The NDP and Liberal candidates who will battle for leadership in Nipissing when the provincial election takes place this June, have come to the side of hospital workers who rallied outside MPP Vic Fedeli's constituency office on Wednesday morning.
"We are asking him to support the repeal of legislation (Bill 124) that says health care workers are limited to 1 per cent increases at a time when inflation rates are soaring," said Michael Hurley, president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions.
Nipissing Liberal candidate Tanya Vrebosch says Bill 124 is a very serious overreach of the Ford government.
"Ontario is in a health care staffing crisis. If elected in the upcoming provincial election, the Ontario Liberal Party with Steven Del Duca will repeal Bill 124 on day one," said Vrebosch.
"Doug Ford has shown time and time again that he has no plan. A Health Human Resources Plan, involving all health sectors, needs to be developed immediately. This has already been promised by Steven Del Duca.
"This bill was a slap in the face to not only our healthcare workers, but also our education workers, and everyone else impacted by this callous, blunt force decision."
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Erika Lougheed, Nipissing NDP candidate says the Ontario NDP has committed to repealing Bill 124 as soon as possible.
"Instead of patchwork announcements weeks before an election, a real recruitment and retention strategy would recognize that a government should provide the necessary resources to the healthcare system, back off, and let workers bargain fairly," she told BayToday.
"That's an important step in restoring a healthcare workforce that has experienced the adversity that these workers have gone through. As we well know, the conditions of work are the conditions of care."
Fedeli, who was not at his constituency office at the time of the rally, says they recognize the efforts of hospital workers during the pandemic.
"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our nurses have stayed on the front lines with remarkable dedication," Fedeli said in a statement.
"A strong nursing workforce is crucial to supporting the province’s recovery. That’s why we are investing $763 million for lump sum retention incentive of up to $5,000 per nurse. Ontario's nurses are also receiving pandemic pay – a nearly $12,000 salary top-up, on average."
Additionally, Fedeli says the government has recently announced $61 million to further support nurses, including $18 million for the Ontario Nursing Graduate Program, along with another $35 million to increase enrollment in nursing education programs.
"Our government has also committed $342 million over five years to strengthen Ontario’s nursing workforce by adding over 5000 new and upskilled registered nurses as well as 8000 personal support workers to critical areas across the province."
Either way, the hospital frontline staff will try to keep this issue in the forefront with an election looming.
