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January 25, 2002
Bill 29: Another outrageous Liberal attack on nurses’ and other health care workers’ rights
Collective agreement language gutted and wages still under threat
The first glance analysis of Bill 29, misnamed the Health and Social Services Delivery Improvement Act, spells bad news for the rights of nurses.
While there is no mention of nurses’ wages in the Bill, Health Services Minister Colin Hansen said that nurses’ hard fought wage increases were only safe if savings could be achieved in sufficient amounts through the measures outlined in the Bill. Given the government’s present track record, BCNU fears more legislation on the issue of nurses wages when the Legislature is next in session.
Not only does Bill 29 steal away collective agreement rights bargained in the past, it ensures that no bargaining or agreements on a local level regarding the content of the Bill can occur until December 31st, 2005.
What we’ve lost
- the right to work in a "home" facility; nurses can be moved to any work site within a 50 km radius without their agreement and at the whim of the health authority;
- employment security (entire Employment Security and Labour Force Adjustment language in Appendix A of the PCA)
- Healthcare Labour Adjustment Agency to be shut down thereby eliminating provincial funding for specialty nurse training
- contracting out becomes possible for community and long term care nurses, only acute care clinical services will be protected from contracting out
- no successorship language - this means that if, for example, a private company buys a public long term care facility, nurses will cease to be BCNU members and a union organizing campaign must be carried out in order to become BCNU members again; wages and seniority will be lost in the process.
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These changes mean a huge loss for nurses and our right to free collective bargaining. We lose a say as to where and how we work and we lose our right to provide input when decisions are being made that will threaten health care service delivery and quality patient/client/resident care.
What other unions have lost
Bill 29 has hit other health and community social services unions very hard.
Gains that low paid community social services workers made in trying to address pay inequity were wiped out with the stroke of a pen. Our colleagues providing support services throughout the health care system face job loss, contracting out, and reduced lay-off and bumping provisions.
Teachers also have been slammed with an end to bargaining and an end to their ability to protect education through their contract.
We must join together to fight
BCNU calls on all members to fight this legislation in every way possible–at our work sites, in the community and in the courts. All union members need to get involved to fight for our rights and for the quality of health care in BC.
Watch for further details.
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