On Nov. 29, RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun and President Morgan Hoffarth sent an open letter to urge Premier Ford to immediately repeal Bill 124. 

The letter shares RNAO’s grave concern over the state of nursing in Ontario and highlights how the shortage has reached a crisis and is spiraling out of control. This crisis has been worsened by the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic combined with the disdain of the Ontario government embodied in Bill 124, which caps salary increases at one per cent. 

Dr. Grinspun and Hoffarth write: “Premier, Ontario’s nurses are burnt out by excessive workloads. They are giving up due to the lack of respect represented by Bill 124. RNs in particular are taking their knowledge and skills to other jurisdictions. They seek fair pay, reasonable workloads and governments that value their expertise. Many RNs are taking control over their careers by becoming self-employed. They are charging hospitals up to $120 an hour to work in ICUs. Many are retiring early and some are leaving the profession.”

Read the full letter online. Sign and share RNAO’s Action Alert to demand Premier Ford #RepealBill124.