The Work of the Union - Spring 2011 - Ontario Nurses' Association

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6 OntariO n urses’ a ssO ciatiO nHealth and SafetyThe Expert Panel reviewing Ontario’s occupationalhealth and safety system issuesa report containing 46 recommendations,which reflected many of those spelled outin ONA’s submission and from our members,who met with the panel last fall.ONA applauds the news that MetronConstruction Corporation, its owner JoelSwartz and others associated with the companywill be prosecuted under the CriminalCode of Canada for criminal negligence inthe deaths of four migrant workers, who fell13 storeys when their scaffolding broke inhalf on Christmas Eve 2009.Nurses must never dismiss incidents ofviolence, no matter how trivial they thinkthey are, ONA tells a symposium on workplaceviolence, held on National Day ofRemembrance and Action on Violenceagainst Women in Windsor.ONA members across the province rememberthe registered nurses, allied health professionalsand thousands of other workerswho have lost their lives or suffered injurieson the job during Day of Mourning events.ONA provides an oral presentation andwritten submission to the Workplace Safetyand Insurance Board (WSIB) FundingReview focusing on the issue of full fundingand WSIB incentive programs.Thanks to our submission and online letterwriting campaign, the government amendsBill 160, Occupational Health and SafetyStatute Law Amendment Act, which addressesthe majority of our concerns.Human rights and equityThe annual Human Rights and Equity Caucus, held during BiennialConvention week, enjoyed the highest number of attendees ever,with 99 per cent of participants stating they were either “satisfied” or“very satisfied” with the day.Important amendments are made to ONA’s Statement of Beliefs, under“Diversity and Equity,” at the Biennial Convention, including replacingthe word “gender” with “sex” in describing differences under“diversity.”ONA adds our voice to the Colour of Poverty campaign’s open letterto Prime Minister Stephen Harper, urging him to reaffirm the federalgovernment’s commitment to equity by strengthening, not dismantling,the Employment Equity Program.To remove or minimize systemic barriers experienced by RNs andensure the human rights of other professional employees in thisprovince, the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s policies must setstandards for how regulatory bodies of self-governing professionsshould act to ensure compliance with the Human Rights Code, ONAstates in a submission.ONA holds its first quarterly human rights and equity teleconnect,which receives rave reviews from the participants.
OntariO n urses’ a ssO ciatiO n7Member educationOrganizing SuccessesApproximately 40 registered nurses from the James Bay regionare now members thanks to a successful Public Sector LabourRelations Transition Act (PSLRTA) vote in late February 2011 followingthe amalgamation of the federal Weeneebayko General Hospitalin Moose Factory and the provincial James Bay General Hospital,which operates three sites.Following a PSLRTA vote at the Canadian Mental Health Associationin Windsor, ONA represents our first all-nurse practitioner BargainingUnit.After a merger of North Bay and District Hospital with the North EastMental Health Centre, nurses at the facilities overwhelmingly chooseONA as their union during a PSLRTA vote, meaning we retain 466members and welcome an additional 79 members.In one of our most successful certification votes to date, nurses atTrillium Health Centre in Mississauga say “yes” to joining ONA, resultingin more than 1,600 new members.Nurses and allied health professionals in the following organizationsalso choose ONA as their union, meaning we welcome 75 newmembers: Hampton Terrace Care Centre, Brant Centre Long-TermCare Residence, Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, OMNI GardenTerrace, and Providence Manor Long-Term Care.Members and student affiliates can accessa vast array of ONA education programs atno cost and from the comfort of their ownhome after our eLearning platform is officiallylaunched at the Biennial Convention.ONA’s 2011 Education Brochure is postedon our website to detail all the workshops,eLearning modules and training DVDsavailable.The New Local Coordinators/TreasurersConference, held over three days inJanuary 2011 to help Local leaders meettheir accountabilities and learn and updateskills, is overwhelmingly received.In keeping with the times, ONA launchesa Twitter account and Facebook page sousers can receive regular updates aboutour work and to provide another venue todemonstrate the value of our services toprospective members.Education at the March ProvincialCoordinators Meeting focuses on what’shot in arbitration case law.successes and Highlights: Fall/Winter 2009-2010NursiN g Week u pdate7
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The Work of the Union - Spring 2011 - Ontario Nurses' Association

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