Windsor Nurses’ Violence Awareness Video Highlighted at the International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector

 WINDSOR – The innovative video violence awareness campaign developed by Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) Local 8 members has been highlighted for delegates from around the globe attending the Sixth International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector.

“I am so proud of the innovative work being done by ONA Local 8 nurses to raise awareness about the very real issue of workplace violence,” said ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN. “Their work was featured at this important international conference and is an example of positive action to reduce the violence that front-line nurses and health-care professionals face each day.”

ONA Local 8 Coordinator Susan Sommerdyk, RN, says the third video in this innovative campaign launches today and can be viewed here: 

Sommerdyk notes that, “We are professionals who care about our patients’ safety. Our challenge is to bring the issue of workplace violence to the top of peoples’ minds and keep it there. We want to be ensure our workplaces are free of violence, both for us on the front lines, and most importantly, for our patients’ safety.”

McKenna said that new statistics show that violence in health-care workplaces continues to increase on a year-by-year basis. “The work of our Local 8 members is invaluable in raising awareness of violence against nurses, and I applaud their excellent work.”

ONA is the union representing more than 65,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

General Membership Meeting - Oct 17

Notice of Elections - Nov 7, 2018

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Windsor-Essex Registered Nurses Launch New Anti-Workplace Violence Ad This Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                             July 19, 2018

 

WINDSOR – The second of four anti-workplace violence ads designed to raise public awareness of the issue is set to launch this week.

Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) Local 8 members have developed the ads, which have garnered praise from employers, the public and the provincial nurses’ union.

ONA Provincial President Vicki McKenna, RN, notes that by raising awareness of violence against nurses and health-care professionals, Local 8 members are also helping to keep their members safe.

“When nurses and health-care professionals aren’t safe, patients are not safe either,” she said. “The efforts of these dedicated registered nurses will help to remind everyone that workplace violence in health care is not acceptable. Workplace violence not only causes physical damage, it is one of the causes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well.”

The first of the four ads launched last April, and Local 8 Coordinator Susan Sommerdyk, RN, notes that they have been viewed more than 90,000 times in cinemas, on YouTube and Facebook.

“Feedback has been very positive and encouraging,” she says. “This next ad will be shown at Lakeshore Imagine Cinemas in all theatres except those showing movies geared to children. Our video and still ads will be running on HomeMedia digital screens as well, from Windsor to London.”

The latest ad will begin airing in the Windsor-Essex region starting this week. The ad can also be viewed at

https://youtu.be/Row3TuswveY

ONA is the union representing 65,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

It's time to erase the difference.

Compensation for Work-Related Mental Stress

On April 29, 2014, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) released its decision on ONA’s Charter Challenge declaring that the exclusion of workers with chronic mental stress from eligibility for compensation under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) was discriminatory and contrary to the Constitution. Two other non-ONA cases followed with similar success and these wins, along with lobbying and pressure by unions and other injured workers’ organizations, led to the repealing of the discriminatory provisions in May 2017.

Amendments under Bill 127, the Stronger, Healthier Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2017 came into effect on January 1, 2018 that now allows workers with work-related mental stress to be eligible for benefits under the workers’ compensation plan.

The amendments also allow workers whose mental stress occurred between April 29, 2014 and December 31, 2017 and who did not previously file a claim, to file a claim for compensation with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) before July 1, 2018.

Furthermore, workers whose claims were previously denied and workers whose claims are pending may be eligible to have their claims considered or re-considered under the following transitional rules:

1. Claims that were denied by the WSIB or by the WSIAT before January 1, 2018 cannot be refiled. However, if a worker has a timely claim for mental stress pending before the WSIB on January 1, 2018, the decision will be made based on the new provisions regardless of the date on which the mental stress occurred. “Pending” means the WSIB has not made a decision or final decision on the claim by January 1, 2018.

2. If a worker has a timely claim for mental stress that is pending before the WSIAT on January 1, 2018 (a pending appeal), the WSIAT will send the claim back to the Board to decide entitlement under the new provisions regardless of the date on which the mental stress occurred.

3. If on or after January 1, 2018 a worker files a timely Notice of Appeal to the WSIAT of a final decision of the WSIB made before January 1, 2018, the WSIAT will refer the claim back to the WSIB to be decided under the new provisions regardless of the date on which the worker’s mental stress occurred.

Next Steps

1. ONA members who have suffered work-related mental stress for which they lost time and/or sought medical treatment and have not previously filed a WSIB Claim, should contact the WSIB immediately to find out if they are eligible for compensation under the new provisions. WSIB: 416-344-1000 or 1-800-387-0750.

2. ONA members who have an existing claim or appeal at the WSIB or WSIAT for work-related mental stress should contact the WSIB to find out how the new provisions affect their claim. They can also contact the ONA WSIB Appeals Intake Line: 416-964-8833 or 1-800-387-5580, and ask for WSIB Intake or enter extension 7721. ONA members can leave their name, phone number and a time they can be reached with a brief message and a WSIB Appeals Labour Relations Officer will return their call within 48 hours. They can also email the ONA WSIB Appeals Team via: WSIBIntake@ona.org.

Please note the deadline for WSIB and WSIAT Claims or Reconsiderations under the new provisions in any of the above circumstances is JULY 1, 2018.