The Hastings-Prince Edward Public Health Unit is mired in turmoil. For over a month, the board’s 50 nurses have been on strike, and last week, public health staffers represented by CUPE joined the picket lines as well.
Now, two Prince Edward County councillors have stepped down from the board of health and the unions are calling for the resignations of the board chair and vice-chair.
Nurses, and now other staff members, have been walking the picket lines as they strike for things like better pay and benefits.
“We’ve actually tried to negotiate several times. we’ve adjusted our mandate. They continue to indicate that mandate isn’t able to be adjusted, but we know that’s just not true. That’s not how mandates work,” ONA Local 31 bargaining unit president Josh Davidson-Marcon said.
The health unit remains more or less shut down during the strike, and on Tuesday the situation came to a boiling point for two Prince Edward County councillors as they resigned from their seats on the board.
“I’m not a quitter, but I feel as if my resignation is the only way I can raise attention to the issues at our board of health,” Coun. John Hirsh said. “I urge the board to return to real bargaining as soon as possible.”
“I was thinking to stay on, to advocate for good, fair-minded and transparent practice, but I don’t see any benefit that can be derived from my presence,” Coun. Kate McNaughton said.
While those resignations were made as a show of support to striking staff, the Ontario Nurses’ Association is calling on the chair and vice-chair of the board to step down as well.
“There is a problem inside the board of health, especially with transparency. And we believe that the chair and vice-chair are directly responsible for this as well as the employer,” Davidson-Marcon said.
Global News reached out to Hastings Prince Edward Public Health for comment but it would only provide a statement from the board chair.
“As a governance board, our role in negotiations is to establish an appropriate and responsible mandate for the negotiation committee, and we are continuing to comply with the procedures associated with the bargaining process,” Jan O’Neill said.
Health unit representatives stated last week they believed the end of the strike was near. But if these latest resignations and demand for resignations are any indication, the more than month-long picketing is likely to continue.
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