Vice President’s Report: “Activists Are Out There Connecting with Members”
From lobbying the provincial government to grassroots worksite campaigns across the province, on the first day of Convention 2024, BCNU Vice President Tristan Newby gave an impassioned speech where he reflected on the things that attracted him to the nursing profession and union activism. He asked delegates to do the same and encouraged them to write their thoughts on pieces of red, orange and yellow paper meant to symbolize the embers of the fire within them.
“I’d like you to close your eyes and ask yourself what was the ‘spark’ that called you to nursing,” he instructed. “It can be one word – something that summarizes the choice you made, what it was that lit the fire inside you.”
New to the role of vice president since September 2023, Newby took the opportunity to celebrate the hard work of BCNU’s regional lobby coordinators who, over the last several months, have met with municipal, provincial and federal leaders to promote the benefits of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. He also highlighted activists’ efforts to encourage members to take part in the union’s recent province-wide “Not Okay” campaign that spotlighted the occupational health and safety risks facing nurses across BC.
“The work of your lobby coordinators, occupational health and safety reps and mental health reps resulted in over three thousand responses to the campaign’s survey,” Newby reported. “They’ve become super-engagers, establishing their skills as a team and have been out there connecting with members.”
Worksite-specific efforts, such as rallies in Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Merritt were a focus of Newby’s first-ever convention presentation as vice president. He applauded the work of stewards and regional leaders in highlighting the challenges facing members in various health-care settings, and encouraged delegates to ask themselves how they might advocate for change.
“Consider connecting with the BCNU lobby coordinator in your region and see how you can meet with your local MLA, write an op-ed or build a campaign at your worksite,” he said.
He concluded his address by encouraging delegates to take a minute on the break to attach their spark on an installation outside of the plenary, that when completed, emulated embers of a flame.