Residential nurses and personal support workers represented by the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) gathered in Oshawa this month to demand better working conditions, improved staffing levels, and a fair collective agreement for workers in nursing homes across Ontario.
The information picket took place on June 4 outside AgeCare Samac in Oshawa as part of a broader provincial campaign involving thousands of long-term care and residential care workers. According to the union, more than 4,400 ONA members working in nursing homes are currently negotiating a new contract.
Union representatives say staff working in long-term care facilities continue to face significant challenges, including staffing shortages, increasing workloads, workplace violence concerns, and wage disparities compared to other sectors of the healthcare system.
ONA officials argue that residential care nurses are paid significantly less than their counterparts working in hospitals despite providing complex and essential healthcare services to vulnerable residents.
Cynthia Rogers, a registered nurse and coordinator for ONA Local 051, said the union’s primary goal is securing a fair contract that recognizes the important role nursing home staff play in Ontario’s healthcare system.
“We want the government to give a fair contract to nursing home nurses,” Rogers said during the Oshawa picket. She pointed to what the union describes as a growing wage gap between residential care nurses and hospital-based nurses.
According to Rogers, nursing home nurses currently earn approximately 10.8 per cent less than hospital nurses, despite facing many of the same challenges and responsibilities. She argued that additional government funding is needed to improve wages, attract new staff, and retain experienced healthcare professionals.
The union also highlighted the sacrifices made by long-term care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses and personal support workers continued providing care under extremely difficult circumstances while caring for some of the province’s most vulnerable residents.
ONA representatives say many workers now feel that the sector has been overlooked when it comes to funding and workforce investments in the years following the pandemic.
In addition to the Oshawa demonstration, similar information pickets were organized at Glen Hill Terrace in Whitby and Southbridge Orchard Villa in Pickering. The coordinated events were intended to raise awareness among residents, families, and government officials about the ongoing challenges facing long-term care workers.
The union believes that achieving a fair and respectful contract would help nursing homes recruit and retain staff while improving quality of care for residents. Better staffing levels could also help reduce workloads and improve workplace safety for healthcare workers.
ONA cites findings from a 2024 survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, which found that seven in ten nurses identified staffing shortages, excessive workloads, and poor work-life balance as major factors influencing decisions to leave the profession.
Healthcare advocates warn that staffing shortages continue to place pressure on long-term care facilities across Ontario as demand for services increases due to an aging population.
Support for the workers’ concerns has also come from other labour organizations and political representatives. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) staged similar demonstrations across the province on the same day, criticizing what they describe as chronic underfunding of public services.
Oshawa MPP Jennifer French also expressed support for healthcare workers, stating that nurses deserve fair wages, safe working conditions, and adequate resources to provide quality patient care.
French argued that increased investment in healthcare services is necessary to address staffing shortages, reduce wait times, and improve patient outcomes across the province.
As contract negotiations continue, ONA says it remains committed to advocating for better compensation, improved staffing levels, and safer workplaces for residential care nurses and personal support workers.
The union hopes that increased public awareness will help encourage meaningful action to strengthen Ontario’s long-term care system and ensure workers receive the support they need to continue caring for residents across Durham Region and beyond.
