THUNDER BAY – Public health nurses at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit got an early taste of what life on the picket line might be like.
About 50 nurses, joined by local city council hopefuls and NDP MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell, spent about half an hour on Thursday picketing outside the office of Liberal MPP Michael Gravelle, pushing for an end to a labour dispute that has lasted nearly two years.
The workers, members of the Ontario Nurses Association, face a Tuesday strike deadline, with last-minute mediation, designed to avert a work stoppage, scheduled for Monday.
Shelley Aretz, a member of ONA Local 014, said frustrations are starting to mount as the nurses fight for pay equity.
“We want equal pay for equal work,” Aertz said. “We want wage parity with other public health nurses. We’re not looking to be compared with nurses that are working in the hospitals, but we want to be compared to public health nurses in the north – like the Northwestern Health Unit, Algoma Public Health.
“We’re the lowest paid public health nurses in the province.”
Under their current contract, which expired on Dec. 31, 2016, public health nurses start at an annual salary of $53,931, which grows to $75,041 after eight years.
“All of the health units are funded the same. We get funding from the municipalities, and the province. Every other health unit manages to pay their nurses fairly,” Aertz said.
Becky Bridgman, a public health nurse who works in the tobacco cessation department of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, said she and her colleagues are searching for fairness.
“This has been coming for a long time,” she said. “We’ve had long-term issues with negotiations and coming to agreements with our employer. We often have been a year-plus into our expired contract, and now we’re almost two years with an expired contract.
“I think for our nurses, although it’s bittersweet because we don’t like to not do our job ... this is a really important cause for us.”
Asked if the labour dispute has had an impact on services, both union members recommended calling the Health Unit to try to book an appointment.
“I can’t speak for the organizations. I think some of the nurses have seen some impacts,” Bridgman said. “What I do recommend is you maybe call for supports. The public who call for supports may learn different than we know. We are advised that the services continue status quo until the 16th. But I think it’s been noticed there has been some decrease in services.”
Earlier this week a spokesman for the Health Unit said talks broke down in mid-September, but he’s hopeful a solution can be found in time to avert a strike.
“Currently, all TBDHU services and programs are running,” said Lance Dyll, TBDHU’s director of corporate services, in an email response to Thunder Bay Television.
“However, in the event that a labour disruption cannot be avoided, the TBDHU has initiated contingency planning (in regards to the continuation of services) to minimize the disruption of services to clients, to the extent that is possible. Additional details regarding the continuation of essential services and expected service interruptions (if any) will be provided at that time if needed.”
