Peterborough Public Health Nurses head to Mediation, Hope to Avoid Being Forced on Strike

PETERBOROUGH, ON, Nov. 23, 2018 /CNW/ - Nurses working for Peterborough Public Health are heading into mediation talks on Monday, November 26, trying to avoid being locked out or forced to strike.

These 31 members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) care for 130,000 people in our communities.

"As nurses, we never want to be forced to withdraw our vital services, including disease outbreak control, ensuring new families can care for their infants, and providing injury prevention and health education at schools," says ONA president Vicki McKenna, RN. "Our first priority is the health and well-being of our communities."

Public health nurses are highly educated professionals whose experience and focus on particular areas of health care makes them more effective. They want to continue to give the maximum benefit of their specialized skills and training.

Without a contract for more than a year, Peterborough public health nurses have already completed four days of negotiations and one day of conciliation with their employer—none of which has resulted in a new collective agreement. They will be in a legal strike position as of November 28.

Peterborough and area residents are encouraged to send messages to the Peterborough Board of Health at www.ona.org/PTBO

To learn more about public health nurses' invaluable, though often unseen, work, watch this new video featuring nurses of ONA Local 3.

ONA is the union representing more than 65,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association