ONA Hospital Award Comes Out

The central interest arbitration award for Registered Nurses at 137 Ontario hospitals has been released. Here is the Ontario Nurses' Association's (ONA's) comment:

The award provides lump sum payments in each of the first two years of the three-year contract and a 2.75-per-cent across-the-board increase to all classifications in year three.

In addition, the award provides benefit, premium (shift, weekend and responsibility pay) and vacation improvements, including health benefits for retirees. Other improvements include those addressing professional issues, leave issues, health and safety and contract enforcement.

ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, says “the agreement addresses the priority issues of the front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals – the backbone of health care. We also believe that the government’s two-year restraint mandate has been met.”

Haslam-Stroud notes that the value that nurses bring to patient care actually saves hospitals money. “Dollar for dollar, RNs are the best value in health care,” she says. “Study after study has shown that RN care results in better health outcomes for patients, with lower morbidity (complication) and mortality (death) rates, and fewer readmissions to hospital.”

The three year contract will expire March 31, 2014, six months after the OCHU/CUPE central agreement. The award and ONA's summary and media release are available by clicking here. The Ontario Hospital Association's media release on this can be found by clicking here.

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