Contract talks between Lambton County and registered nurses at Lambton Public Health entered conciliation this week.
Contract talks between Lambton County and registered nurses at Lambton Public Health entered conciliation this week.
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The Ontario Nurses’ Association said in a release that about 40 registered nurses it represents at the Sarnia-area public health agency “demand a new contract that values their immeasurable contributions to their community.”
Under the province’s conciliation process, an officer appointed by the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development meets with the union and employer to attempt to reach a collective agreement.
“The union and the county have been bargaining towards a new collective agreement and the county remains hopeful that a mutually acceptable agreement will be reached, in the near future,” Olivia Leger, general manager of corporate services for the county, said by email.
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The most recent collective agreement between Lambton Public Health and ONA expired at the end of March.
Lambton Public Health provides family health, health promotion and health protection services to the 11 municipalities in Lambton and is part of the county’s public health services division. Lambton County council acts at the local board of health overseeing public health services.
“Public health nurses are the first line of defense to keep our communities strong and healthy through illness prevention,” ONA president Erin Ariss said in a news release.
The nurses support workplaces, families, schools and health care settings with specialized services, clinics and classes, including prenatal, healthy babies, healthy children, immunization and sexual health clinics, and harm reduction programs, the association said.
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“Lambton Public Health nurses are demanding fair wages and are no longer willing to put themselves and their own welfare last,” Ariss said. “Nurses need a fair new contract so they can continue providing the care Lambton residents need and deserve.”
The association said its members in Lambton have struggled, since before the pandemic, to take time off because of the demands of their jobs.
“The lack of support and respect are two of the many reasons nurses leave their job,” Ariss said. “If Lambton Public Health wants these nurses to stay, they need to negotiate a fair new contract that values and respects these workers.”
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