Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas is renewing her call for the repeal of Bill 124 in view of a recent letter to Premier Doug Ford written by a veteran Registered Nurse from Sudbury.
Bill 124 is the Ontario government law that has put a one-per-cent wage cap, per year, on any increases that could be won by public sector employers, such as registered nurses, registered practical nurses and several other classes of health-care workers. The limit is for three years.
Gélinas is speaking out after getting a copy of a letter from Donna Williamsson, RN, sent to the premier's office last month. Williamsson, who revealed she is 62, has been working since the graduated in 1991 in most facets of nursing including general surgery, in Intensive Care and is now in the Emergency Room at Health Sciences North.
"I have never spoken up about how unfair nurses are treated until now," Williamsson wrote.
"Nurses are definitely overworked and very underpaid. Bill 124 is insulting and demeaning, it is discouraging for myself and my colleagues to do the work we do – which is emotionally difficult and physically demanding, important work - and be offered a measly 0.9 per cent raise. Wow, why even bother?" Williamsson wrote.
She mentioned that what "pushed her over the edge" was learning that some Ontario teachers would be seeking an 11 per cent pay hike.
"That did it. Teachers can strike, and nurses can’t. I would go on strike for what I believe in, to try to get better pay and better working conditions for myself and other nurses, but we cannot strike," Williamsson said in the letter.
She added that despite incentives being offered by various hospitals and other health care facilities, more and more nurses are working in short-staffing situations.
Gélinas said the letter is just another example of the human resources crisis in health that is affecting all of Ontario and putting communities at risk.
“There is a health human resource shortage in our province, nurses and health care staff are consistently reporting burn out, placing strain on our health care system. Many health care workers report Premier Doug Ford’s wage cap law, Bill 124, is a significant factor in their decision to leave the profession” said Gélinas.
Gélinas said it is time for the Ford government to repeal Bill 124 and show nurses the respect they deserve.
“We need the government to act immediately to recruit, retain and return nurses to our health care system; and, to treat them with the respect they deserve by repealing Bill 124,” said Gélinas.
Len Gillis covers health care and mining for Sudbury.com.
