Health Sciences Association (HSA) Scrambles to Prevent Hiring of Over 1,600 Nurses

BCNU, the Ministry of Health and health employers see hiring these nurses as essential to improving patient care. It is shocking that HSA would attempt to stand in the way of safe patient care and prevent the relief needed for over-worked nurses across BC to deliver that care.

Under the rules of the Nurses' Bargaining Association, within which BCNU is the lead union and HSA is a member, formal bargaining should include all Unions within the NBA. HSA's submission, filed on January 26, claims that agreements made between BCNU and BC's health employers to cooperate in recruiting additional nurses somehow equate to bargaining for a new contract without HSA. This is simply not the case.

BCNU has consistently and publicly stated that bargaining for the new agreement cannot begin until we see proof that employers are committed to hiring the full 2,125 additional nurses mandated by the 2012 - 14 provincial collective agreement.

HSA's accusations and attempts to prevent the hiring of over 1,600 nurses are acts of desperation. HSA was the first health sector union to enter into a new contract with government (December 2013). That contract saw an erosion of HSA members' benefits by entering into a "joint benefit trust", which will eventually lead either to HSA members paying more for their benefits or cutting benefits. HSA was also the first health sector union to agree to a "me too" clause with government, essentially stating that if BCNU got more money so would they. The "me too" clause was yet another sign of weakness and an appalling lack of confidence in HSA's ability to bargain for their own members. Instead, they would rather have the nurses do it for them.

BCNU will contest HSA?s assertions vigorously at the LRB in order to remove this new and unnecessary obstacle to safe patient care. It is regrettable that we have to devote energy to this action rather than focusing on moving forward towards formal bargaining.

BCNU expects both the Ministry of Health and the Health Employers Association of BC to also contest the HSA submission.

In the interim, BCNU will be carrying on with all efforts related to our Hire a Nurse campaign.