Action Alert: Don’t appeal the Bill 124 decision, premier!

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has ruled that Bill 124 substantially interfered with collective bargaining and, as a consequence, infringed on Charter rights and freedoms. The court declared Bill 124 “to be void and of no effect.”

Join us! Urge Premier Ford to accept, and not appeal, the court’s decision on Bill 124. It is time to move to a place of collaboration and respect for nurses so they stay in Ontario and build vibrant careers to serve the public.  

Our health system is in a full-blown crisis owing to a desperate shortage of nurses, particularly, registered nurses. Over the past two-and-a-half years – and counting – nurses across Ontario have selflessly cared for the people of Ontario while risking their own health and safety and that of their loved ones. Ontario’s nurses are experiencing depression, anxiety and stress as never before. Seventy-five per cent of nurses are burnt out. They are leaving their jobs. Many have gone to work in other jurisdictions, while some have left the profession altogether.

From the onset of the pandemic, front-line nurses have spoken loudly and clearly about the detrimental impact that Bill 124 has had on their work and lives. Bill 124 capped salary increases at one per cent, at a time when inflation and interest rates are at historic highs. For nurses, it symbolizes what is wrong with Ontario’s approach to the nursing profession. It has compelled many RNs to leave for better opportunities elsewhere.

Since December 2020, RNAO has raised the alarm of an impending nursing crisis that will compromise patient safety and the functioning of our health system. We are now fully in that crisis. Emergency rooms are closing and even some ICUs are now at risk of having to close. Surgeries and procedures are being cancelled and patient safety is at risk daily. We are calling – with extreme urgency – for measures that support building nursing careers in Ontario. Leaving Bill 124 behind us is the first step needed to rebuild our profession and secure safe care and better health outcomes for Ontarians.

Please join us in calling on Premier Ford to accept the court’s decision on Bill 124.