Ontario Hospital Association
200 Front Street West, Suite 2800
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3L1
Tel: (416) 205-1345 Fax: (416) 205-1360
Visit our Web Site: http://www.oha.com
June 3, 2011
Toronto, ON - On Thursday, June 2, 2011, a Board of Arbitration chaired by Jane Devlin released an award affecting 137 Ontario hospitals and the Ontario Nurses' Association, which represents approximately 45,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals. The new collective agreement covers the term from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2014.
The award provides improvements to registered nurses' health benefits, shift premiums and vacation entitlements in Year 1 and Year 2, which are offset by the amendments to short-term disability and early retirement allowance payments. The award also includes a 2.75% across-the-board increase in salary rates in Year 3.
"We believe that this was the best possible award in today's fiscally-constrained environment," said Tom Closson, President and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association. "The award is consistent with the Government of Ontario's stated policy directive with respect to compensation restraint."
"Ontario's hospitals value the work that registered nurses do every day, and offer registered nurses some of the best wages, benefits, work environments and opportunities for professional development anywhere," said Closson. For example, by 2013, a nurse beginning their career will earn $30.17 per hour, plus benefits, while a nurse with 25 years of experience will earn $43.61 per hour plus benefits.
"The Ontario Hospital Association continues to believe that all registered nurses - and all hospital employees - should be treated and compensated equitably, whether they are unionized or not," said Closson. "We will continue to encourage the Government of Ontario to find a way to ensure that all of the highly-skilled professionals who provide patient care in hospitals are treated fairly."
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The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is the voice of Ontario’s public hospitals. Founded in 1924, the OHA uses advocacy, education and partnerships to build a strong, innovative and sustainable health care system for all Ontarians.
Media Contact:
OHA Public Affairs
416-205-1433