Coming Together in Trying Times

VIRTUAL PLATFORM Over 400 convention delegates came together this summer via their home computers to conduct the business of the union and hear from elected leaders. The new technology presented challenges for many and is not a replacement for in-person meetings.

Hundreds of nurse activists from around the province came together this June for BCNU's 39th annual convention. For the first time, the event took place online.

Instead of the usual in-person podium address, opening day saw BCNU president Christine Sorensen welcome delegates from her home office in Kamloops, where she acknowledged the unceded land of the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Nation from where she was calling. 

Sorensen remarked on the devastating discovery of a mass burial site of children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. "As a Métis woman of Cree and European ancestry from the Red River Valley, I'm acutely aware of  the legacy of the residential school that stands in the middle of my city," she said. 

 "The tragic news of the remains of 215 children discovered on these grounds, reminds us all of the painful legacy of Canada's residential schools and of the large number of Indigenous children lost forever to their families as a result." 

Sorensen called the meeting officially to order after delegates held a moment of silence to reflect upon the lives and deaths of the children. 

Last year's convention was cancelled due to COVID-19. Sorensen remarked that no one could have foreseen just how deeply the pandemic would affect members' personal and professional lives and expressed gratitude to be able to convene again – albeit in a virtual online format. 

"We have adapted our learning and support systems to meet our needs and those of our patients."

- BCNU President Christine Sorensen

She noted the World Health Organization's declaration of 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife and said the irony of that declaration, and the premonition of the critical role that nurses would play in caring for the victims of COVID, would not be lost in history.  

Sorensen also reminded attendees of that other historic public health emergency – the opioid crisis – that has still not received the attention it deserves while COVID remains at the forefront of the news media, and she acknowledged the health-care workers who have continued to struggle with the impact of a crisis that has gone on for over five years. 

Sorensen acknowledged the December 2020 report from Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, which shone a light on anti-Indigenous racism in BC's health-care system and underscored the desperate need for radical change.

"The effects of two public health emergencies along with growing incidents of racism have taken an immense toll on so many of us," Sorensen acknowledged.

She thanked nurses for their unwavering courage and resiliency in troubled times, for showing up for their patients, no matter how sick, and for reassuring those sad and alone. "Each life that you preserve is an irreplaceable treasure," she stated.  

She also explained how this year's convention theme, "Resilient Together," is significant for her. "Nurses working under extreme pressure have strategized on how to deliver health care to vulnerable populations and advocate for health system reform," she said. "We have adapted our learning and support systems to meet our needs and those of our patients. For me, the nurse simply is resilient."  

Sorensen addressed the impact of the pandemic on nurses' mental health and announced that BCNU is launching a number of mental health initiatives for members this year.

"BCNU wants members to know they are cared for and will be supported by their union through new resiliency education options that are trauma informed and mindful of our diverse histories. This is BCNU taking action for our members," she said.

Sorensen concluded her remarks by acknowledging that, despite the hopelessness the pandemic has brought, it's imperative that health-care professionals bear witness to the impact that both public health crises have had on nurses and patients, and to recognize the harmful effects of systemic racism.

CEO WELCOMED 

Day one of convention also saw the introduction of BCNU's new chief executive officer Cody Hedman. A seasoned negotiator, Hedman comes to the BCNU with years of experience negotiating hundreds of collective agreements in both the public and private sectors. 

He told delegates that he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a leader by making life better for others. He credits his parents with instilling in him the importance of education, a strong work ethic and respect.  

Hedman grew up on rural Vancouver Island. After graduating from law school, he articled with the United Steelworkers' Canadian National office in Toronto and has served as council for the Ontario Nurses' Association and CUPE. 

"I have been provided with a new and rewarding opportunity to put my legal and financial acumen to work for our province's front-line nurses," he told the assembly.

Hedman shared his intention to work with members and staff to build a sustainable public health-care system that works for nurses and patients alike.

"We will get there together through the negotiation and consistent enforcement of strong collective agreement language driven by shared values and tangible results," he said.

Hedman asked delegates to consider how their union can better serve them in the months and years ahead. "As I continue to transition into this exciting new role, I want to hear from you – what has worked well in the past and what you believe could be improved upon for the future."

VICE PRESIDENT'S REPORT

Delegates also welcomed BCNU Vice President and provincial lobby coordinator Aman Grewal on opening day.

Grewal reported that when BCNU's regional lobby coordinators were prohibited from visiting worksites in person, they quickly began holding drop-in Zoom sessions where members could ask questions or share worksite concerns.

They took members' concerns to elected officials at all levels of government and advocated for major policy changes, including the promotion of universal national pharmacare and putting pressure on the federal and provincial governments to establish national standards for long-term care.

"None of what remains to be done can be done without all of us working together as heartfelt allies."

-BCNU Vice President Aman Grewal

"Our members caring for seniors deserve to have better working conditions and safe staffing levels so they can provide the standard of care deserved by our seniors," Grewal commented. "Levels of care for our seniors have been unacceptable. We need to have RNs in all long-term care facilities working 24-7 alongside our LPNs." 

Grewal thanked members for their continued activism and encouraged them to get acquainted with their regional lobby coordinators. "BCNU lobby coordinators are ready for action!" she remarked. 

She reminded delegates of BCNU's human rights and equity caucuses, and the importance of safe and welcoming spaces for members to discuss issues and challenges they face both in the union and the workplace. 

"Looking back, we can say, with some measure of certainty, that BCNU's human rights and equity initiatives have transformed this union and helped shape the types of conversations that we, as an organization, are able to have." Grewal said, "There is much that remains to be done. And none of what remains to be done can be done without all of us working together as heartfelt allies, to make our union and our workplaces more just and equitable." 

RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE

Day two of convention closed with a recognition of the two recipients of the 2021 BCNU Leadership Awards. 

On May 21, the union awarded North East region's Danika Serafin and Simon Fraser region's Maria Huertas for their outstanding activism and advocacy work. The NU Leader Award went to Serafin and Huertas was honoured with the Excellence in Leadership & Advocacy Award.

The NU Leader Award honours a student member or nurse with less then five years of nursing experience for demonstrating outstanding achievements in BCNU-focused advocacy and activism and who embodies union values. 

Serafin was nominated during her fourth year of nursing school at University Hospital of Northern BC. She currently works in long-term care and aspires to become an intensive care nurse. 

While attending school in Prince George, Serafin co-founded an outreach program known as Spare a Pair, whose purpose is to support marginalized community members. She and a fellow nursing student started the program after they came upon community members outside, barefoot, in -10°C weather. Spare a Pair is 100 percent volunteer run and donation based. The program continues to grow and is focused on the concept of people helping people. 

The Excellence in Leadership & Advocacy Award honours a BCNU member for outstanding contribution to the health and well-being of their community and profession through leadership, activism or social justice efforts. 

Huertas works in the neurological unit at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, where she was nominated by her colleagues. 

Huertas began her BCNU activism as a steward in 2008. She has also served as Simon Fraser region's communications secretary and is currently the region's lobby coordinator. 

Outside of her advocacy work on behalf of her fellow nurses, Huertas also demonstrates BCNU values through outreach to homeless people, and recently coordinated the collection and delivery of clothing and meals to underprivileged communities in her region.

Nominees are nominated by fellow BCNU members and recipients selected by the BCNU Leadership Award selection committee.

"Congratulations to Danika and Maria!" said Sorensen. "Thank you to this year's recipients and to all nominees and nominators who participated in this exciting and rewarding venture to recognize our fellow nurses who stand out."

BCNU Leadership Awards will return next year with another call for nominations of outstanding members.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Keynote speaker Meg Soper took to the virtual stage on the last day of convention and spoke to delegates about the importance of thriving in times of change.

Soper combined her experience as an RN with comedic skills and a vivacious personality, offering a unique blend of humour and inspirational stories to help members meet the challenge of nursing during a pandemic.

Her presentation, entitled The Secret Sauce…Thriving in Times of Change, shared a much-needed lift – and more than a few laughs – using humour and resilience to shift perspectives and help nurses adapt in times of change.

Soper has come up with what she calls her "HPR sauce": humour, passion and resilience, and firmly believes a sense of humour helps us shift our perspectives. "If you can't laugh, you might snap in half!" she joked.

Speaking to the second ingredient of the HPR sauce – passion – Soper said this is the "why" behind what we do. Passion is what drives us, it's the thing that keeps us going when we would otherwise slow or stop in our tracks.

She asked delegates to share what it is in their careers and personal lives that gets them to kick the bedsheets off every day. Members responded enthusiastically with a variety of passions and Soper rattled them off as fast as she could read them.  

The third component of Soper's HPR sauce is resilience. She said building resiliency and maintaining a positive mindset helps us bounce back from stress that is a normal part of our lives. 

"Many of us have faced more adversity, more heartache and more stress in the past year than most of us have in our lifetime – we are all in the same storm, but not in the same boat," Soper emphasized, "We've got our gloves, gowns, masks and shields to protect us on the outside," she continued, "but I believe we are more vulnerable than ever on the inside." 

When it comes to dealing with change and disruption, Soper believes the most valuable tool we have is our brain or "the CEO of our life" as she calls it, and how we manage our mental energy is a key tool in building resilience.

Soper told members that humans have up to 50,000 thoughts a day. Some positive, countless negative and many repeating over and over. "Thoughts are not facts," she stressed. "We have a choice about which ones we pay attention to." 

Soper explained that our brain's two hemispheres each have a separate set of complementary coping functions. She challenged members to find their own "hemispheric home" by striking a healthy balance of the left-brain analytical (and oftentimes self-judgmental) thinking with the right brain's empathy and compassion. 

"We get stuck doing it the same way," Soper explained. "Our relationships, our conversations, our way of driving the same route home, we just get stuck." 

So how do we get unstuck, emerge from the pandemic and achieve post-traumatic growth or "#PTG" as Soper calls it? By leaning into ourselves and leaning into each other. Bringing awareness to our emotional state helps us become more adaptable to challenging people and situations, she explained. Learning mindfulness techniques gives our brains a boost and helps us stay present in interactions. 

Soper challenged nurses to think about one thing that lifts them up every day and to lengthen that positive experience because, as she says, "the more we lengthen that positive experience, the longer the positive neurons are firing and when they are firing, they are re-wiring." It is through this practice, she said, that we are training our brains to be more positive. 

Thanking nurses for the difference they make every day, Soper ended her lively presentation with a quote inspired by famous motivation speaker Zig Ziglar: "We need a physical check up every year, but we need to check from the neck up every day!" 

BYLAW AMENDMENTS AND RESOLUTIONS

Convention delegates voted on six proposed amendments as part of day two and three of convention business. 

Members in attendance defeated a proposed amendment to constitution Article 2 (Objectives) that would have changed Article 2.05 from "build relationships with government, employers and interested parties" to "excel regarding compensation matters and working conditions for members." 

A proposal to amend wording in constitution Article 2.12 from "to advance the professional profile of nursing" to "proactively promote professional standards and to assist members in meeting their professional standards" was also defeated.

Delegates also rejected a proposal to change the objective in constitution Article 2.11 from "encourage unity within the nursing profession and other allied fields through communication and cooperation" to "unite all BCNU members in a democratic organization that acts on their behalf."

Proposed amendments to bylaw Article 4 (BCNU Regions) and 5 (Elections) related to candidate eligibility requirements for provincial and regional elections, and the introduction of term limits, were defeated.

A proposed amendment to bylaw Article 4.03 (Eligibility) requiring steward experience to run for regional executive committee positions was defeated, as was a proposed amendment to bylaw Article 12.07 (Discipline) pertaining to the powers of the Hearing Board.

Remaining proposed amendments that were not debated may be resubmitted ahead of future conventions. Resolutions that were not debated will proceed to Council for disposition.

Significant technical challenges and malfunctions of the virtual convention platform were a primary reason for the delay and eventual tabling of proposed amendments and resolutions.

LOOKING FORWARD

Sorensen closed convention on day three by calling on members to see opportunity in the adversity that's been brought by COVID-19. "Nothing should go back to normal," she said. "Normal wasn't working. If we go back to the way things were, we will have lost the lesson.

"But I am definitely looking forward to the day when we can all meet face to face again in units, worksites and BCNU offices," she laughed.

She thanked nurses for participating in the virtual rally activity and writing letters to their MLAs (see sidebar on page 24) calling on government to provide the resources and attention the province's nursing shortage requires.

Sorensen also reminded delegates of the 40 years of union solidarity, and the activism of previous members that has brought them where they are today. "Together, let's be bold. Let's be courageous," she said.

"The time has come for us to leverage the lessons learned – and those that have been forced upon us during the past years – to drive positive, lasting change," she remarked. "Let's all learn from these experiences. We are resilient. We are together. We are the BC Nurses' Union." •

UPDATE (Summer/Fall 2021)

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