Monday, July 6, 2026

VON Ontario Home Care Nurses Unanimously Ratify New Collective Agreement with Wage Improvements

CHATHAM-KENT, ON—Home care nurses at VON Canada – Ontario Branch Chatham-Kent Site, a provider of community nursing and home care services in southwestern Ontario, unanimously ratified a three-year collective agreement delivering wage increases and improved wage progression.

The employees are represented by Southwestern Ontario Health Care and Service Workers Union, CLAC Local 303, which has represented the organization’s workforce since 2007.

The group of registered practical nurses (RPNs) voted 100 percent in favour of the agreement, which runs from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2028. The agreement includes 2.5 percent wage increases in both 2025 and 2026, along with a wage reopener in 2027. It also provides retroactive lump sum payments of 3.5 percent for hours worked between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, and one percent for hours worked between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

Additional improvements include restructuring the wage grid by removing lower steps and applying a four percent adjustment across remaining levels, strengthening wage progression.

“Bargaining in home care is complex due to factors like opaque funding and limited union representation across the sector,” says Mary Ellen VanderSluis, CLAC representative. “Workers build strong relationships with their clients, which can make traditional bargaining tools more difficult to use. CLAC will continue to advocate for meaningful improvements and for these workers to be treated on par with other health care professionals.”

VON Canada provides home and community health care services, including nursing, clinic care, and shift nursing, supporting patients and families throughout Chatham-Kent and the surrounding region.

VON Ontario Home Care Nurses Unanimously Ratify New Collective Agreement with Wage Improvements

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