November brings important provincial and local union work. ONA continues to advocate for our members, protect our collective agreement, strengthen our profession and ensure nurses have the resources needed to provide safe patient care. Our union is strongest when members stay informed, raise workplace concerns and stand together to protect our rights and working conditions.
Central Bargaining and Demand Setting:
Central bargaining preparation is underway, and provincial decisions will affect nurses across Ontario. ONA is advocating for improvements that reflect workplace realities and the value nurses bring to health care.
We strongly encourage ONA 34 members to register and attend the upcoming Hospital Provincial Demand Setting meeting. The more members who participate, the stronger and more representative our collective voice will be.
This is our union. These are our working conditions. And this is your opportunity to help shape what we fight for at the provincial bargaining table.
Region 4 – November 4, 2026 (1:00-3:00 ET)
Registration link: https://ona.zoom.us/meeting/register/tLkogZsuRHq5K1nIcHrmVw
Please take the time to register and make your voice heard. When we stand together, our voices are stronger.
Local Bargaining- Have Your Say:
ONA 34 is preparing for our next round of local bargaining. Please complete the Have Your Say survey. This is your opportunity to identify the issues that matter most and help establish our local bargaining priorities.
Whether your concerns involve scheduling, vacation selection, health and safety concerns, or other provisions of our local collective agreement, your feedback is essential. Please complete the survey and encourage your colleagues to participate.
The survey is available on ONA 34’s website and is open until November 20, 2026. Have-A-Say Survey For Local Negotiations · ONA 34
Workload Complaints- Protecting Nurses and Our Profession:
ONA 34 continues to provide education and support on workload complaints and documenting unsafe working conditions. Workload complaints help advocate for safe patient care, protect bargaining-unit work and preserve the role of Registered Nurses in our health-care system. When staffing, workload or assigned duties raise concerns, documentation creates a record that can support further advocacy and action.
Workload complaints also support professional accountability by documenting circumstances in which workload pressures or insufficient resources prevent nurses from meeting their professional obligations. Although no form can guarantee protection from regulatory scrutiny, timely and accurate documentation can demonstrate the concerns raised and the steps taken to address them.
Please access workload education, complete the appropriate forms when concerns arise, and seek support from your ONA VP Workload. Do not assume that an unsafe workload is simply part of the job. Your concerns deserve to be documented, reviewed and addressed. Workload forms can be found on ONA’s website Reporting Workload Concerns • Ontario Nurses' Association.
Support Safe Staffing Legislation on November 25:
On November 25, ONA members and allies will come together in support of Bill 19, the Patient-to-Nurse Ratios for Hospitals Act, introduced by Ontario NDP Health Critic MPP France Gélinas. If passed, the legislation would establish mandatory nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in Ontario hospitals. There are two ways to participate on November 25. Attend a virtual phone zap at 12 p.m., when you will contact elected officials to call for their support of legislated safe staffing ratios. ONA members and allies will also be at Queen’s Park, packing the Legislature at 5 p.m when the bill is debated. Stand together in support of safer staffing and better patient care. Register for the November 25 actions
Moving Forward Together:
The coming months will be important for our local and provincial union work. From bargaining preparation and workload advocacy to community action, members have many opportunities to make a difference.
ONA 34 remains committed to advocating for our members, addressing workplace concerns and protecting the rights and interests of Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners. A strong union depends on collective participation. Every completed survey, documented workload concern, meeting attended and colleague who speaks up strengthens our union.
Thank you for the work you do every day for your patients, colleagues and communities. Your dedication and voice matter.
Together, we are stronger. Together, we advocate. Together, we protect our profession and the patients we serve.
In solidarity,
Ann Scott
ONA 34 Bargaining Unit President
local034@ona.org
