Hundreds of home care nurses across Ontario are demanding wage parity and equal benefits with their hospital-based colleagues as bargaining begins on a new contract with the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON).
The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), representing about 230 home care nurses with VON, says the pay gap has grown to as much as $20 per hour less than hospital nurses, despite equal education and licensing requirements.
“Home care nurses play a vital role in Ontario’s health system, but they continue to be undervalued and underpaid,” said Erin Ariss, ONA Provincial President. “They face higher risks, heavier workloads, and are often the only professionals available to respond in emergencies — yet their compensation does not reflect the reality of their work.”
Data from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board shows that over 2,100 violent incidents were reported by home care nurses in the last two years, with workplace violence rates five times higher than in other nursing sectors. In addition, nurses regularly visit patients’ homes alone, drive long distances between visits, and struggle to manage overwhelming caseloads.
Veteran home care nurse Lorna Thompson, who left hospital work three decades ago when home care wages were higher, said salaries have since stagnated and failed to keep pace with inflation. “Pay would be 14 per cent higher today if it had kept up. We deserve equal pay, and we’re not going to settle this time,” she said.
The disparity became especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many home care nurses left the sector for better-paying hospital positions, deepening staff shortages and straining patient care.
The Victorian Order of Nurses has not yet responded to the ONA’s request for comment.
The ONA is urging the government and employers to recognize the essential role of home care in reducing hospital overcrowding and supporting Ontario’s aging population by ensuring nurses in the sector are fairly compensated.