FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE June
13, 2016
WINDSOR – Registered nurses (RNs) at Windsor Regional
Hospital say the hospital is in chaos as the June 15 date for cutting 169 RN
positions – and the likelihood of more RN cuts – looms.
Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) members say that
nursing schedules are being posted late and with gaps in schedules where base
staffing needs are not being met.
“This is a serious situation,” says ONA President
Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. “RNs are working excessive amounts of overtime, and
the hospital has resorted to bringing back retired registered nurses to
backfill empty positions. In some cases, the employer is trying to quietly cut
more hours of patient care by deleting more positions by ‘stealth.’ For our
patients, this is completely unacceptable.”
Vicki McKenna, ONA First Vice-President holding the
portfolio for Professional Practice, says RN staff in the emergency department
received an email from management earlier in the week.
CEO David Musyj is quoted in the Windsor Star as saying that, “There is nothing planned for us right now since we are
still working through the state of funding for this year. But we have to look
forward and do appropriate planning.” However, after the facts were
exposed by the media, the employer has now informed ONA that it is cutting more
RNs.
“The nurses were told the hospital budget is in a
large deficit due to the provincial funding formula and another three per cent
has to be cut this year,” said McKenna. “Day shift staffing in the ER is going
to be cut from 12 to 11 RNs, with further cuts possible, negatively impacting
the care hours to our vulnerable patients.”
McKenna notes that RNs are already overstretched, with
patient assignments that are too heavy to enable them to provide quality care.
Windsor Regional Hospital has yet to complete the
layoff process for the 169 RNs they announced would be cut last January; the 104
full-time equivalent practical nurses the hospital said it would hire are not
yet all in place. Haslam-Stroud said the hospital is rapidly becoming more
dangerous for the patients who require quality patient care and encourages
residents of Windsor to call their local MPP, Health Minister Eric Hoskins and
Premier Kathleen Wynne to demand better care now.
ONA is the union representing 60,000 registered nurses
and allied health professionals, as well as more than 14,000 nursing student
affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public
health, the community, clinics and industry.
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For more information: Ontario Nurses’
Association
Sheree
Bond (416)
964-8833, ext. 2430; cell: (416) 986-8240; shereeb@ona.org
Katherine
Russo (416) 964-8833,
ext. 2214; katheriner@ona.org
