Local Events & Notices

Black History/Black Futures Month 2024

Each February, ONA celebrates Black History/Black Futures Month and honours Black Canadians whose achievements have shaped who we are today.

Hospital Workers Bargaining Rally – February 6, 2024

Join us on Feb. 6 and show solidarity with OCHU/CUPE, SEIU Healthcare, and Unifor in their current round of hospital bargaining.

Last year, OCHU/CUPE, SEIU Healthcare, and Unifor hospital workers supported us in our fight for better wages, staffing, and care during provincial hospital bargaining. They showed up at the all-out pickets in February, and at the shutdown protest at the Sheraton. Their solidarity was vital to the outcome of our provincial hospital bargaining. Now it’s time to show them our support as these workers head to the table.

Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Time: 11 am – 1 pm
Location: Sheraton Centre Downtown Toronto (123 Queen St W.)
ONA Meet-Up Location: In front of the Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square at 10:45 a.m.

ONA staff organizers will meet members and have signs and flags to show that ONA stands with OCHU/CUPE, SEIU Healthcare, and Unifor loud and proud!

If OCHU/CUPE, SEIU Healthcare, and Unifor members win staffing improvements at the bargaining table, this means better working conditions for our hospital members and the patients they care for. If they win, we all win!

2023 Biennial Convention

The 2023 Biennial Convention took place November 7-9, 2023 in Toronto. It also included our annual Human Rights and Equity Caucus (November 6) and a half-day education session (November 10.)

Access convention resources and news -including videos and the 2023 Biennial Report– at the link below.

Medical Radiation Technologists (MRT) Week

This year, Medical Radiation Technologists (MRT) Week takes place from November 5 to 11. This annual celebration recognizes and raises awareness of the vital role that MRTs play in the health-care system.

We are proud to recognize our highly skilled and compassionate MRT members!

Support Fairness for our Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Medical Radiation Therapists!

About 200 medical radiation therapists (MRTs) – multi-disciplinary health-care professionals who provide a wide range of care and cancer treatments to patients at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre – are seeking a fair and current contract.

Support your colleagues and tell decision-makers at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre that MRTs deserve fair wages and an up-to-date contract!

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. It is a time to recognize and commemorate the intergenerational harm that residential schools caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those who have been affected by this injustice.

We urge our members to take this opportunity to learn about, and reflect on, our past and how we can meaningfully participate in reconciliation in Canada.

Support Nurses at Hastings & Prince Edward Public Health

Fifty public health nurses who provide care to 200,000 residents in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties are fighting for a fair contract, which includes wage increases to keep up with the cost of living. Since December 2022, these nurses have been without a contract, and the Public Health Board in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties has refused to come to the table with a fair offer. The employer has left nurses no choice but to take job action. This results in disruption of public health services including immunization clinics, sexual health clinics, breastfeeding consultations and mental health supports.

Hospital Decision 2023

Arbitrator Kaplan has released his decision for the 2023 hospital sector bargaining that affects about 60,000 ONA hospital members. Arbitrator Kaplan’s decision is a two-year contract that spans from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2025.

Visit the link below to see the draft collective agreement, highlights and more. Updated local agreements will be posted to our hospital Bargaining Unit pages when they are available.

Celebrating Pride in 2023!

Pride is a celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Two-Spirit (LGBTQI2S) culture. Pride events also, at times, serve as opportunities to raise awareness and advocate for human rights and combat discrimination. We are proud to support and show solidarity with our LGBTQI2S members!

Toronto Pride Parade – Sunday, June 25: ONA has been busy planning for the Toronto Pride Parade with our theme, “Speaking Up & Staying Proud!” If you’re attending the parade, be sure to keep an eye out for our record-breaking delegation of members and staff. Rain or shine, it will be a fabulous day! If you have questions about the parade, please email Leanne Cooke at leannec@ona.org. The parade begins at 2 p.m. at the corner of Church St. and Bloor St., and finishes at approximately 6 p.m. at the corner of Yonge St. and Dundas St. It is 2 kms in total.

Enough is Enough – Province-wide Day of Action June 3, 2023

On June 3 we are joining the OFL’s province-wide day of action in Toronto. Together with unions, community members and workers across Ontario we will send a message to the Ford government that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! No to health-care privatization, better staffing now!

We will meet at the ONA office (85 Grenville St, Toronto, M5S 3A2) at 11 a.m. and march down to Nathan Phillips where there will be a OFL rally and march ending at Queen’s Park. Unions and community groups across Ontario are mobilizing actions in local communities and many are joining in Toronto for the big action on that day.

Wear scrubs or dress in black and pink!

ONA Celebrates Nursing Week 2023

This Nursing Week 2023, May 8-14, we are not only recognizing the professionalism and dedication of ONA’s registered nurse (RN), registered practical nurse (RPN) and nurse practitioner (NP) members, we are also marking ONA’s 50th anniversary. You can see this reflected in our Nursing Week theme: Lasting Impact, Forging Our Future / Créer un impact durable, bâtir notre avenir.

Since ONA was formed, we have seen amazing progress in our collective fight for safer workplaces, better compensation and high quality, safe care for patients, residents and clients in hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health, public health, home care and industry and clinics across Ontario.

Today, we continue to face many challenges as a profession. These realities call on each of us to act collectively through our union to continue the fight for better. When nurses unite to fight for better health care, we are unstoppable. We are laying the groundwork for our future – and we are stronger collectively than ever before.

Information Sessions for Recent Arbitration Decisions (Bill 124 Reopener) – May 1, 2023

We will hold two information sessions on the recent wage decisions (Bill 124 Reopener) from Arbitrators Stout and Gedalof. The sessions will be held over Zoom on Monday, May 1 from 12-1 p.m. and 8-9 p.m.

Zoom link (12-1 p.m.): https://ona.zoom.us/j/91705788953?pwd=VEtaTGZtREhpemc2RlgrejVnbDI1Zz09

Zoom link (8-9 p.m.): https://ona.zoom.us/j/99931465431?pwd=aWNmbm41MEI5TGRTVTBKV2xkUGJWZz09

Time’s Up! Join us April 5.

We know that better staffing and wages are integral to our ability to provide patients with the quality care they need. That’s why we continue to plan actions leading up to our arbitration dates scheduled during the first week of May.

On Wednesday, April 5, join us for our next action at 10:45 a.m. at the southeast corner of College and University in Toronto. Wear scrubs and dress for the weather!

Learn more about hospital bargaining and our fight for better staffing, wages and care at ona.org/bettercare.

Join us March 2 for the All-Out Shut Down Protest

Join Ontario’s nurses, health-care professionals and allies for the All-Out Shut Down Protest!

Let’s demand Better Staffing, Better Wages and Better Care from the Ontario Hospital Association! We need you to join the fight to #SupportNurses!

We’ll start by shutting down the street outside the Sheraton Centre Toronto, where bargaining is taking place, at 12 p.m. Then at 12:50 p.m., we’ll take our message directly to Doug Ford with a march on Queen’s Park! See you at 12 p.m. at 123 Queen St. W.!

Learn more about hospital bargaining and our fight for better staffing, wages and care at ona.org/bettercare.

Join us Feb. 23 for an All-Out Picket!

On February 23, ONA members and allies will join all-out picket actions in communities across the province. These pickets will show our unified voice and commitment to achieving a fair deal for Ontario’s nurses.

Join ONA Local 97 on Feb. 23 from 12 to 2 p.m. at 585 University Ave (in front of TGH.) Contact Liz Romano at 416-400-3524 if you have any questions.

Learn more about hospital bargaining and our fight for better staffing, wages and care at ona.org/bettercare.

Great work Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Lyndhurst Centre RNs!

A delegation of nurses from TRI Lyndhurst Centre met with the CNE of University Health Network in January 2023 and delivered her a letter and banner signed by 94% of Lyndhurst RNs. They shared their concerns about the model of care at Lyndhurst and asked to discuss solutions. Great work, Lyndhurst RNs!

RNs, Be Proud and Wear White on Wednesdays!

In an effort to raise public awareness of the RN shortage plaguing our health-care system, ONA is encouraging members to join nurses across Canada who are wearing white on Wednesdays to stand out and stand up for their patients and their profession.