Why are many Ontario nurses still waiting for their $5K pandemic bonus? The province won’t say | 24CA News

Melissa Brown was imagined to get the primary instalment of a $5,000 retention bonus the federal government of Premier Doug Ford promised her again in late April or early May — a part of a $763-million initiative aimed toward slowing the exodus of Ontario nurses who’ve been on the entrance strains of the pandemic.

Nearly eight months later, she’s nonetheless ready.

Brown, a nurse at a walk-in clinic connected to a pharmacy in Barrie, Ont, has administered COVID-19 photographs, carried out PCR checks for symptomatic sufferers, cared for individuals very sick with the novel coronavirus and even helped out in a long-term care house throughout the worst of the pandemic.

“I was in the trenches,” mentioned Brown. “I was in the thick of it and … to have to actually chase after this bonus, it’s to the point where it’s insulting.”

The first instalment of the retention bonus was due within the spring, the second in September, however like many different nurses CBC Toronto spoke to, she says the cash by no means arrived and the federal government is offering no estimate for when it can, regardless of confirming in an e mail despatched to those nurses weeks in the past that they certified.

Brown just isn’t alone. While some nurses acquired the bonus, a number of of Brown’s friends are nonetheless ready. CBC Toronto spoke to half a dozen nurses throughout the province in the identical boat. Two nurses’ associations say they’re fielding calls from members who’ve been given no date to anticipate the cash. 

Brown says she loves being a nurse, however she’s among the many many who’ve thought of leaving the occupation during the last couple of years when she’s come house pressured and exhausted. 

“It’s been a difficult time for us,” she mentioned, and whereas she says she appreciated the thought of a little bit additional money, unsuccessfully chasing down what she was promised has made her really feel worse. 

Ministry provides no solutions, no finish in sight to waits

CBC Toronto requested a brief interview with Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones over a two-day interval this week, however she didn’t make herself obtainable. 

24CA News additionally requested the Ministry of Health concerning the delays, however the ministry didn’t reply questions on what number of nurses are nonetheless ready or present further data.

“This funding has been distributed across the province. Those who have concerns about payments are encouraged to engage with their employers to seek additional information,” a spokesperson mentioned.

The nurses CBC Toronto spoke to for this story work in quite a lot of settings, together with hospitals, major care and neighborhood care throughout the province. They say they nonetheless had not acquired their cash two months after the second instalment was due. 

Thousands of nurses had been instructed by the Ministry of Health they might be paid by the ministry, not by means of an employer, as a result of they had been working in neighborhood clinics, corresponding to household physicians’ places of work, specialists’ clinics and publicly funded Teletriage companies. 

In emails despatched to a number of nurses by the Primary Health Care Branch of the Ministry of Health on the finish of October and seen by CBC Toronto, the ministry tells candidates they’ve certified however technical points on the Ministry’s platform Citizen Direct has delayed the method.

The ministry cited emails candidates despatched with important data that had been by chance deleted, requiring some to resubmit. The e mail acknowledged that 3,000 nurses employed in neighborhood settings alone may very well be on this state of affairs.

These nurses had been instructed “It is not possible to estimate how long this process will take.”

However, the ministry didn’t in any manner acknowledge to CBC Toronto that the roll-out has been flawed.

‘Another nail within the coffin’

Angela Preocanin, a registered nurse and the vice chairman of the Ontario Nurses’ Association, says the federal government has been made conscious of the problems with the rollouts for months and says the province has instructed the union it would look into them.

Preocanin says she is listening to from nurses from all sectors who qualify, however have been provided no estimate of when their cash is coming.

“It’s just another nail in the coffin of how we’ve been treated … We’re feeling very deflated, very disrespected,” she instructed CBC Toronto.

Preocanin says nurses really feel even worse after months of combating the legislation generally often known as Bill 124, laws the Ford authorities handed in 2019 to cap wage will increase for public sector employees, together with nurses, at one per cent per 12 months.

She says the bonus, even for individuals who have acquired it, has achieved nothing to assist retention and was already “crumbs … a way to distract us from the bill.”

The legislation was struck down late final month by an Ontario Superior Court decide, who discovered it violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But the federal government says it intends to enchantment the choice.

A ‘poisonous recipe’

Doris Grinspun, chief govt officer of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, says nurses recognize the thought of a bonus, nevertheless it will not flip the change on the nurse exodus. 

“One single strategy will not be the magic one. This does not replace the need for the premier to not appeal Bill 124,” she mentioned.

“Capping of compensation at one per cent is a toxic, toxic, toxic recipe for creating instability, and the exodus of nurses which is happening,” mentioned Grinspun.

The troubled retention bonus rollout apart, assuring nurses the court docket’s choice to strike down the invoice will not be appealed by the federal government would do greater than a bonus ever may, she mentioned. 

Neither affiliation was sure what number of nurses are nonetheless ready.

Some, like Brown, say they’ve tried every part to seek out out when this cash is coming. She says it is all been to no avail, leaving her at a loss.

“It’s not a large sum of money to thank us for all the hard work that we’ve done throughout the pandemic,” mentioned Brown.

“It’s a promise that was made and has been broken.”