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“I want to be clear: the Union has offered to leave staff in the transplant and addictions units in the event of job action. The decision to shut down these services was made by Capital Health, not by nurses.” — Joan Jessome, NSGEU President.
Halifax (25 Mar. 2014) — Capital Health’s decision to stop performing transplants and to shut down methadone treatment in the event of a strike is about politics, not patients, says the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE).
NSGEU/NUPGE proposed maintaining nursing staff for transplant and addiction services during strike action
“Nurses take strike services very seriously,” said NSGEU President Joan Jessome. “I want to be clear: the Union has offered to leave staff in the transplant and addictions units in the event of job action. The decision to shut down these services was made by Capital Health, not by nurses.”
In talks about staffing in the event of a strike, Capital Health requested NSGEU/NUPGE guarantee 4.2 Full-Time Equivalent nurses (Multi-Organ Transplant Coordinators) to continue working in the Transplant Unit and one round-the-clock on-call nurse. The NSGEU/NUPGE agreed with that request and included those staff numbers in their emergency services proposal.
The NSGEU/NUPGE also agreed to provide staff in the inpatient addictions unit and, in discussions with Capital Health, suggested that methadone can be administered by staff outside the bargaining unit, such as nurse managers or pharmacists.
Despite commitments to maintain care by union, Capital Health withdrew services
In a CBC story on March 24, Capital Health is quoted as saying it will stop performing transplants altogether and shut down the methadone program.
“We have come to the table ready to negotiate Emergency Services in good faith” said Jessome.
“It is unfortunate that Capital Health was not willing to work with us on a plan. Once again, their priority seems to be something other than patient safety.”
The NSGEU/NUPGE has also committed to fully staffing the Emergency Department, ICUs, Cancer Care and Veteran’s care units, and to providing a basic level of staffing in other units.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE