Regional News
November 15, 2008 09:18 PM
Salary, benefits among issues to be resolved
Chris Traber
The Ontario Nurses Association has overwhelmingly rejected an offer from the central Community Care Access Centre, which provides home health care services across York Region.
Negotiations between the provincial agency and 633 of its Ontario Nurse’s Association members fell apart Thursday night after nurses and other specialists rejected an offer by more than 90 per cent, according to a source, who wished to remain anonymous.
The CCAC didn’t know about the strike vote, centre executive director Cathy Szabo said.
The association notified the CCAC at 9:40 p.m. Thursday to say the offer was rejected, union president Linda Haslam-Stroud said.
The two sides, which have been working on a deal since 2007, will go to arbitration with the Labour Ministry in December over salary and benefits, Ms Haslam-Stroud added.
“In bringing together all the centres, each of the predecessor unions had collective agreements,” she said. “We’re working under the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act. It’s considered a first contract collective agreement because it’ll be the first contract for the new entity.”
“We can’t share any of the issues discussed at the table under the Labour Relations Act,” Ms Szabo said.
“We believe we’ve put a fair offer forward and we’ll continue to work with (nurses) to get a settlement. We have a good relationship with the union.”
Formerly known as Community Care Access Centre of York Region, the entity was rolled into the central division.
Service continues to York residents through a Newmarket office.
The trade union represents 54,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals working throughout Ontario.
Eligible community care clients are Ontario residents with OHIP coverage. There are no fees.
Community Care Access Centres provide publicly funded home care services, including nursing, homemaking, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work and dietetics services.
Also included are medical supplies and dressings, hospital and sick room equipment, transportation to health care services, eligibility for drug coverage under the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan, information about other community resources and referrals to those resources.
Case managers determine your eligibility and service needs, develop service plans, authorize provision of services, and co-ordinate the services.
Go to
ccac-ont.ca or go to
ona.org