Ona Lakeridge Health Collective Agreement
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ONA Lakeridge Health Collective Agreement: Nurses Reach Deal on Wages, Benefits, and Working Conditions
The Ontario Nurses` Association (ONA) has announced that it has reached a new collective agreement with Lakeridge Health, which covers about 1,400 registered nurses, registered practical nurses, and nurse practitioners who work at five hospitals and related facilities in Durham Region. The previous agreement expired on March 31, 2019, and the new agreement will be effective from that date until March 31, 2023.
According to the ONA, the new agreement provides the following improvements for its members:
– Wage increases of 1.5% retroactive to April 1, 2019, 1.75% on April 1, 2020, 1.5% on April 1, 2021, and 1.75% on April 1, 2022, which will raise the base pay rates by up to $4.19 per hour over four years. The agreement also includes a one-time lump-sum payment of 1.5% of the member`s earnings in the previous year, up to a maximum of $1,500, in recognition of the delayed bargaining process.
– Enhancements to benefits, including increased funding for professional development, extended health care coverage for vision care and physiotherapy, and improved bereavement leave provisions.
– Changes to working conditions, such as the creation of a new sick-leave bank for members who exhaust their sick days, improvements to the process for filling vacant positions, and increased flexibility for scheduling and vacation requests.
– Continued participation in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), with adjustments to the employer contributions to reflect the wage increases.
The negotiations between the ONA and Lakeridge Health were reportedly challenging, as the parties had different views on issues such as job security, workload, staffing levels, and workplace violence protection. The ONA had previously held a strike vote, but did not proceed to a walkout, as it hoped to reach a deal through mediation.
In a statement, ONA President Vicki McKenna praised the members who participated in the bargaining process and said that the agreement “acknowledges the significant contributions of nurses to patient care and recognizes the value of their work.” McKenna also noted that the agreement included provisions to address some of the concerns that nurses had raised about their working conditions, although she acknowledged that more work needed to be done in that regard.
Lakeridge Health CEO Matthew Anderson also expressed satisfaction with the agreement, saying that it “balances the needs of our valued nurses with the sustainability of our organization.” Anderson noted that the agreement aligned with Lakeridge Health`s “commitment to quality patient care and being an employer of choice.”
The ONA Lakeridge Health collective agreement is significant not only for the affected members and their employer but also for the broader healthcare sector in Ontario. Nurses are a crucial part of the healthcare team, and their working conditions can impact patient outcomes, staff retention, and healthcare costs. The agreement shows that even in a challenging economic and political climate, it is possible to negotiate a fair and reasonable deal that respects the needs and contributions of nurses and their organization.