TORONTO – Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) members from across the province will hold a rally at the St. Catharines site of Niagara Health System to protest the failure of hospital administrators to adequately address the shortage of nurses that is threatening safe patient care.

About 200 nurses who are attending a union meeting in Niagara Falls this week will rally at the site at 142 Queenston Street on Wednesday, June 20 to show support for their colleagues at the NHS.

“The Niagara Health System culture does not respect or value the contributions of its nurses, and the administration has dismissed the concerns of registered nurses about declining patient care due to the nursing shortage,” says ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. “Some nurses with 30 years of experience at this facility describe feeling demoralized by the attitude of management and the treatment they’re experiencing, even though they’re working longer hours and harder than ever to try to care for patients. It’s long past time for action here.”

ONA has censured Niagara Health System since February 2003. Censuring is a mechanism used by ONA when an employer engages in labour relations or administrative practices that adversely affect nurses or patient care. Repeated efforts by ONA to improve relations with NHS have yet to show concrete results, and ONA is reissuing the censure.

ONA is the union representing 53,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals working in Ontario hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community and industry.

For more information:
Ontario Nurses’ Association
Melanie Levenson (416) 964-8833, ext. 2369
Sheree Bond (on site) cellular: (416) 986-8240