provide a platform for more open and
transparent communications.
ONTARIO NURSES’ ASSOCIATION
Organizing Successes
E Nurses and allied health professionals in the following organizations choose ONA
as their union, meaning we welcome more than 100 new members: London Health
Sciences Centre; St. Joseph’s Villa of Sudbury; Grand River Community Health Centre,
Brantford; OMNI Forest Hill, Kanata; Sherwood Court Long-Term Care Centre, Maple;
and Extendicare Maple View, Sault Ste. Marie (Public Sector Labour Relations Transition
Act vote) .
E The Retention and Recruitment Team continues to field calls from those seeking the
benefits that ONA membership offers.
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ONA UPDATE: SUMMER 2013