Health Sciences North health-care professionals join ONA

New bargaining unit represents 1,300: Union

The Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled in favour of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) June 14 regarding representation of about 800 health-care professionals employed by Health Sciences North (HSN), said the union.

"We are very pleased with the labour board's decision, which puts to rest once and for all the outstanding issues surrounding the vote," said Linda Haslam-Stroud, ONA president.

ONA represents 1,300 registered nurses at HSN.

Last year, several groups of health-care professionals — about 190 workers in total — voted to join ONA. The employer and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union then requested a labour board vote after three workers from North Bay were transferred to HSN. The vote was won by ONA, according to the union.

The new bargaining unit now includes the 190 ONA members, the previous approximately 500 OPSEU members and approximately 80 non-union employees. They are now part of ONA, the largest health-care union in Ontario.

 

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