09/26/2025
The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), the union representing 63 registered nurses (RNs) and one nurse practitioner (NP) working to provide a wide range of public health care and services to residents of 31 municipalities, six First Nations communities and four other areas, is entering conciliation on September 29 in an attempt to reach a respectful collective agreement with North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. The nurses are seeking a contract that provides wage increases following 12 years of contracts that have failed to keep up with inflation, representing a pay cut in real terms.
“Our nurses who provide care to numerous communities have been working without a contract since April 1 of this year,” notes ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN. “After three days of talks and five months, the two sides have yet to come to an agreement. We urge this employer’s bargaining team to come to conciliation prepared to reach a respectful contract.”
The health unit's service area spans more than 23,000 square kilometers and serves a population of approximately 134,400. The nurses’ wages are near the very bottom in the province, although they have an enormous catchment area and diversity of residents to provide care and services to.
“Despite the immense population they care for, their wage increases have ranged from .5 to the 2.25 per cent range for the past dozen years,” says Ariss. “Effectively, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has cut nurses’ wages in real dollars.”
She adds that ONA looks forward to a respectful and productive conciliation and a fair, respectful negotiated contract being reached.
Find our full media release on the ONA website: https://ona.org/news/20250926-north-bay-conciliation/
