Media Advisory – Nurses Demand Fair Pay, Benefits and Respect in Long-Term Care
TORONTO, April 16, 2026 /CNW/ – Nurses working in long-term care and leaders from the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) will hold a media conference at Queen’s Park on Monday, April 20, calling on the Ford government and for-profit nursing homes CEOs to put resident care ahead of corporate profits.
The media conference comes as bargaining is set to begin next week for more than 4,400 nurses and health-care professionals working in nursing homes across Ontario. ONA will urge employers including major for-profit employers including Extendicare and Southbridge to address chronic understaffing, unsafe working conditions, and the growing wage and benefits gap that continues to drive workers out of the sector.
“It’s clear that to retain and recruit staff, fair wages and improved working conditions are essential,” said ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN. “It is unacceptable that nurses in long-term care earn at least 10 per cent less than those in hospitals doing comparable work. As they care for residents with complex medical needs and chronic conditions, every dollar should be invested in direct care, not diverted to profits. Employers must show they value both their residents and their workforce.”
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WHO: |
ONA President Erin Ariss, Ontario Federation of Labour President Laura Walton, Ontario NDP MPP Wayne Gates and long-term care nurses |
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WHAT: |
Media conference to call on nursing homes CEOs to put care over profit |
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WHERE: |
Media studio, Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON |
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WHEN: |
Monday, April 20 at 10 a.m. ET |
ONA is the union representing 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as more than 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics, and industry.
SOURCE Ontario Nurses’ Association
