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January 30, 2002
No choice for nurses in where they work
Further interpretation and analysis of Bill 29 raises fears of just how far the government and the employers are willing to go to decimate health care delivery and nurses’ rights:
- Bill 29 gives health employers the power to temporarily re-assign nurses with no notice and without their consent, to any location within their hospital or to another work site anywhere in the province. For example, a nurse in Cranbrook, Vancouver or Kelowna could be assigned to Prince Rupert or Port Hardy. If the re-assignment is within 50 kilometres of their usual work site, it can be for an indefinite time period; if it is outside of 50 kilometres, the reassignment can be for up to 30 days in any four month period;
- the legislation also gives health employers the power to transfer nurses permanently without their consent to locations less than 50 kilometres from their usual work site, if the employer reorganizes a service or program. If a nurse does not accept the transfer, she or he will be considered to have resigned and will lose bumping rights and severance pay
- if the new work site is more than 50 kilometres away, a nurse may accept the transfer or use the limited bumping rights available to get a new position
- it is now easier for employers to create multi-site positions, which must be posted if the employer requires a nurse to work at more than one work site "on a regular on-going basis."
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Next steps - action
It’s important to take action now because we know the government is considering further legislation on wage and benefit rollbacks which could affect nurses negatively. Only by convincing the public and employers that legislation is not the way to go, can we hope to limit or prevent further legislation. Here’s what you can do:
- attend union meetings on cuts and contract rollbacks
- get involved in local fight back campaigns in your communities and work sites
- check the BC Federation of Labour web site for details of Campaign BC at www.campaignbc.ca
- watch for notices in local papers
- check your union bulletin board for information
- visit or write a letter to your MLA, to force them to either defend cuts to healthcare in their communities or to challenge their own party when they take such drastic and reckless actions.
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