Group Health Centre contract talks have broken down, nurses' union says

The union representing more than three dozen nurses at Group Health Centre (GHC) says it’s eyeing mediation after contract talks between the two sides broke down.

On Tuesday, the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) announced that ONA Local 12 – representing 39 full-time and part-time registered nurses and nurse practitioners at GHC – will enter into conciliation talks with the employer.  

The nurses at Group Health Centre have been without a contract since the beginning of April. 

"Our highly educated registered nurses and nurse practitioners have seen their caseloads grow enormously during the pandemic," said ONA President Vicki McKenna via news release Tuesday. "At a time when their employer should be acknowledging the professionalism and dedication of the RNs and NPs, Sault Ste. Marie and District Group Health Centre has instead sought cuts to their benefits and to suppress their wages."

The union president says registered nurses and nurse practitioners continued to offer all regular programs and procedures at GHC during an ongoing pandemic without a pandemic-related pay increase. 

"NPs in this clinic care for heavy patient loads. These nurses were not provided the pandemic pay bump that others in the province saw,” said McKenna. "Our members should be commended for adapting to the rapidly changing provincial directives while continuing to provide quality patient care during these unprecedented times."

Union media relations officer Sheree Bond says that ONA Local 12 still has “a long way” to go before any talk of strike action takes place, but declined to offer any further details. 

SooToday has reached out to GHC for comment.