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A P 3 CERES 16 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, February 8, 2000 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" Nurses ink deal that From page 1 salary caps that were imposed on nurses moving from one position to another as well. Other elements of the agreement focus on vacation time, increased benefits, pro- fessional development and scheduling, and protection for diploma-trained nurs- es. "In our area everyone's pleased," said Mrs. Brown, who was a member of the union executive here prior to the region- wide merger of hospitals under the Lakeridge Corp. She said .that while catching up on wages was an important target for ONA negotiators, important issues remain to be resolved during the next round of talks in 2001. Foremost among those are what nurses say are continuing staff shortages at hos- pitals. Nurses in hospitals today are scrambling to attend to increased duties, and that results in a serious health and safety issue, said Mrs. Brown. Also worrisome is the discrepancy in wages paid nurses working in hospitals, and those employed by outside care organizations, such as the Victorian Order of Nurses, and St. Elizabeth Health Care. Lower wages for those nurses may cause a shift toward hospitals, leaving community care organizations understaffed, said Mrs. Brown. "We've been trying for parity. A nurse is a nurse is a nurse, wherever you work," she said. It is hoped that gains made in the lat- est round of negotiations can be built upon next time, so that remaining areas of concern can be dealt with successfully, said Mrs. Brown. "I really feel (the new contract) posi- tions us well for further bargaining; it's not really a money issue, it centres more on working conditions," she said. The new agreement "opens the doors," she said. "Whether or not we can make some inroads, | don't know." 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Diane McLeod, a senior director with the VON, said they are pleased nurs- es working for hospitals have made gains, but are concemed that they continue to work for much less money. "We continually lose skilled, compe- tent nurses to higher paying jobs in hos- pitals, or they're leaving the profession altogether," said Ms McLeod. Community nurses earn about 20 per cent less than their colleagues in hospi- tals, she said, adding that the new agree- ment serves only to widen that gap. "If the government doesn't immediately address the issue of how it funds communi- ty health care, home care nursing may be damaged beyond repair," said Ms McLeod. Scugog Island News Winter Dance "is set for Feb. 19 at hall By Karen Davis The Coffee Hour fol- lowing the service was enjoyed by the congre- gation. Special thanks to our Elders Sandra Barron, Ken and Brenda Stowell-Smith for orga- nizing this time of fel- lowship. The Moms and Tots will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at S.1.U.C. The Wellness Group sponsored Yoga contin- ues to meet on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. For information call Laura at 985-7579. Gentle Aerobics con- tinues to meet on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. Pay as you go. Come when you can. Choir practice will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Worship and Music Committee will meet on Monday, Feb. 14 at 1:30 p.m. at S.ILU.C. The Stewards. will meet on Tuesday, Feb. I5 at 7:30 p.m. at S.ILU.C. The Needs and Assessment Committee will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. A Winter Dance/Game Night is planned for Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Island Hall. Bring munchies, juice or pop, CDs, cards, games and dancing shoes. All ages welcome. Come out and spend some time with your church family: The U.C.W. Oshawa Presbytery annual meeting will be held on 'Tuesday, Feb. 22 at Orono U.C. See your president for informa- tion. Call 985-8871 with your news for next week's column.