Striking health care workers returning to work Tuesday
Posted February 15, 2015 6:21 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Thousands of striking health care workers across the province will be back on the job on Tuesday.
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dr. Eric Hoskins announced on Sunday that the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) had agreed to arbitration with the Community Care Access Centres (CCACs).
“This is excellent news for more than 650,000 people, including seniors, who receive care through our Community Care Access Centres and community agencies,” Hoskins said in a release. “We value the hard work of thousands of dedicated nurses and health-care professionals who provide such excellent care to those individuals.”
The workers, including nurses, social workers, and speech therapists, operate in schools, co-ordinate home care, and more.
About 3,000 workers — including those in Scarborough, North York, Durham and Waterloo regions — went on strike Jan. 30. The Toronto Central CCAC is not represented by the ONA.
The workers are asking for a 1.4 per cent pay increase after a two-year wage freeze expired with their last contract on March 31, 2014.
The ONA says the increase is equal to what the CCAC workers’ counterparts receive in other health care settings, such as hospitals and public health.
“A strong system depends on these dedicated professionals and the valuable contribution they make to the health and well-being of the most vulnerable people in the province,” said Hoskins. “It is my hope that a resolution can be quickly reached to ensure that people can continue to access the quality home and community services they need now and in the future.”
