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Media Release: HPEPH Board of Health ratifies three-year contracts with ONA Local 31 and CUPE Local 3314

Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/Oct. 4, 2023

The Board of Health has ratified agreements with Local 31 of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) and Canadian Union of Public (CUPE) Local 3314. The nursing staff represented by ONA returned to work on Monday after a six-week strike, and CUPE staff returned to work this morning, after being on strike since Sept. 22. Services will be gradually resuming in the coming days. An updated Service Disruption Notice will be posted on the website.

The contracts negotiated with both unions will see three-year contracts starting January 1, 2023. The contracts include competetive wage increases of three per cent in the first year, and 2.5 per cent in each subsequent year. The contracts are effective Jan. 1, 2023. Union members will also receive enhanced benefits.

“I am very pleased that we have reached agreements with CUPE and ONA, and delivery of regular public health services can resume,” says Jan O’Neill, Board Chair. “I want to thank the bargaining team members for their professional and respectful efforts to reach these agreements. As we have reiterated throughout the bargaining process, we aimed to balance the requests of our unionized staff with needs of the organization, taxpayers, and most importantly, our clients. The Board is eager to have all staff resume their important work, which protects the health and well-being of our residents. We also want to recognize and thank the non-union staff who worked diligently and professionally throughout the strike to maintain core public health services.”

HPEPH thanks the community for their patience and understanding throughout the service disruption.

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For more information contact:

Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
hyland.maureen@hpeph.ca

Communications Team
communications@hpeph.ca

About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. HPEPH is situated and provides services on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

We invite community partners and residents to share this notice with their respective networks.

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South East Health Unit

As of Jan. 1, 2025 Hastings Prince Edward Public Health; Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health and the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit will merge to form the South East Health Unit.

Partners and members of the public should continue to engage with their local public health offices as usual until otherwise directed.

Efforts are underway to develop branding for the South East Health Unit, which will take several months. In the meantime, you will see logos and other advertising material with Hastings Prince Edward Public Health branding. You may also see some documents using the legal name South East Health Unit.