Glen Dawkins
The head of the Manitoba Nurses Union is slamming the Pallister government after the union notified its members that the province had asked to suspend nurses’ rights under their collective agreement in order to deal with the critical short-staffing issues that have emerged amidst the worsening pandemic.
The head of the Manitoba Nurses Union is slamming the Pallister government after the union notified its members that the province had asked to suspend nurses’ rights under their collective agreement in order to deal with the critical short-staffing issues that have emerged amidst the worsening pandemic.
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Darlene Jackson is president of the 12,000 member Manitoba Nurses Union.
“Nurses are doing everything they can to meet the growing COVID-19 surge and support Manitobans during this critical time,” said MNU President Darlene Jackson in an email Saturday. “Across the province, they are facing incredibly long hours and extremely heavy workloads.
“In the midst of this, it’s disappointing that employers may resort to suspending nurses’ rights to respond to a worsening situation that was preventable. Nurses and Manitobans plainly see the Pallister government did not do nearly enough to prepare for this situation. Now they are once again asking nurses to clean up the mess, while refusing to provide adequate support.”
The MNU sent out a notice that the Provincial Health Labour Relations Secretariat (PHLRS) had indicated to the MNU that they were seriously considering an Article 10 declaration, or other emergency declaration that would suspend nurses’ rights under the collective agreement.
Rather than risk immediate imposition of these measures, and to ensure some recognition for any disruption to nurses’ assignments, MNU and PHLRS agreed to a compensation package for the next seven days, the notice read. The package would pay affected nurses a $25 premium per shift if their schedule is modified, or they are required to work at a personal care home in an outbreak situation or intensive care unit/critical care unit in their own facility. The agreement applies to any MNU member employed in the public health care system, effective immediately and extends to next Friday.
“We recognize this premium does not nearly account for the many hardships nurses are facing during this extraordinarily challenging time, but we hope that this small gesture will assist with desperately needed recruitment and retention efforts in areas of critical need,” the notice read.
“Government and health officials had months to prepare for this scenario, yet they did little to support nursing recruitment and retention,” said Jackson. “Over the summer, government could have invested to bolster staffing levels and made it easier for retired nurses to come back to the workforce. They could have ensured PPE and supplies were safe and well stocked. They could have trained nurses to work in areas of need in advance.
“Instead, they waited until we were in the midst of a surge. Government sat on their hands, focused more on managing their budget than ensuring we were prepared to weather the storm. It didn’t have to be this way. The Pallister government must change course. They must rebuild trust with their health workforce, not strip away what little is left.“
gdawkins@postmedia.com
Twitter: @SunGlenDawkins
“Nurses are doing everything they can to meet the growing COVID-19 surge and support Manitobans during this critical time,” said MNU President Darlene Jackson in an email Saturday. “Across the province, they are facing incredibly long hours and extremely heavy workloads.
“In the midst of this, it’s disappointing that employers may resort to suspending nurses’ rights to respond to a worsening situation that was preventable. Nurses and Manitobans plainly see the Pallister government did not do nearly enough to prepare for this situation. Now they are once again asking nurses to clean up the mess, while refusing to provide adequate support.”
The MNU sent out a notice that the Provincial Health Labour Relations Secretariat (PHLRS) had indicated to the MNU that they were seriously considering an Article 10 declaration, or other emergency declaration that would suspend nurses’ rights under the collective agreement.
Rather than risk immediate imposition of these measures, and to ensure some recognition for any disruption to nurses’ assignments, MNU and PHLRS agreed to a compensation package for the next seven days, the notice read. The package would pay affected nurses a $25 premium per shift if their schedule is modified, or they are required to work at a personal care home in an outbreak situation or intensive care unit/critical care unit in their own facility. The agreement applies to any MNU member employed in the public health care system, effective immediately and extends to next Friday.
“We recognize this premium does not nearly account for the many hardships nurses are facing during this extraordinarily challenging time, but we hope that this small gesture will assist with desperately needed recruitment and retention efforts in areas of critical need,” the notice read.
“Government and health officials had months to prepare for this scenario, yet they did little to support nursing recruitment and retention,” said Jackson. “Over the summer, government could have invested to bolster staffing levels and made it easier for retired nurses to come back to the workforce. They could have ensured PPE and supplies were safe and well stocked. They could have trained nurses to work in areas of need in advance.
“Instead, they waited until we were in the midst of a surge. Government sat on their hands, focused more on managing their budget than ensuring we were prepared to weather the storm. It didn’t have to be this way. The Pallister government must change course. They must rebuild trust with their health workforce, not strip away what little is left.“
gdawkins@postmedia.com
Twitter: @SunGlenDawkins
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