Bill 124, passed by the Ford government in 2019, caps compensation increases for a broad range of public sector workers, including nurses, at just one per cent. The average inflation rate in Ontario was 4.0 per cent for the past 12 months, so nurses were treated to a decrease in their real income of 3.0%. Pushing down substantially the compensation for nurses and other primarily female essential workers (i.e., police and firefighters excluded) during a pandemic is not only reckless policy – it is also insulting.

RNAO calls on Premier Doug Ford to immediately exempt nurses and other health-care workers from Bill 124: "An act to implement moderation measures in respect of compensation in Ontario’s public sector". Health-care workers that fall under Bill 124 will emerge from this pandemic not just exhausted and burnt out, but also with a loss of income in real terms.

RNAO says the government must ensure all nurses – starting with those working with COVID-19 patients – are immediately vaccinated with both COVID-19 doses. I am pleased to share that our advocacy on behalf of nurses and other healthcare providers – especially those working on critical areas and in home care – brought results with the government’s announcement this week.

As we battle a relentless and stubborn third wave of COVID-19 driven by dangerous variants, RNAO continues to speak out on the pandemic and its impact on nurses, other health-care workers and Ontarians. Here is the April media report.

With the musings in the media a few days ago that the Ford government was discussing paid sick days, we at the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) issued a statement urging the provincial government to move immediately with paid sick days and disclose the details.

RNAO continues to act swiftly on our commitment to Ontarians and our health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the record-high daily COVID-19 cases surpassing 4,000, RNAO activated VIANurse to augment nursing HR in critical care.

The Ontario government issued an emergency order addressing regulated health professions in hospitals. Under this new government order, health professionals from Ontario or other Canadian jurisdictions – including nurses – are authorized to engage outside of their regular scope of practice.

Given the devastating situation in intensive care in the province, the dire predictions from the Science Table, and the outcry from nurses, doctors and other health professionals, yesterday the Ontario government announced new measures. Tragically, as often has been the case, the government acted too-little and too-late. Instead of improving the situation, we deepened the pandemic and the suffering. This is catastrophe by design.

This is a media release that RNAO issued on April 8.