Appeal to reinstate Bill 124 draws ire from some nurses

Outcry over appeal to reinstate Bill 124 CTV’s Krista Simpson hears concerns from the local nursing community on how the government’s move impacts an already struggling sector.

While bill 124 impacts a number of public sector workers, nurses have been particularly vocal in their opposition.

Some say they're angry the government is now focusing on an appeal instead of solving staffing shortages, which they say are only going to get worse if salaries are capped.

Registered nurse Marcella Veenman-Mulder said it's a slap in the face at our mental health.

Veenman-Mulder has spent the last several months working in Ukraine, or other provinces.

She was contemplating returning to work at an emergency department in southwestern Ontario.

Meanwhile, the province continuing its fight to cap nurses' salaries has her reconsidering.

“I was literally going to call my boss and say you know get me back in, start on the 15th of January, and now I don't know,” said Veenman-Mulder.

Bill 124 caps public sector salary increases to one per cent per year for a three-year period.

Veenman-Mulder says taking a cap off wages, along with other financial incentives, will go a long way in retaining nurses in Ontario.

“We don't need the cold pizza parties. We don't need those kinds of things. What we need is ‘hey, we value you. Here's your parking pass for free,’” said Veenman-Mulder

Back in November, a judge deemed it unconstitutional, saying it infringed on the rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The government is now appealing the decision, saying the bill was in place to manage the province's finances in a responsible manner and protect the sustainability of public services.

“The nurses are feeling that they're not respected, we've felt that for some time,” said Claudette Holloway, president of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario.

Earlier this year, the financial accountability office found Bill 124 could save the government $9.7 billion over the next few years.

But some say that comes at the cost of nurses in the province's health care system.

“They're leaving the profession, they're going to other provinces, they're going across the border, they're choosing to work for agencies which is a form of privatization - we're not blaming the nurses but they're trying to seek some kind of control over their work environment and also to earn a fair wage,” said Holloway.

CTV News reached out to Health Minister Sylvia Jones for an interview but was told she was not available.

A spokesperson instead pointed to a recent study by the College Of Nurses Of Ontario indicating that over the past five years, the number of nurses in the province has continued to grow.