Ontario Hospital Nurses Awarded 5.25% Pay Increase Over Two Years
An arbitrator has approved a new contract for approximately 60,000 hospital nurses in Ontario, granting them a pay raise of 5.25% spread over a two-year period. The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) has expressed disappointment in the outcome, citing the absence of mandated minimum staffing levels in the agreement, a key point the nurses had pushed for during the arbitration process.
ONA’s provincial president, Erin Ariss, criticized the arbitrator for neglecting to incorporate staffing ratios into the contract, emphasizing the importance of ensuring nurses’ safety through appropriate staffing levels. The union plans to carefully review the decision and explore potential next steps in response.
Hospitals, on the other hand, contended that the proposed staffing ratios by the union were inflexible and impractical, failing to consider the support provided by other healthcare professionals like registered practical nurses.
Although the arbitrator defended the decision by highlighting existing mechanisms for nurses to address workload concerns and staffing adequacy, the issue of staffing ratios remains a point of contention between the ONA and hospital management.