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About two months ago, the provincial government announced that there will be some major cuts to frontline services in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. This announcement came with little warning, and there is growing concern that rural facilities are next on the chopping block.
While the government remains focused on the balancing its books, the impact of these cuts on the delivery of safe patient care is especially concerning. We have spoken out about our concerns.
We have called on the government to put patients first. We have rallied alongside community members and other health care professionals to ensure that safe patient care is not compromised, during what will most certainly be a chaotic time in the health care system.
We launched a letter writing campaign – a message from the nurses of this province to their elected leaders, calling for improvements and investments in health care. The letter is included in this magazine. I encourage you to read it and then visit our website www.manitobanurses.ca to send a copy to your MLA, the premier and the health minister.
We are mobilizing and there will be lots more coming in the next months. We are in the process of rolling out a public campaign and will be reaching out to you to help us push for change in the health care system.
Our membership has always been our strongest asset and we need your support now more than ever. We need you to stand with us as we face some of the toughest challenges the health care system has seen in almost two decades.
I know that there has been much uncertainty about job security, especially when it comes to bumping. I want you to know that any bumping that occurs must follow the current collective agreement. There is no such thing as modified bumping; bumping across facilities is not permitted in our agreement. If you have any other concerns or questions about this issue please contact your labour relations officer.
We are in this together. We are committed to keeping you informed throughout this process. I encourage you to do the same. Please let us know if there are cuts at your facility – not all cuts are publicized in the media. You are the frontlines of health care. No one knows better than you about where corners are being cut, where patient care is being compromised.
Make sure we have your updated contact information, this includes your email address so that we can communicate with you at a moment’s notice. Consider downloading the MNU app. It’s a great way to get updated information as it happens.
Let’s stay connected, together we will put patients first and together we will overcome these challenges.
More than 500 delegates, representing 100 locals and worksites from across the province, gathered in Winnipeg for the 42nd annual general meeting of the Manitoba Nurses Union. President Sandi Mowat, spoke about new government legislation which will greatly impact the collective bargaining process as well as alter the structure of health care bargaining units.
“The wage freeze bill interferes with our right to bargain by imposing a two-year wage freeze,” she said. “Government needs to respect nurses and they need to respect the bargaining process.”She then raised concerns over recent government cuts to front line health care services which could comprise the safe delivery of patient care.
“In The Pas, nurses are so short staffed and patient acuity is so high that nurses are concerned that they are unable to meet their standards of practice,” she said. “It is our responsibility to speak out for our patients to ensure they are receiving the best possible care.”
She went on to speak about the issue of privatization, and the fact that the government has been looking to extend privatization to diagnostic services, air ambulance and more.
“The government is offloading their responsibility to deliver public health care to private enterprises, as a way to balance their books,” she said. “An adequately funded public system is the best way of ensuring safe, quality patient care for all Manitobans.”
In closing, she pointed out that the government, with their cutting of front line services, hiring of outside consultants and their anti-union stance, is quite reminiscent of the Conservative government in the 1990s when nurses in Manitoba faced massive layoffs and health care services were severely cut.
She said that nurses stood together, endured the tough times and were victorious and called on the delegated to do the same, as the threat of more cuts loom on the horizon.
“Our voices are loud. We are strong. Together we are unstoppable,” she said. “We will face these challenges head on, as we always do, with professionalism, strength and grace.”
Dr.Cindy Blackstock, executive director of The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, delivered a passionate keynote calling for fairness and equality for all essential services for First Nations children living on reserve.
Every year, MNU recognizes members who have exemplified the spirit of the Yellow Ribbon. The ribbon emerged in the 1990s, as a symbol throughout Manitoba of our willingness to stand together and support each other. This year’s recipients are exemplary patient and nurse advocated. Congratulations to Elsie Karnes, Worksite #4 Brandon, Maria Jonker, Local #72, Seven Oaks and Elena Duplessis, Worksite #141.
Linda Silas, president of CFNU addressed the delegates on national issues including the need for a national pharmacare plan.
Congratulations to Donna McKenzie on being re-elected as MNU vice-president.
On the second business day of the Annual General Meeting, delegates joined by community members, members of other unions such as the Manitoba Teachers Society, CUPE, MGEU,MAHCP and nurses from WRHA facilities gathered at the Manitoba Legislature to rally against front line cuts to health care.
The crowd of more than 1,000 called for the government to put patients first and to make investments in health care to ensure that all Manitobans have timely access to safe health care.
MNU president Sandi Mowat addressed the crowd and said, “The government, with all its slashing of frontline services, is heading down a dangerous path. This path could greatly impact the ability of nurses to provide safe patient care.”
She went on to say that if the government is serious about improving patient care they need to produce a real plan which includes investment in primary care as well as a health human resource plan and that it is crucial for front line staff be included in discussions.
This change puts Manitoba in the same position as other RN regulators across Canada.
Following an amendment to a regulation in the Registered Nurses Act, the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba no longer has a three-write maximum for applicants writing the NCLEX-RN.
Canadian-educated applicants now have as many attempts as are possible within the three years immediately following the completion date of their nursing education programs.
Internationally educated nurses have as many attempts as are possible within the three years immediately following the completion date of either their clinical competence assessment OR the bridging program, whichever was completed most recently.
"We are certainly pleased with this announcement. MNU has been lobbying for CRNM to amend their existing policy to permit multiple written attempts for some time now,” said MNU president Sandi Mowat. "This new policy will help alleviate some of the barriers many new graduates are experiencing as they embark on their careers as nurses.” This change puts Manitoba in the same position as other RN regulators across Canada.
The provincial government introduced Bill 34, The Medical Assistance in Dying (Protection for Health Professionals and Others) Act, which would prevent sanctions against nurses and other health professionals who refuses to participate in a medically assisted death.
Under Bill 34, an individual can, without disciplinary or employment repercussions, refuse to participate in a medically assisted death because of their personal convictions.
“This proposed legislation offers reassurance that nurses will not experience any threat to their job security or face disciplinary action should they consciously object participation in MAID,” said MNU president Sandi Mowat.
Mowat went on to say that while this legislation is welcomed for ensuring the protection of nurses who do not wish to participate in MAID, it is extremely important that individuals seeking medical assistance in dying continue to receive access.
The bill also prohibits a professional regulatory body from requiring its members to participate in a medically assisted death.
The Manitoba Nurses Union is in the process of conducting a survey with its LPN members to determine the ways in which factors like changes in nursing education programs and nurses’ professional role along with increasingly complex patient needs and advancements in health care have caused the role to evolve.
Through email and direct mail, our 2,800 LPN members were encouraged to participate in the month-long survey by providing input about their current role in the health care system and the ways in which specific responsibilities or functions of the LPN role has evolved over time.
The intent is to use the information gathered from this survey to help support a submission to the Joint Classification Committee for a LPN position reclassification.
As per Memorandum of Understanding 30, Joint Nursing Position Classification Process, in the collective agreement, MNU can make a request to the Joint Nursing Classification Committee stating that the LPN role has undergone significant changes and that a review is appropriate. Please note, this process is intended to determine the appropriate classification for LPNs and is not authorized to determine wage increases.
Under normal circumstances, if the request for a LPN position reclassification is successful, a new wage scale for LPNs will be negotiated in the next round of bargaining. However, with the passage of Bill 28, The Public Services Sustainability Act, public sector wages will now be frozen for the next two years. There will be minimal increases in years three and four. This bill also restricts the ability to bargain other monetary benefits such as premiums, bonuses and allowances.
Based on this bill, any increases to the LPN salary scale would not be possible until 2021, four years from now.
MNU president Sandi Mowat spoke at the legislative Standing Committee on Bills 28 and 29, calling on the government to respect and value the important contribution of nurses and to rescind both bills.
Bill 28, The Public Services Sustainability Act proposes to impose four years of wage controls on all public-sector contracts, including a two-year wage freeze. It will also restrict the ability to bargain other monetary benefits such as premiums, bonuses and allowances.
"What this bill says to nurses is that our work is not valuable," she said. "It sends a clear message that this government is more concerned with balancing their books than they are with ensuring that there are rewarding professional opportunities for nurses."
She went on to say that this bill is unconstitutional as it infringes upon members’ rights to free and fair collective bargaining and that nurses must be appropriately compensated to ensure a sustainable health care workforce is in place to meet the complex and ever changing health care needs of Manitobans.
“It’s unconstitutional and quite frankly an oppressive and hypocritical tactic from a government who campaigned on protecting front line services,” she said. “Government should not attempt to balance its budget on the backs of nurses.”
The second bill, Bill 29, The Health Sector Bargaining Review Act has the potential to cause significant disruption in the health care system, by reducing the number of bargaining units.
Mowat said that the current bargaining system works well.
"We bargain centrally and the resulting agreement covers the vast majority of our members," she said. "During every round of bargaining we strive to harmonize our agreements across the regions. The differences between agreements are often a result of unique features in the different facilities."
Under Bill 29, nurses can only be represented by one union. Currently, there are several unions that represent nurses in Manitoba. In situations where nurses are represented by more than one union, the legislation would require a representation vote, forcing nurses to vote on which union they would like to represent them. MNU strongly opposes both bills, but recommended an amendment to Bill 29 in the event that the government chooses to move ahead. The amendment is reflective of the long-standing labour board rule of 80-20 for determining the necessity of a representation vote.
According to the rule, whenmore than 80 per cent of the workers in a given bargaining unit are represented by one union, representation votes do not occur. The representation rights are automatically awarded to the union representing the 80 plus per cent of workers.
MNU currently represents 97 per cent of the unionized nursing workforce. Mowat said that nurses have already chosen MNU to represent their interests in the vast majority of instances and that forcing them into representation votes is both unnecessary and counter-productive.
She then took the government to task over their repeated comments that the high number of collective agreements are a barrier to quality patient care. She said that the government's questioning of nurses’ commitment to safe patient care is both offensive and disappointing.
"As nurses our first priority is always our patients. Every time we go to the bargaining table, we push for improvements that would make things better for our patients," she said. "Misleading statements like these are unhelpful and quite frankly diminishes all the hard work and improvements that MNU and the employer have been able to achieve by working together."
The government hopes to pass these pieces of legislation by the end of the session (June 1, 2017). Once passed, it is up to the government to decide when it takes effect.
The fist step is writing a letter to your employer to let them know about your plans to retire. This letter should be sent to your employer approximately three to four months before your planned date of retirement. The letter should clearly state your intent to retire, your last physical date of work and the expectation of your start of pension. It is also important that the letter include your directive with regard to your pre-retirement paid LOA- salary continuance, a portion to your RRSP (if applicable) and portion taken in cash, if applicable.
It is recommended that you apply for your pension three to four months prior to the time you wish to retire and confirm with your employer and HEB. Keep in mind that the key components of your pension are contributory service (how long you have contributed to the pension plan) and your annualized salary. After you have notified HEB about your approaching retirement they will send you a retirement package in the mail, outlining important details and answering many questions you maybe have.
Karen Fleming, labour relations officer
With the recent government announcements of ER closures, ICU closures and the closing of the Misericordia Urgent Care, we are anticipating movement of programs throughout the system. The Manitoba Nurses Union is committed to keeping our members informed on the upcoming changes and ensuring that your rights under the Collective Agreement are protected.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) #26 governs movement of nurses between the nine facilities and the programs of the WRHA system. The intention is to maintain nurses with expertise in a particular service working within that service in the WRHA.
Please note, this MOU is applicable only to Health Science Centre, St. Boniface, Grace, Seven Oaks, Concordia, Victoria, Misericordia, Riverview, Deer Lodge, WRHA Public Health, WRHA Home Care, Breast Health Centre, WRHA CNS, Pan AM Clinic, WRHA Primary Care, WRHA Nurse Practitioners and WRHA Regional Programs.
In the event of a transfer, closure, or merger of one or more of the programs, the Employer will notify the Union, at least 90 days prior to the implementation date. Nurses will receive formal deletion notices and will have the opportunity to choose their best option including:
If the Employer has identified the change as a program transfer, the following applies:
1. The Employer will determine the estimated number and types of positions available, and will update such data as the implementation plans are defined.
2. The Employer and Union will meet within 30 days to discuss issues arising out of the transfer of employees and the Employer shall provide the following data:
When programs are transferred or merged, the Employer will determine the number of staff required by classification. Qualified employees within the transferring program will be given the opportunity to move with the program. The transfer of nurses will be instituted on a voluntary basis. Where excess numbers of staff wish to move, staff will be selected based on seniority. Where an insufficient number of staff volunteer to move, the sending facility shall fill the remaining positions in the program by utilizing the job posting and recall procedures.
The nurse will be treated in all respects as if they had always been employees of the receiving facility including;
The receiving facility will provide an orientation period to employees transferring to a new program site. Should the nurse decide not to remain at the receiving facility, such nurse should provide written notice to the receiving facility no later than 60 days following the date of transfer. The employee shall be placed on the Central Redeployment list (laid-off) of the sending facility. If you have any questions or concerns please contact your labour relations officer.
ADVOCACY STARTS HERE
MNU has a proud history of standing up for its members and their patients. In light of recent government cuts to front line health care services, we are being called on to do so once more.
Stand up with us and help advocate for the preservation and improvement of vital health care services. These services are crucial in ensuring that all Manitobans have access to safe, quality health care when they need it most.
Please visit our website, www.manitobanurses.ca, and send the following letter to the premier, minister of health and your MLA.
To my elected representatives,
Over the past few months, the provincial government has made a series of cuts to frontline health care services. These cuts are particularly concerning because they directly impact nurses’ ability to provide safe patient care.
Some of these cuts, such as the announced closure of three Winnipeg Emergency Departments will lead to widespread disruption of health services, as patients try to navigate the new system.
Despite their decision to close ERs, the government has failed to confirm how it will address and improve the delays associated with diagnostic testing and the insufficient supply of health human resources, both of which are documented factors proven to impact ER wait times.
Other cuts, though less publicized, include the refusal to replace the first sick call at several facilities across the province. It is no secret that nurses are already working short staffed, and these cuts put further strain on an already stretched thin nursing workforce.
It is apparent that government is reluctant to invest in innovations that will strengthen our public health care system and has opted to promote strategies that lead us down the path to privatization. This government has already alluded to privatization of diagnostic services, air ambulance services, and private-public partnerships for our long-term care system.
Time and time again Manitobans have placed their trust in our hands by voting nurses as the most trusted voice in health care. This is a role that we take seriously and with it comes great responsibility to not only advocate on behalf of our health care system, but the patients we care for.
A sustainable health system is made up of many interconnected factors, and every reduction in funding and services has far-reaching effects. Our government should be more focused on investing its way to a sustainable health care system, rather than its current strategy of cutting its way out of a deficit.
I urge you to reverse these harmful cuts, and support innovative, long-term strategies such as investment in primary care, a provincial health human resource plan, improving accessibility to diagnostic tests and a long-term care strategy to ensure that all Manitobans have timely access to safe, quality public health care.
