In October 2019, the Ford government introduced and passed Bill 124. Bill 124 caps wage increase at 1% per year for a confirmed three-year period for all public sector workers. The impacts of this bill are far-ranging, and it can be said that the law is responsible for many nurses leaving the profession (Callan & D’Mello, 2022). Canadian Nurses Association president stated that, on average, Canada loses anywhere from one third to two thirds of newly graduated nurses within the first two years of entering the field (Beswitherick, 2022). This trend became especially prevalent between 2019 - 2022. Statistics show that about 47% of RPNs are considering changing their profession due to unsafe workloads; this is up from 34% in 2020 (WeRPN, 2022). Wage suppression has profoundly impacted the declining number of nurses in the province since 2019, and an exponential drop is noticeable during the peak pandemic. During this time, the nurses were overworked and leaving the profession in swarms which led to even greater strain, making it progressively harder for organizations to retain and recruit nurses.
Further, the lack of financial support is manifesting in low job satisfaction and burnout. The work of a nurse requires high levels of focus and precision, and this should be reflected in the pay they receive (Parcel, 2022). According to the Ontario Nurse's Association (ONA), the bill interferes with bargaining rights and is unconstitutional. Further, on Nov 29 2022, the Ontario superior court of justice struck down Bill 124 also deeming it unconstitutional (ONA, 2022). One month later, Ford appealed the ruling and stated that Bill 124 in no way infringes any constitutional rights (Beswitherick, 2022). According to Global News Network Canada, the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario stated that the court defeat could cost the provincial government 8.4 billion dollars within 2022-2023 (Callan & D’Mello, 2022b).
The health and wellness of the community is the primary goal of any healthcare worker; however, because of the above-listed issues, providing the best possible competent care has been more than challenging for Ontario nurses. According to the Ford government, the real motive behind introducing the bill was that it was designed to protect public-sector jobs and vital frontline services. Nonetheless, the limited increase of 1% annually can in no way keep up with the inflation, and the stagnant wages have left nurses to be unfairly compensated. In light of current events, the Ford government should actively be taking steps to address the health care crises and cost of living in the province, but to much dismay, the tax-payer dollars are being spent in court.
Since the bill's introduction, the nursing field has encountered back-to-back issues, such as staffing shortages, longer waiting times and poor conditions for nurses and patients. Nurses feel disrespected and undervalued for the important work that they do and they sacrifice a lot to excel in their profession. The cap on wages does more harm to the nurses by pushing them away from their jobs in Ontario and seek similar positions elsewhere.
By Kiran Kaur.
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