UPN members vote to merge with BCNU

Members of the Union of Psychiatric Nurses (UPN) have voted strongly in favour of joining the British Columbia Nurses' Union, following a ballot count at UPN headquarters on October 30. This decision to support a merger with BCNU brings 1100 Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) into the BCNU.

"I want to extend a warm welcome to each and every new RPN member," says BCNU President Gayle Duteil. "This merger gives us all a stronger voice on mental health, violence-reduction and safe patient care."

"We're stronger together and that will help us advance our mental health agenda and secure the profession of psychiatric nursing," says UPN President Dan Murphy.

The next step in completing the merger is an application under section 37 of the Labour Code to the BC Labour Relations Board, whose approval for transfer of bargaining agent status is required.

Under the merger agreement, UPN members will have representation on BCNU's Mental Health Strategy (MHS) steering committee, as well as 16 mental health positions on regional executive councils.

RPNs will also be encouraged to participate in the regional mental health workshops being held early in 2015. These workshops will gather frontline nursing experience on gaps in mental health services to inform an MHS position paper.

Twenty-five UPN activists and stewards will also receive a five-day BCNU education course. All of BCNU's ongoing educational opportunities will be open to our new members

UPN was a long-time affiliate of BCNU and the two unions have enjoyed a positive history of bargaining together in the Nurses' Bargaining Association.