November 25, 2015 (Ottawa) – The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) announced today that they would cease operations in six provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador), along with a decrease in the size of its head office.
“Canada’s Nurses are deeply saddened and disappointed with the recent announcement of the VON restructuring and ceasing of operations in six Canadian provinces,” said CFNU President Linda Silas. “We are concerned about the impact this news will have on our communities and home care nursing, at a time when Canada’s aging population needs a safe seniors’ strategy more than ever. This opens the door for privatization which, evidence proves, is more costly and is a less safe model.”
In total, 352 of 6,446 employees are affected by this restructuring. Over the coming days, VON said they will be working with clients, employees and partners affected by this announcement.
“On behalf of nearly 200,000 nurses across Canada, we stand united in our support for all VON workers who have been affected by the closures nationwide at this difficult time,” said Silas.