TORONTO — Front-line nurses represented by the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) walked away from provincial bargaining with nursing home employers this week, saying negotiations failed to produce progress on wages and working conditions.The union said talks broke down after what it described as “concessions and regressive proposals” from employers representing more than 4,400 members working in long-term care facilities across Ontario.ONA president Erin Ariss said the proposals did not reflect the realities faced by front-line staff.“Employers came to the table with proposals so out of touch with front-line realities that they can only be described as insulting,” Ariss said in a statement released Thursday.Among the union’s key demands are wage parity with hospital nurses and improvements to staffing levels and workplace safety in long-term care homes.The union also raised concerns about compensation disparities between nurses in for-profit nursing homes and those working in hospitals or municipally operated facilities, arguing that workers performing similar duties should receive comparable pay.ONA singled out major operators such as Extendicare, noting the company reported more than $96 million in profits last year. The union argued that profitability in the sector contrasts with what it described as insufficient investment in staff and resident care..Employers, through the bargaining process, did not publicly respond in the union’s statement.Under Ontario labour law, nurses in both hospitals and long-term care homes are not permitted to strike. When negotiations fail, disputes proceed to binding arbitration, where a third party determines contract terms.Ariss criticized that system, saying it limits workers’ ability to negotiate directly and leaves key decisions to arbitrators who may not have health-care experience.“The lack of meaningful bargaining is further proof that the current system strips workers of their power to win improvements,” she said.The dispute is now set to move to arbitration hearings scheduled for June 15 and 16.The ONA represents approximately 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals across the province, along with more than 18,000 nursing student affiliates working in hospitals, long-term care, public health and community settings.
