Stand with Health Care Workers to Say No! to Ontario Bill 195

Oppose the Violation of Workers’ Rights
in the Name of Dealing with COVID-19

The Ontario Nurses Association is organizing pickets against Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 introduced July 7 which empowers the Ontario cabinet to continue to enforce temporary orders issued under the COVID-19 state of emergency once the emergency is lifted at the end of July. The majority of orders issued override in one way or another the collective agreements of workers, especially front-line health care workers in hospitals, long-term care homes, and retirement homes. With the emergency orders in place, the role of healthcare professionals and workers in deciding the working conditions required to safeguard the population are denied. Nurses and other care workers can have their shifts changed, be moved from site to site, or have vacation requests denied. The orders also enable long-term care homes to override seniority provisions and a lot more shifts to newer lower-paid workers. The Act will apply throughout the province, even though many public health units are no longer in an emergency situation.

The nurses are also continuing to demand the withdrawal of Bill 124. Introduced and passed in 2019 by the Ford government, the bill limits wage increases of registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and health care professionals, along with other public sector workers, to a maximum of one per cent total compensation for three years.

Ottawa

Wednesday, July 22 — 1:00-2:30 pm
MPP Jeremy Roberts Constituency Office, 1580 Merrivale Rd.
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Whitby

Friday, July 24 — 11:00 am
MPP Lorne Coe’s Constituency Office, 101-114 Dundas St. E.
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Elmira

Friday, July 24 — 1:00 pm
MPP Mike Harris’ Constituency Office, 63 Arthur St. S., Unit 3 and 4
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