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BCNU applies to represent Licensed Practical Nurses at BC's six health authorities and Providence Health Care
BCNU has applied to the BC Labour Relations Board to represent LPNs who are employed at all of BC's health authorities and at Providence Health Care.
The application capped a successful three-month campaign where LPNs signed up a majority of their peers to BCNU. It covers about 7,000 LPNs at more than 150 healthcare facilities across British Columbia.
The BC Labour Board will now review BCNU's application to validate that a majority of LPNs in all health authorities have signed BCNU membership applications. Once the majority threshold has been confirmed, we anticipate the Labour Board will conduct a representational vote in early 2012.
If LPNs vote to join BCNU, about 7,000 LPNs will transfer to the nurses' union and BCNU will then represent the vast majority of LPNs in British Columbia.
Unifying nurses into the same union is the best way to improve practice conditions for all nurses. Through unity, BCNU will have greater strength to resolve professional practice issues and better manage workload. When those issues are improved, nurses will be better positioned to improve healthcare for all British Columbians.
BCNU's application to represent LPNs employed at health authorities and Providence is the first stage of uniting nurses into one union. The contractual and legislative relationships between healthcare unions and employers are complex, so BCNU has adopted a multi-stage approach to unite nurses. We will continue to engage LPNs employed at affiliated sites that are not owned and operated by health authorities. We anticipate they will join BCNU in 2012.
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