Publish date: Tuesday, July 14, 2020
COVID-19
Health and safety
Health care
MNU members
MNU President
Put Patients First
Union news
Dear members,
Today, I am proud to announce a major victory in our fight to protect nurses and patients from the spread of COVID-19.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of our members, local leaders and staff, we have signed a Memorandum of Agreement and issued a Joint Statement with Shared Health on a number of issues involving PPE use and other important health and safety controls. Highlights of the agreement are as follows:
For more details, we encourage nurses to read the following:
It’s important to note that where the PPE committee is unable to reach consensus, MNU will have the ability to refer the matter to arbitration. In other words, we have a new, strong avenue to hold the employer to account on health and safety issues related to COVID-19.
With these gains, nurses and patients will be better protected at work. These gains should translate into similar health and safety protections for all health care workers in Manitoba.
This progress would never have been made without the commitment of nurses to push this issue. I want to thank the nurses who signed their names to grievances and helped drive our cause forward.
I also want to thank the thousands of nurses who sent letters to our elected leaders demanding better health and safety standards. Everyone who took action helped amplify this issue in the eyes of government and the public.
MNU will closely monitor the implementation of these policy changes, and will continue to advocate on this issue. If you notice your employer is not adopting these new policies at work, please contact your Labour Relations Officer and local/worksite president.
Thank you for your continued support during these extraordinary times.
In solidarity,
Darlene Jackson
President
Manitoba Nurses Union MOA and PPE Committee Terms of Reference
PPE Settlement Joint Statement (EN)
PPE Settlement Joint Statement (FR)
New Accommodations Memorandum