Since the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) gave 72-hour strike notice a week ago, job action has accelerated rapidly.
Nurses’ job action began on July 2, with the announcement of a ban on overtime and non-nursing duties for their members, and at 5:30 this morning a picket line was set up at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).
Plans have been announced to picket Surrey Memorial Hospital starting Thursday July 9, also at 5:30 a.m.
It’s not known yet how long the VGH pickets will stay up, or if the two facilities will be behind picket lines at the same time.
While talks resumed Monday between the NBA and the Health Employers Association of BC, job action is continuing, and the overtime ban and work-to-rule remain in effect.
“HEU is asking its members to respect the nurses’ picket lines,” says Lynn Bueckert, HEU’s secretary-business manager. “It’s important we do our best to both support each other and the NBA members as they work towards securing a renewed collective agreement with health employers.”
HEU is contacting members at facilities behind picket lines with detailed instructions, and all members are urged to make sure the union has their up-to-date contact information.
VGH members, please note that Banfield Pavilion, Windermere Care Centre, and the Operational Stress Injury Clinic will not be behind pickets.
Beginning Thursday, July 9 at 5:30 a.m., picket lines will go up at Surrey Memorial Hospital and the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre. Members at these locations will receive further instructions through email or text.
“Please remember, if you show up at work and there is a picket line at your site, honour the line and do not cross it,” says Bueckert. “Then, head to the HEU job action headquarters at your site to find out the next steps.”
For those members who are assigned picket duty, please consider wearing a hat as well as packing a water bottle and sunscreen. For members members concerned about standing for long periods of time on the line, please bring a lawn chair.
If members are already on duty when a picket line goes up at their site, they should stay at work until completion of their shift.
In all other cases, members should continue reporting for scheduled shifts 45 minutes early and follow normal work assignments unless they receive direct instructions from HEU.
If members have questions, please check out the NBA job action FAQ page here https://www.heu.org/nurses-action-faq online.
If members still have questions, please call the HEU job action hotline at 1-888-406-5056.