While the BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) are set to expand their strike action to Vancouver Island hospitals next week, many have been left wondering what the impact will be on patient care.
Picketing will begin at Vancouver Island hospitals next week, with Victoria General Hospital picket lines going up on Sunday, July 12th, Nanaimo Regional Hospital on Monday, July 13th and Royal Jubilee Hospital and the South Island Surgical Centre on Tuesday, July 14th.
“We want to be inside those hospitals providing care to our patients,” Adriane Gear, president of BNCU told Victoria Buzz.
“But raising our concerns hasn’t gotten us where we need to go.”
She went on to explain that while picketing will be taking place at these hospitals, no one — patients or visitors — is going to be blocked from entering the hospitals, and that those who need medical attention should still be going to the hospital and will still be receiving care.
Gear stressed that essential service levels will need to be maintained, and that nurses want them to be.
However, she added that even outside of job action, nurses are often staffed well below negotiated essential service levels because there are simply not enough nurses.
Gear said that health authorities may take steps to scale back certain services that are not deemed essential.
“Things like elective surgeries [and] clinics are, a lot of times, not deemed essential,” she explained.
This picketing marks an escalation in the job action, which Gear said has not been adequately acknowledged by the BC Government.
Withdrawing labour was not a step that the union wanted to take, but it felt that it was necessary after more than 2,300 complaints from union members saying they had faced threats, intimidation or coercion while participating in job action.
Upon being asked if there is a legitimate path to avoid further ramping up of the job action, Gear said that she hopes there is some kind of intervention in the coming days, but that a deal with Eby and the BC Government doesn’t currently feel close.
“We’re here because they haven’t actually leaned in and acknowledged all the workplace issues that we have been raising and advocating to change,” she said.
“They’re certainly not signaling that they’re searching for any solution in the immediate future.”
On the side of the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC), the group who is negotiating with BCNU, Minister of Labour Jennifer Whiteside has appointed veteran mediator Vince Ready, as well as Amanda Rogers as special mediators in the labour dispute on Friday, July 10th, signalling a potential shift in negotiations.
“Government remains committed to upholding the principles of BC’s labour laws, which recognize that collective agreements are best reached at the bargaining table,” reads a statement from the Province.
“Nurses are central to BC’s health-care system, and reaching a fair resolution is important to patients and health-care workers throughout the province.”
Victoria Buzz reached out to HEABC for further comment and received the following statement:
“HEABC welcomes the Minister of Labour’s appointment of Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers as special mediators to support the bargaining process between HEABC and the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA). HEABC is ready to meet and work constructively toward a solution.We remain committed to reaching a negotiated settlement that is fair, responsible, and supports a sustainable public health-care system.”
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