Sudbury and District Public Health Unit nurses to negotiate with their employer for a new contract

Public health nurses with the Sudbury and District Public Health Unit are going to conciliation in their bid to reach a new contract with their employer. Conciliation dates have been set for November 3 and 4, 2009.

The nurses - members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) - have been working with an expired contract since April 1, 2009.

"ONA and the Health Unit have had seven days of negotiating but a number of outstanding issues are still not addressed," notes ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. "With the second wave of a flu pandemic beginning in the province, this is a pivotal moment for communities and for our nurses, and these significant issues must be settled quickly. That is why ONA is trying to secure conciliation dates - our nurses must have a reasonable collective agreement in place as they work to keep the people of Sudbury safe and healthy through flu season."

Sudbury District Public Health nurses provide such services as outbreak protection (monitoring outbreaks), flu and hepatitis vaccine clinics, health education and promotion for families with new babies, as well as sexual health clinics and education for the municipality's residents.

ONA is the union representing 54,000 front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals and more than 10,000 nursing students providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.