Hamilton Health Sciences contravening the collective agreement: Registered nurses of ONA

Thirty-seven registered nurses, members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) will attend an arbitration hearing in Hamilton tomorrow that will decide whether Hamilton Health Sciences will be allowed to continue to arbitrarily reassign nurses to other vacant positions within the hospital.

ONA contends this practice is tantamount to a layoff and that doing so contravenes their collective agreement. Seven previous arbitration decisions, including the most recent decision about a similar practice at Hamilton's St. Joseph's Healthcare, agreed with the nurses.

"Nurses specialize just as physicians do, and they are not widgets that can be plugged into just any hole," she says. "This employer is blatantly contravening the collective agreement and stomping on nurses' rights by insisting on continuing this practice, which disrespects the knowledge and skills of our highly trained RNs."

WHAT: Thirty-seven ONA members to attend an arbitration hearing on whether their collective agreement rights are being violated. WHEN: 9:30 am, Friday, September 25, 2009 WHERE: Sheraton Hotel, 116 King Street West, Hamilton