More than 20 Kenora health care workers rallied in front of Kenora-Rainy River MPP, Greg Rickford's office on Monday (March 21, 2022) to demand Bill 124 be repealed.
Bill 124 is to ensure that increases in public sector compensation reflect the fiscal situation of the province, are consistent with the principles of responsible fiscal management, and protect the sustainability of public services.
The Bill limits compensation increases, including salaries, pensions, and benefits, to 1 per cent for three-year periods for unionized public sector workers in Ontario.
Judy Bain, Area 7 Vice President of the Ontario Council Hospital Union said workers feel “handcuffed” with the one per cent total compensation.
“It’s just pennies in today’s society we can't survive to live, said Bain. “People are the leaving the profession they're tired, their overworked and they feel that they can’t carry on.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic Ontario Premier, Doug Ford called health care workers “unsung heroes”, but the workers don’t feel they are being treated as such.
“After 26 months we need our government to stand up and show that he [Premier Ford] really meant it when he said that we were heroes. Now is the time to repeal the bill let us go to the tables and freely negotiate a collective agreement,” noted Bain.
Bain noted that the last 26 months through the pandemic have been the most difficult 26 months for health care workers.
“It was scary, people didn’t have any idea. People were in cars crying, they were frightened, they didn’t want to come to work. The mental health was really what suffered the most.”
The Ontario Nurses Association says the bill interferes with their Charter rights to freely bargain, and the bill also interfered with negotiations between hospital sector members and an independent arbitrator.
ONA adds that Bill 124 unfairly targets female-dominated professions, as male-dominated professions such as police officers and firefighters are exempt from the wage caps from the bill.
“Our provincial government has called registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and healthcare professionals heroes. It is time for this government to show that they consider us heroes. They need to take action and repeal Bill 124 now.”
In an effort to compensate nurses Ontario announced a retention incentive that is a one-time lump sum payment of $5,000 to help retain nurses across the province.
Bain said that is not enough and does nothing for them.
“At the end of the day it isn’t something we’re going to take home every day, it doesn’t go towards our pension.”
Throughout the pandemic, the Ontario government increased wages for personal support workers and direct support workers that were extended into 2022 and are scheduled to end on March 31, 2022.
This isn’t the first time health care workers a part of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) rallied to repeal Bill 124. Last summer they parked in front of the Lake of the Woods District Hospital to voice their dissatisfaction.
In 2020 just a year after the Bill was passed a collection of Ontario nurses have launched a Charter Challenge against Bill 124.
CUPE entered into bargaining with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) last year and Bill 124 complicates how much they can bargain.
“The OHA isn’t budging at all, they’re sticking very much to the fact that their hands are tied. The treasury board won’t approve anything that is over one per cent. We need more than one per cent.”
The two parties were supposed to be back at the table in September, but a provincial contract agreement was not met.
Bain concluded by saying the two parties will be holding mediations with the OHA in early May 2022 to try and come to an agreement.