www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, January 19, 2012 · 14 THIS WEEKEND ONLY! SAT., JAN. 21 AND SUN., JAN. 22, 2012, unless otherwise stated By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Nurses vote to unionize at HHS 24.98 *ALL reg. priced WONDERBRA *ALL A® & PLAYTEX X® boxed bras. FREE BUY 2, GET THE 3RD ** *ALL women's reg. priced *ALL socks, tights and pantyhose. Choose from: SECRET®, ROOTS®, Jessica®/MD brands and more. ON SALE! $500 OFF SAMSUNG® front-load Steam laundry pair with VRT (Vibration Reduction Technology). 4.3 cu. ft. Steam washer with 11 cycles. #39177 7.3 cu. ft. Steam dryer with 9 cycles. #79177 A ALL LL M MAJOR AJOR APPLIANCES * 1799.98 Sears reg. 2299.98 total for the pair Offer starts Fri., Jan. 20, 2012pair R2684 NE013G A 1 2639177 ALL WEEK LONG! 12.99 19.99 Women's clearance Jessica, TRADITION®/MD ®/MD & NEVADA NEVADA DA®/MD fashions. MILLION DOLLAR MA MAT TRESS CLEARANCE MATTRESS 60% OFF SEARS-O-PEDIC®/MD `Oxford IV' Euro-top Queen size sleep set. Clearance Fall & Holiday dresses from our Dress Shop. 479.99 Was 1199.98. 1734SL Twin, Double & King sizes also 60% OFF R0184 CC012F5 A M 0134909 More than 900 registered nurses -- employed by Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) in Oakville and Milton -- voted overwhelmingly to join Canada's largest nurses' union, the Ontario Nursing Association (ONA). The decision, made earlier this month, was based on a number of factors, explained ONA Provincial President Linda Haslam-Stroud. One reason was that registered nurses at HHS' Oakville and Milton facilities were seeing the perks enjoyed by the unionized registered nurses in Georgetown, she said. "Their colleagues at another site, under the same employer, had that voice and had a collective agreement that addressed their wages, working conditions, professional practice issues, etc.," said Haslam-Stroud. "The discussions from the Halton nurses that we have had with them indicated they were looking for a voice to take forward their issues to the employer. "They are certainly concerned about their professional practice and the quality of care they are able to provide the patients of Halton Healthcare Services. Their workload was another issue. Their wages, benefits and working conditions were not equal to the nurses that are organized in the ONA, so that was something else." HHS President and CEO John Oliver said the decision of the registered nurses of Oakville and Milton to join ONA comes as no surprise. "Because of Bill 16, an act that froze non-union employees wages, our staff who are non-union have not received pay increases that other hospitals' registered nurses have received," he said. "It has been a very, very unfair environment for them. So ONA has been working with the nurses here for some time. We have been well aware of that and I think the decision was kind of anticipated because of the Bill 16 environment." Haslam-Stroud said ONA will begin working with HHS to negotiate a collective agreement for the Oakville and Milton nurses. The ONA expects the bargaining process to get underway in March after it meets with its new members and selects a negotiation team. "The timeline in achieving a collective agreement is going to be, in a large part, based on the employer's response to the negotiation process," said Haslam-Stroud. "I hope we would be able to work with this employer since they are already familiar with ONA from Georgetown and are already familiar with the ONA collective agreement." Oliver called the ONA a "very good organization that has done a superb job of representing registered nurses across the province." "They've been good partners with hospitals ensuring quality of work life and quality of care for patients is foremost in everyone's mind," said Oliver. "We've been working with the ONA at the Georgetown site for years and have a very positive working relationship with them." 24.99 Men's clearance* casual tops & dress shirts and women's clearance* JONES & CO., LIZ CLAIBORNE®, NYGARD, mac & jac ac® & KERRYBROOKE®/MD fashions. Nike ke®, Adidas as® or Reebok ok® FREE 70% OFF The original Sears ticketed price FREE SPIRIT®/MD 2.25 CHP folding treadmill. 8 programs. 18" x 52" belt. CLEARANCE athletic shoes (your choice) choice 599.94 wh you purchase $500 or more when of reg. and nd sal sale priced riced fit fitness equipment with your Sears FinancialTM Credit Card. Offer ends Sun., Feb. 5, 2012 Was 1999.99 Then 799.94 068 430 197 $ Furnace Diagnostic Service only 9 locations to serve you better www.aireone.com A+ Rating SALES PRICES IN EFFECT SAT., JAN. AN. 21 TO SAT., JAN. 28, 2012, unless otherwise stated, where open, while quantities last. Look for ENERGY STAR TAR® logo. It shows that the products meets ENERGY STAR TAR specifications for energy efficiency. *These savings offers exclude items with prices ending in .97 & .88, Special Purchases, clearance items, `3 for' offers, Calvin Klein® brand and Kenneth Cole Unlisted® cashmere sweaters. **Third item must be of equal or lesser value and must accompany any returns. On approved credit. Offer valid on purchases made Jan. 21 to Feb. 5, 2012 on in-stock items in Sears Department stores only. Limit one free pair of athletic shoes per qualifying purchase, before taxes and must accompany any returns. Free shoes must be redeemed between Jan. 21 and Feb. 5 from the footwear department. Proof of purchase must be shown. Excludes catalogue and online purchases. No extra charges for after-hours or weekends 49 reg $99 Shop by phone 1-800-267-3277 Shop online at sears.ca NE013G312 © 2012. Sears Canada Inc. 1-888-827-2665 (905) 849-4998