BCNU Update Magazine March-April 2018 by BC Nurses' Union

UPDATE MARCH/APRIL 2018

M A G A Z I N E

TARGETING THE TOXIC WORKPLACE New contract language and workshops give nurses the tools to secure psychologically healthy workplaces

PROVINCIAL BARGAINING STRATEGY CONFERENCE REPORT

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PULL-OUT BCNU CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

SURREY MENTAL HEALTH NURSES SECURE BETTER TECHNOLOGY | STUDENT NURSES GATHER IN NANAIMO | HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUITY CONFERENCE ENGAGES ALLIES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE

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MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION

CONTENTS

VOL 37 NO1

• MARCH/APRIL 2018

DEPARTMENTS

VITAL SIGNS

YOUR PENSION

WHO CAN HELP?

COUNCIL PROFILE

UPFRONT

5 CHECK IN News and events from around BC.

6 FIGHTING FEE FATIGUE Nurses are concerned about rising college and association fees.

OFF DUTY

BCNU CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS PULL-OUT p. 26

11 FOR SAFE PATIENT CARE Provincial conference sets stage for NBA negotiations.

19 PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY Mental health nurses secure better information technology.

21 ALLIES IN THE STRUGGLE Human rights and equity conference explores the shared fight for justice.

37 NURSES CONNECT Nanaimo hosts national student nurse conference.

FEATURE

COVER PHOTO: PETER HOLST

TARGETING THE TOXIC WORKPLACE

New contract language and workshops give nurses the tools to secure psychologically healthy workplaces.

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

UPDATE M A G A Z I N E

MISSION STATEMENT The British Columbia Nurses’ Union protects and advances the health, social and economic well-being of our members, our profession and our communities. BCNU UPDATE is published by the BC Nurses’ Union, an independent Canadian union governed by a council elected by our 47,000 members. Signed articles do not necessarily represent official BCNU policies. EDITOR Lew MacDonald CONTRIBUTORS Juliet Chang, Laura Comuzzi, David Cubberley, Monica Ghosh, Kath Kitts, Shawn Leclair, Courtney McGillion, Cindy Paton, Umar Sheikh, Shaheen Shivji, Christine Sorensen

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CHECK IN

NEWS FROM AROUND THE PROVINCE

THEIR SPIRITS LIVE WITHIN US

GLOBAL CAMPAIGN AIMS TO RAISE NURSES’ PROFILE A new global campaign that aims to raise the status and profile of nursing launched Feb. 27. The Nursing Now campaign is run in collaboration with the International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization. It seeks to empower nurses to take their place at the heart of tackling 21st century health challenges. Nursing Now will run to the end of 2020 – the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth and a year when nurses will be celebrated worldwide. The campaign aims to improve perceptions of nurses, enhance their influence and maximize their contributions to ensuring that everyone everywhere has access to health and health care. Are you committed to giving nurses more recognition, investment and influence? Visit www.nursingnow.org to join the campaign.

BC NURSES’ UNION MEMBERS ATTENDED THE Feb. 14 Women’s Memorial March in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) on unceded Coast Salish territory. The annual march is held on Valentine’s Day to honour the memory of all women from the DTES who have died due to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual violence. Now in its 28th year, the march brings courage and commitment to end the violence that vulnerable women in the DTES face on a daily basis. 1

PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE Easy access to smart phones can create social media nightmares for health care professionals. BCNU members from the South Islands region, including Teresa McFadyen, took time out on Feb. 22 to learn how to not put their professional practice at stake when using social media. Employers and colleges are enforcing standards regarding personal social media postings. Closed Facebook groups are never private. Know your college and employer social media policies and read BCNU’s online etiquette guidelines found behind the member portal.

COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR BCNU members joined over 100 communities across Canada on Feb. 24 to walk and raise funds for the hungry, homeless and hurting. Pictured (from left) are BCNU South Islands region mental health advocate Stephanie Spinney, South Islands region communication secretary Leanne Robertson-Weeds and Our Place shelter volunteer Leah Shiner at the Coldest Night event in downtown Victoria.

MARCHING FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN 1. BCNU LGBTQ Caucus chair Hanna Embree, BCNU Young Nurses’ Network chair Sarra Smeaton, BCNU Men in Nursing Chair Lee Frederick, BCNU Okanagan Similkameen region member Dean Val and BCNU Pacific Rim region member Holly Gale. 2. BCNU Treasurer Sharon Sponton. 3. BCNU Treasurer Sharon Sponton, BCNU Acting Vice President Adriane Gear and BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen. 4. BCNU Aboriginal Leadership Circle chair Diane Lingren and BCNU Coastal Mountain region chair Kath-Ann Terrett.

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

CHECK IN NEWS FROM AROUND THE PROVINCE

FEE FATIGUE Nurses concerned about climbing costs levied by regulators and association

ECENT announcements by the College of Registered Nurses of BC (CRNBC) and the Association of Registered Nurses of BC (ARNBC) have many nurses calling for a stop to rising fees that they say are being levied without discretion or their consent.

ship after the announcement. “I made it very clear that these extreme fee increases will have a real impact on nurses and their families,” she reports. “I said it was particularly offensive that working nurses had no say in the increase.” The backlash was swift. Many nurses took to social media to lambaste CRNBC

“These extreme fee increases will have a real impact on nurses and their families.” BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen

Last December the CRNBC board voted to approve increases in 2018 licensing fees for RNs, nurse practitioners and employed student nurses ranging from 18 to 35 percent. The reason for the unprecedented jump? According to the college, it was needed to pay for an office relocation to Downtown Vancouver and to cover the costs associated with the creation of a single nursing regulator for the province. BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen spoke directly to CRNBC leader-

for its decision to relocate its offices to one of the most expensive locations in Vancouver. The college reduced the increase soon after (from $98.55 down to $67.84 a year for a practising RN and from $44.80 down to $13.09 a year for employed student nurses) the outcry. The CRNBC fee hike followed a similar 12-percent increase levied the previous year by the Association of Registered Nurses of BC (ARNBC). This move also antagonized nurses already unhappy about the fact that

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association fees are collected without their consent. The ARNBC is funded through the CRNBC and over 20 percent of practising RNs’ college registration fees go directly to it. The fee increases and collection practices have prompted some ARNBC members to launch a campaign recently that aims to change the association’s bylaws. The organizers say membership fees should be determined by and only collected from those nurses who are ARNBC members, and have proposed bylaw amendments designed to require member approval of any annual fee greater than $1.00 per year. Sorensen reminds BCNU members that their union dues – currently two percent of gross straight time pay, and not calculated on overtime – have not been increased in over a decade. “BCNU supports the rights of all of its members who are also ARNBC members to exercise their rights under ARNBC’s bylaws to help bring about change,” says Sorensen. “It’s important that members inform themselves about this important issue.” • If you would like further information about how you can assist with organizers’ efforts to change the way ARNBC sets and collects fees, contact them at arnbcpetition@gmail.com

NATIONAL NURSING WEEK

AND THE WINNER IS…. BCNU is sending Port McNeil Hospital RN Tanja Bergen and St. Paul’s Hospital LPN SarahZoe Pichette to the American Nurses Association Quality and Innovation Conference in Orlando, Florida from March 21-23, 2018. To be considered for the all-expense paid professional development opportunity, Bergen and Pichette had to submit a 300-word expression of interest (EOI). The opportunity was offered to help promote BCNU's professional practice and advocacy activities. The lucky winners were selected from dozens of EOI applications received during the competition that ran from Jan. 19 to Feb. 4. BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen was on the contest’s review panel. She says the evaluation process was tough. “Nurses are extremely smart professionals who are active in furthering their nursing knowledge to ensure best quality care for their patients,” she says. “The calibre of submissions made it a hard decision.” Bergan and Pichette will be sharing videos of their individual experience at the ANA Conference on BCNU’s Our Nurses Matter Facebook page during National Nursing Week May 7-11. Be sure to visit and check out their videos.

PINK SHIRT DAY

KINDNESS STARTS HERE! 1

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PEOPLE IN PINK

CNU MEMBERS at worksites across the province were dressed in pink Feb. 28 as they stood up with other Canadians to raise awareness and take action to end bullying and harassment in the workplace. Hundreds of members showed their support by posting photos of themselves with colleagues in pink attire on social media. Bullying and harassment are prevalent in health care, and workplace bullying is associated with nurses leav-

ing their job or the nursing profession. Exposure to workplace bullying – whether in person or online – can impact the physical and mental health of workers, permeating all facets of personal and professional life. Not only does the worker suffer, so do their families and co-workers. This can lead to decreased job satisfaction, motivation, morale, and can negatively affect patient outcomes. BCNU is working to implement the national standard for workplace psychological health and

safety in health-care facilities across the province to help address the problem. The Nurses’ Bargaining Association 2014-19 collective agreement is the first contract in Canada to contain the standard. WorkSafeBC also created new policies in 2013 to address bullying and harassment. Their aim is to define what they are and to explain the duties of employers, workers and supervisors in order to prevent these kinds of acts from occurring in the workplace. •

1. BCNU Shaughnessy Heights region members at Little Mountain Place show their kindness. From left: Joy Dullas, Seema Parmar, region chair Claudette Jut and Vivian Dinh. 2. BCNU’s provincial executive committee members show their colour. From left: Acting Vice President Adriane Gear, Acting Executive Councillor Rhonda Croft, Acting President Christine Sorensen, Treasurer Sharon Sponton and Executive Councillor Chris Armeanu. 3. BCNU Shaughnessy Heights region members in the PICU at BC Children’s Hospital. From left: Carrie Crane, Natalie Sham and Jaime Williams. 4. Okanagan-Similkameen region OH&S rep Lynne Eross at Kelowna General Hospital. 5. New West Home Health members show their pledges. From Left: Anel Bekturova, Janice Stevens and Dawn Turner. 6. BCNU South Island region Surrey Memorial Hospital members (clockwise from left): Kesiena Akpofure, Kelly Miljanic, Cheryl Manzano, Eunisse Uy and Linh Nguyen.

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CHECK IN NEWS FROM AROUND THE PROVINCE

ARBITRATOR UPHOLDS CANDIDATES’ REMOVAL FROM BALLOT

MEETING MEMBERS’ EXPECTATIONS BCNU Council members share their perspectives and gain insights during a governance workshop held at the union’s Burnaby office in January.

LEARNING LEADERS

OOD GOVERNANCE IS at the heart of BCNU’s current strategic plan. Strengthening our organization through sound governance and strong member advocacy is the union’s top 2018 priority. BCNU Council had this goal in mind when it undertook a two-day workshop in January focused on governance and leadership effectiveness. The course, run by a facilitator from the Queen’s University Industrial Relations Centre, covered a range of theoretical and practical issues. “We’ve got quite a few new faces on

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Council this year,” says BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen. “It’s important that we give everyone the tools to succeed in their new roles. “We learned that board effectiveness can take many shapes and forms. It can be measured by looking at overall board performance, board culture, individual board member performance and committee performance.” Sorensen says it was helpful for the group to be able to assess itself by looking at contemporary governance trends and best practices and seeing what the union could use to better serve its members. •

An arbitrator has ruled that BCNU’s standing provincial Nominations Committee acted in a fair and reasonable manner when it removed candidates Will Offley, Sharon Sharp and Mary Jean Lyth from the ballot prior to last year’s provincial election. Arbitrator Tom Hodges issued his reasons and final award on Feb. 25. He found that the candidates’ removal from the ballot “was not arbitrary, discriminatory and/or in bad faith.” In addition, he found that Offley defamed BCNU following the candidates’ removal from the ballot and awarded the union $15,000 in damages. However, the arbitrator also found that BCNU President Gayle Duteil’s interactions with the committee “amounted to a flagrant attempt to threaten, interfere with and manipulate the committee’s processes.” Largely as a result of this conduct, Hodges ordered BCNU to pay the removed candidates $75,000 for the partial reimbursement of their legal fees. “It is my hope that this award will send a message to dissuade those who would attempt to improperly use their power and influence to impact the decisions of a neutral body responsible for governing elections,” wrote Hodges. “In the final analysis, this dispute was very avoidable but for the conduct of two key individuals.” The ruling confirms that no new elections for positions on BCNU’s provincial executive committee are required. The full award is available on the BCNU website.

GOVERNANCE REVIEW

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Working group seeks input on union rules

BASKET OF TREATS BCNU manager of pensions and special projects Lorne Burkart presents Coastal Mountain region’s Shiva Mehrzad with a gourmet food-themed gift basket at the union’s provincial bargaining conference in January. Mehrzad won the draw as part of BCNU’s outreach promoting the governance renewal process.

ORNE BURKART IS ON A mission. The BCNU project manager has been tasked with bringing the union’s governing document out of the office and into the hands of members across the province, all with the goal of gathering as much input as possible about their thoughts on the rules that govern the union and how they could be improved. For the past six months Burkart has been attending BCNU regional meetings and provincial conferences as the face of the union’s Constitution and Bylaws Renewal Working Group (CBRWG). He readily admits that generating members’ interest and participation in the revision of a legal document is not the easiest of tasks,

but he’s keen to stress the importance of the exercise. “BCNU’s constitution and bylaws are the fundamental governing rules and regulations of the union. They state how the union is to be governed, how the powers of the union are to be exercised, and by whom,” he explains. “Bylaws should be contained in a single, unified, and clear document, and they must be consistent with the union’s overall principles and objectives.” Burkart says the need for a bylaw review started to become apparent several years ago when council members and others began to notice that a growing number of rules – and the policies that flow from them – were dated or did not speak to the needs of current members.

While it is true that the Constitution and Bylaws is a living document, and that amendments to it are debated and voted on at annual conventions with the aim of ensuring that its language is relevant, Burkart explains that over many years the annual amendment process takes a toll. Once-unified bylaws become fragmented and inconsistent, while dated practices, language, regulations and references get overlooked and remain scattered throughout the document. “BCNU’s constitution and bylaws were adopted by the membership at the first annual convention in 1981,” he says. “The union has evolved considerably since its founding – it has increased not only in size but in composition, and now represents a diverse membership across sectors, professional designations and at multiple bargaining tables.” Burkart notes that fragmented bylaws can slow an organization’s growth, hinder governance, and cause overall stagnation. “Over time, this can reduce member confidence in what ought to be its core document describing its fundamental values and commitments,” he says. Burkart also stresses that BCNU’s challenges are not unique. “It’s actually a best practice for boards of directors to periodically review their governance structures and practices to ensure that their organization’s longterm strategic direction and objectives are met.” According to Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised, changes of the bylaws that are so extensive and general that they are scattered throughout the document should be effected through the substitution of an entirely new set of bylaws, called a revision – and this is what delegates to the union’s 2015 annual convention voted to undertake. The CBRWG was struck last year to conduct a governance review with

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“We want to ensure that whatever revisions are presented to convention for approval next year are a true reflection of BCNU’s membership today.” Lorne Burkart

the goal of presenting a modern, cohesive, revised governing document to the union’s 2019 annual convention for approval. The outcome of the revision process may produce substantive bylaw changes or it may produce minor changes. Whatever the result, the revision process should consist of a widespread, thoughtful dialogue with the membership, legal review and a multijurisdictional review of best practices. This spring the working group will be reaching out to members at union events for input on a number of important bylaw articles, including membership (Article 2), election of officers (Article 4), collective bargaining (Articles 13 and 14) and discipline of members (Articles 24 and 25). A progress report will also be presented at this year’s BCNU convention in May. In the meantime, individuals can visit the BCNU website to provide direct input on the bylaw articles that are currently under review. “Add your voice to the mix!” is Burkart’s message to members. “We want to ensure that whatever revisions are presented to convention for approval next year are a true reflection of BCNU’s membership today.” •

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BC BUDGET 2018

A NEW DIRECTION Investments in public services and Indigenous people’s priorities signal positive change

HEN THE BC NDP formed government last summer, working families were optimistic that Victoria would finally work to make their lives more affordable after 19 years of Liberal rule marked by rising fees and growing inequality. Last fall’s budget update and February’s Throne Speech gave British Columbians an idea of the where Premier John Horgan’s government was going, but it was the NDP’s first full budget released on Feb. 20 that made it clear the party was committed to making services that British Columbians depend on more accessible and affordable. “New investments in the supply of quality, affordable child care, housing availability and affordability, and the elimination of MSP premiums entirely by January 1, 2020 should certainly improve services and quality of life for British Columbians,” says BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen. The 2018 budget also provides $1.5 billion in new investment over three years to improve access to primary care, home and community care, residential care and assisted living, making services that help seniors age in place more accessible and extending primary care to many who currently lack doctors. “$548 million of this new money is specifically targeted to increase hours of direct care per individual in residential care and to enhance services to meet the needs of our rapidly growing

seniors’ population,” notes Sorensen. “This is great news for seniors and long overdue.” Sorensen says she is also pleased to see strong investments being made for Indigenous reconciliation and First Nations language revitalization, noting that Victoria is now committing to fully adopting and implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action – a position BCNU has long advocated. “The over $200 million investment this fiscal year for housing, culturally based child care, and skills development training will also have a positive impact on Indigenous people’s social determinants of health,” she says. “Our long-standing position is that socio-economic factors are often strong indicators of health outcomes.” Sorensen says the additional funding for Aboriginal friendship centres is most welcome. “These facilities provide health, social and youth programs and foster a deep sense of community for all Indigenous peoples whether they are status, non-status, Métis or Inuit.” The budget also commits $3.1 billion of new capital spending for the renewal and upgrading of health infrastructure, which will improve access to hospitals in many parts of BC. But Sorensen warns that ongoing staffing challenges will make it difficult to staff new facilities. “That’s a problem we’re keen to work with government on solving,” she says. “The new investments in health services add urgency to planning for additional nurses and other health-care workers.” •

MEET YOUR BCNU PROVINCIAL BARGAINING COMMITTEE Delegates to the union’s provincial bargaining strategy conference elected the bargaining team and job action committee that will represent nurses in negotiations for a new Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) provincial collective agreement. These members will join BCNU CEO and chief negotiator Umar Sheikh and BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen at the bargaining table in meetings with health employers and the provincial government anticipated to begin later this year. The seven members elected to the Provincial Bargaining Committee are (from left): Deborah Bradshaw-White (community), Ann Marie Charbonneau (long-term care), Michael Prevost (community), Shannon Sluggett (acute care – large: 701 members or more), Sorensen, Hanna Embree (acute care – small: 200 members or fewer), William Howe (acute care – medium: 201-700 members), Claudette Jut (acute care – large: 701 members or more) and Sheikh.

REPORT OUT BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen addresses the more than 500 delegates who attended January’s provincial bargaining strategy conference.

FOR SAFE PATIENT CARE Provincial strategy conference sets stage for Nurses’ Bargaining Association negotiations

EMBER ENGAGEMENT is one of BCNU’s highest priorities. And nowhere is this better reflected than in the preparations for provincial bargaining. The BCNU Provincial Bargaining Strategy Conference held January 15-16 in Vancouver was the culmination of a membership-wide engagement process that began three months earlier, and it was part of an important exercise in union democracy. The current Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) provincial collective agreement is a five-year contract that expires March 31, 2019, but BCNU is committed to involving the entire membership in the bargaining process well in advance of actual contract negotiations. That means listening to members’ concerns and identifying their priorities in order to help guide the union’s discussions with health authorities and government on ways to improve quality of work life and nursing practice conditions. To that end a survey of members covered by the NBA was conducted last summer asking nurses to identify

the issues that are important to them. This survey was followed by a series of regional bargaining conferences held through October and November that saw Acting President Christine Sorensen, Acting Vice President Adriane Gear and CEO Umar Sheikh visit all of BCNU’s 16 member regions and hear first-hand from hundreds of nurses about the challenges they are facing today and their hopes for future contract talks. The over 400 delegates attending the Provincial Bargaining Strategy Conference were elected at their regional bargaining conferences. They had now come together to evaluate the bargaining survey results, elect the members to the BCNU provincial bargaining committee and job action committee, and provide the union’s leadership with a mandate to bargain in the year ahead.

LAY OF THE LAND

This bargaining conference was the first with BCNU CEO Umar Sheikh at the helm as the union’s lead negotiator. Although not an unfamiliar face – Sheikh served as BCNU’s in-house legal counsel

for two years – he took some time on day one to introduce himself to the assembled group and provide details on his background in health-care bargaining (see Q&A with Sheikh on page 14). Sheikh provided delegates with an overview of the bargaining process and players involved. He explained the relationships between the different unions in the NBA and the dynamics between the individual employers in the Health Employers’ Association of BC and these players’ relationship with the provincial government. He also reported that in recent months he and Sorensen have met with the leaders of other health sector unions. “We have done a lot of work in the past year rebuilding our relationships in the labour movement,” he said. “This will take some time, but in the meantime I am proud to say that we have stopped raiding.” “We’ve come to understand that while we have had tremendous success welcoming LPNs into this union, there is time when you need take a step back and focus strategically on what matters.” Sheikh gave delegates an overview of the players sitting across from BCNU at the NBA bargaining table and noted

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key dates – such as the bargaining of essential service levels this October – before the contract expires next April. He also gave delegates an overview of the current fiscal climate in the province and made them aware of the many macroeconomic risks that could threaten the government’s bargaining mandate. Sheikh acknowledged that it’s important that nurses’ wages keep up with the cost of living, and if faced with a “cupboards are bare” message from the government, he said the task will be to pressure Victoria to allocate more toward public sector wages. He also stressed that this does not simply imply demands for more funding overall. “Our message to the public will be that want to too see health care dollars better managed,” he said.

PROGRESS TO DATE

Delegates were given an update on the progress toward safe staffing using the tools that were negotiated during the last round of NBA bargaining. Consultant Frank Morgan presented an updated report on the new expedited dispute resolution process that replaced the previous time-consuming and expensive process of resolving grievances at individual arbitrations. The standing

GATHERING OF ACTIVISTS 1. BCNU Okanagan Similkameen region treasurer Linda Partington and Brenda Neufeld. 2. BCNU South Islands region member Tammy Parkinson spins the wheel of fortune as South Island’s co-chair and BCNU Constitution and Bylaw Renewal Working Group member Margo Wilton looks on. 3. Conference delegates elected the representatives who will serve on the union’s Provincial Job Action Committee (PJAC). BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen stands with elected PJAC members (from left): Carolyn McDonald (member at large), Valerie Anne Williams (community), Jereme Bennett (acute care) and Shawntel Hildebrandt (member at large). 4. Consultant Frank Morgan provides a report on the new BC Health Care Office of Arbitration. 5. BCNU South Island region members Michelle Sauk, Laura Rachwalski and Belinda Anderson connect during a break.

BC Healthcare Office of Arbitration (BCHOA) has effectively shortened the time it takes to resolve disputes using a two-step grievance procedure while also providing continuity of contract interpretation. Morgan reported that BCHOA settlement rates have been impressive, and of the 127 grievances processed to date, 87 were actually resolutions prior to the need to go to hearing, and of those that did go, 26 written awards have been made and 14 are awaiting process. Donna Bouzan, BCNU Executive Director of the new Nurse Staffing Secretariat (NSS) also provided members with an overview of the progress that’s now being made since the creation of a series of innovative committees to ensure employers’ compliance with agreed upon targets. She reported on the work she and her HEABC counterpart on the NSS have been doing to establish data and reporting requirements, monitor and report out on compliance, and make recommendations upon review of worksite referrals. Bouzan provided details about the nine referrals the NSS has received due to unresolvable staffing issues and noted that six of these were from emergency

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departments. “We are wearing people out with the overtime,” she said. “Everywhere you look, we are just under staffing. There aren’t enough nurses.”

ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES

BCNU director of professional practice and policy adviser Patricia Wejr led conference delegates through a review of results from the membership-wide bargaining survey compiled by Mustel Group Market Research (see survey highlights on pages 16-18). According to the survey, the most important demands that members felt the union should propose in the next round of bargaining were improved staffing levels and reduced workload, increased wages and workplace safety. Delegates took these results into account before participating in a final real time exercise where they used their smartphones to indicate their top bargaining priorities for the year ahead.

BARGAINING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS Day two of the conference saw the election of the provincial bargaining committee. Seven successful candidates were chosen by secret ballot, each representing a specific healthcare sector. Delegates elected fellow members Deborah Bradshaw-White (community), Ann Marie Charbonneau

(long-term care), Michael Prevost (community), Shannon Sluggett (acute care – large: 701 members or more), Hanna Embree (acute care – small: 200 members or fewer), William Howe (acute care – medium: 201-700 members), Claudette Jut (acute care – large: 701 members or more). The elected candidates will be joined by Sorensen and Sheikh. This group, along with designated union staff coordinators, makes up the entire bargaining committee and will be tasked with negotiating a new collective agreement that best reflects the priorities of BCNU members. Members of the Provincial Job Action Committee (PJAC) were also elected. The successful candidates were Jereme Bennett (acute care), Valerie Anne Williams (community), Shawntel Hildebrandt (member at large) and Carolyn McDonald (member at large). This group, along with BCNU Acting Executive Councillor Rhonda Croft, Executive Councillor Chris Armeanu and BCNU Treasurer Sharon Sponton, will be responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating local and province-wide job action strategies that will support negotiations and help achieve the union’s bargaining goals.

READY TO SPEAK OUT

Sorensen took to the podium on day two to acknowledge the leaders in the room and prepare them for the journey ahead. “This is a high stakes poker game,” she said of the bargaining process. “This is a $3.6-billion collective agreement, and strategy, communication and timing will be critical.”

“We will be working hard to ensure that the public understands our concerns for safe patient care.” Christine Sorensen, Acting President

She noted the new government in Victoria and said the union would be holding health minister Adrian Dix and other MLAs accountable for the commitments made toward violence-free workplaces and improvements to health care for British Columbians. She also noted that there are new faces at the bargaining table, including three new health authority CEOs, and that it’s often difficult to reach an agreement. But Sorensen said that she and Sheikh would also be relying on the support of the members elected to the union’s provincial bargaining committee. “They’re our subject matter experts and they are going to assist with the allocation of government revenue and improve the management of health-care funding.” Sorensen also remarked on the passion and commitment of the delegates and why she stood before them. “I’m 1 not just a nurse – I am a proud nurse. I love what I do and do it every day for the patients in my care,” she said. “Whether we are 2 an LPN, an RN or an RPN, whether our

clients are young or old, whether we are dealing with patients, clients or residents. Wherever you work – community, acute care or residential care – I believe that you, like me, are committed to providing safe patient care.” Sorensen recognized the difficulties BC nurses face in fulfilling that commitment, and noted that more than half are not satisfied with the quality of care they are providing. “This is a system-wide problem that’s the result of a lack of services and staffing shortages,” she said. Sorensen also reminded members that violence is not part of their jobs, and that nurses are now more likely to experience a violent injury on the job than law enforcement and security workers. “On average, 26 nurses a month in BC suffer a violent injury at work,” she reported. “We can no longer put our physical and our mental health at risk – our families should not have worry if we will be the victims of violence when we go to work.” Pointing to the union’s recent member survey, Sorensen said the union’s priorities are now clear. “You’ve told us what’s continued on page 15

MEMBERS AT THE MIC 1. Pacific Rim region’s Kelley Charters. 2. West Kootenay region’s Angela Lamoureux. 3. Central Vancouver region’s Nooria Aziz and RIVA region’s Laverne Fratar. 4. Shaughnessy Heights region’s Ugochi Ibediro. 5. South Fraser Valley region’s Edmundo David. 6. North East region’s Sarra Smeaton. 7. Pacific Rim region’s Cathi Nieman.

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2018

Q&A AN INTERVIEW WITH BCNU CEO UMAR SHEIKH

HE NURSES’ BARGAINING Association provincial collective agreement covers some 45,000 working nurses in BC. It’s an important legal contract that contains 57 articles and over 30 appendices. Re-negotiation requires careful consideration and an understanding of how every word in the language affects nurses’ working conditions. That’s why the union’s Provincial Bargaining Committee is made up of members who work in every healthcare sector and in facilities both big and small. The team is led by BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen and union CEO Umar Sheikh. Update Magazine sat down with Sheikh to learn more about the union’s lead negotiator and the bargaining effort he’s leading. UPDATE This isn’t your first time at the NBA table. How were you involved in previous rounds of negotiations and in what capacity? SHEIKH I was the director of labour relations for the ministry of health and as a result of that position I was involved in bargaining provincial contracts with midwives, dentists and osteopaths. At the nurses’ bargaining table I was the ministry of health representative on the employers’ side during the 2012 round of negotiations. I also served in that capacity for the Health Sciences Bargaining Association, the Facilities Bargaining Association and the Community Subsector Bargaining Association agreements.

After leaving the ministry and taking some time out to help raise my kids, I moved to the BCNU Victoria office as a labour relations officer where I spent the better part of a year learning the ins and outs of the union and doing what is my favourite thing: servicing members on the ground level, doing arbitrations and fighting for members. This led to me taking over as the union’s director of legal and general counsel where I played an instrumental role in the 2015 provincial staffing grievance initiative and protocol arbitration as well as union leave arbitration. This then took me to bargaining on the union side in the last round, where I was the vice-chair of the NBA then led by Gary Fane. I wrote much of the new language in that agreement. So I have some significant ongoing involvement with that contract. Since becoming CEO I have been spending most of my time formulating bargaining strategies for the next round while also working on implementation of agreements from the last round – which has proved somewhat challenging and has certainly taken up a lot of time – and then working with members to resolve issues. UPDATE The last five NBA collective agreements were negotiated while sitting across the table with representatives of a Liberal government. We’ve now got an NDP government in Victoria for the

MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

first time in 16 years. How will this affect negotiations? SHEIKH In my view, it’s not who’s in power that impacts negotiations, it’s what priorities the public mandates which influences the agenda. Our relationships are constant throughout governmental change, and those are with the senior levels of bureaucracy – the deputy ministers of health, and other ministries that we’ll work closely with to advance the nurses’ agenda. The government sets the mandate, and may or may not be more nimble toward moving in one direction or another depending on their priorities. UPDATE The NBA contract doesn’t expire until next March. Why is the union conducting surveys and organizing conferences now? SHEIKH Typically it has made more sense for BCNU to bargain early and that’s why we bargained a “me-first” provision in the last round that allows us to go early and set a pattern. The provision gives us the option to do so, but we may or may not fully exercise that option depending on what the government’s mandate is. But it allows us to go in early and get the lay of the land and really have an extra year to either bargain this agreement or to prepare for the next steps in collective bargaining. UPDATE The Provincial Bargaining Committee was just elected at January’s provincial bargaining conference. What can the average member do to support this committee?

“The single most essential thing members can do is to communicate with the bargaining committee. This allows them to raise their voices and see their ideas on the bargaining table.” Umar Sheikh, BCNU CEO

SHEIKH Communicate. The single

most essential thing they can do is to communicate with the bargaining committee. We have email setup so that the committee can get feedback and ideas from members and support them (BargainingCommittee@bcnu.org). This allows members to raise their voices and see their ideas on the bargaining table. UPDATE The bargaining process itself has always been a bit of a mystery. How are agreements actually reached at the bargaining table? SHEIKH It’s an incredibly complicated process but essential key ideas for bargaining are usually developed and fleshed out months before bargaining begins. The bargaining committee will bring forward members’ concerns and ideas, and that’s an opportunity for review in the course of developing what is being tabled. When we get to the table, it’s very much a negotiation where each side will table proposals and then caucus and discuss each other’s proposals. There are joint meetings that occur between both sides but those are less frequent. Eventually this results in the lead negotiators trying to nail down the concept that each caucus is bringing them and then bring it back to the entire committee as a whole to review and approve. After that we take enormous steps to reach out to members. We will go beyond the bargaining committee and sometimes we’ll do a pre-ratification road show that will provide all of the member regions with an update about what’s going on at the table. If we’re at the point where the committee thinks that we’re ready to ratify a deal, then of course we would reach out again and use numerous forums like town halls,

FOR SAFE PATIENT CARE continued from page 13

regional meetings, in-person meetings, email communication and various other channels to make sure that the membership receives feedback. UPDATE Another group that was elected recently, which sometimes doesn’t get as much attention as the bargaining committee, is the Provincial Job Action Committee. What does job action look like for nurses in this day and age? SHEIKH It very much depends on the situation and what the issues are in dispute. Many people think of job action as walking a picket line. I think job action can take the form of any concerted effort to raise the tenor of our message outside of the bargaining table, and that could include communications, it could include wearing armbands of solidarity. It could include overtime bans and a whole host of things that get worked out in a private strategy session with our members. UPDATE How important is it for the members of the public to get involved, or for our members to reach out to their communities? SHEIKH It’s extremely important that the public supports the amazing work that nurses are doing, and all of our data show that the public supports them. It’s very important that if we do come to a dispute, the public understands exactly why the nurses are taking action in this province and so public outreach is fundamental to any sort of successful bargaining result. UPDATE What’s the single most important ingredient for success in reaching a new provincial contract? SHEIKH Unity. That means that all the membership fights together, bargains together, and sticks together. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. •

important, and what you’re seeing in the workplace,” she said. “Scheduling and staffing are a mess, allowable leave quotas are problematic, vacations are not being granted, there are repeated calls to work overtime.” Sorensen also noted that 51 percent of nurses have said they are working without pay 15 to 30 minutes per shift, and that 54 percent report not being paid for handover that’s critical for ensuring patients’ safety. “This is the time for us to stand up and say, ‘I will not work for free.’” Sorensen told delegates to remember that health care is important to British Columbians, and that nurses should know they have the public on their side. “We will be working hard to ensure that the public understands our concerns for safe patient care,” she said. “We are respected health-care professionals who care for people at their most vulnerable moments.” And she reminded members of their strength. “We are one of the most powerful unions in this province,” she said. “We are 47,000 members strong at nearly 700 worksites. And quoting a remark Sheikh made earlier in the conference, Sorensen said, “In 2019 we will let our government know we have come too far, struggled too long, sacrificed too much and have too much left to do to allow that which we have achieved for the good of all to be swept away without a fight – and we have not forgotten how to fight.” Sorensen concluded the conference by expressing her pride in the ability of the delegates to help bring members’ dreams and goals to fruition, and called on them to go back to their workplaces and continue to be strong and fearless advocates for the nurses of BC. •

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NBA

BARGAINING for safe patient care

VITAL SIGNS BCNU is committed to engaging its members in the bargaining process and its bargaining priorities come from the membership.

The survey was emailed to the entire active BCNU membership in the Nurses’ Bargaining Association.

A general membership survey conducted last fall by Mustel Group Market Research helped BCNU identify important issues and bargaining priorities that matter to members. Highlights of the results are presented here.

Data collection dates: Nov. 13 to Dec. 3, 2017 Response rate: 22%

SURVEY RESPONDENTS TYPE OF NURSING 67%

acute care community

NURSING DESIGNATION

18%

81%

RN LPN

15%

EMPLOYMENT STATUS 53%

regular full time

26%

regular part time

residential care

RPN

casual

other

ESN

<1%

temp full time

LGN

<1%

temp part time

other

13%

on leave

3% under 25 years

AGE 22% 55 or over

25% 25 to 34 years 44% 35 to 54 years

URBAN/RURAL 23% rural 30% mixed

Scott Duvall MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE Salmon Arm General Hospital

4% remote

56% urban

KEY ISSUES WORKLOAD CONCERNS IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, AT THE WORKSITE WHERE YOU PRIMARILY WORK, HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM IS WORKLOAD FOR YOU?

13%

major problem

43%

somewhat a problem not much a problem

40%

not a problem

OVERTIME

UNPAID OVERTIME – HANDOVER TIME

HOW MANY HOURS OF OVERTIME DO YOU WORK ON AVERAGE PER WEEK?

59%

23%

less than 1 hr

18%

16% 2%

1 hr to less than 5 hrs

5 hrs to less than 20 hrs

20 hrs or more

13%

yes

QUALITY OF CARE

at least less once in a often typical month (about 1 to 3 times a month)

ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE QUALITY OF CARE?

11%

never

very satisfied

38%

15% 46%

at least weekly

not applicable

HOW OFTEN DO YOU COMPLETE NURSING WORK WITHOUT PAY?

18%

Average handover time: 12 minutes

UNPAID OVERTIME – FREQUENCY

55%

28%

54%

1% none/ do not work OT

ARE YOU PAID FOR THE TIME YOU NEED TO COMPLETE HANDOVER TO THE NEXT SHIFT?

satisfied not very satisfied very dissatisfied

over… UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

VITAL SIGNS BARGAINING PRIORITIES WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS BCNU SHOULD BRING TO THE BARGAINING TABLE? 74%

22%

compensation for all time worked

73%

24%

a general wage increase

53%

21%

retention bonus

must have

compensation for preceptoring improvements to vehicle allowance

57%

31%

11%

expanded recognition for additional education

29%

53%

18%

15%

49%

36%

improvements to premiums

10% license fees paid

48%

42%

27%

48%

44%

improved job security

13%

35%

52%

good, but not critical

not important now

WHAT ISSUES DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE BCNU BARGAINING TEAM’S LIST OF PRIORITIES? 38% improve staffing levels & reduce workload

24% increase wages

9% safety/violence in the workplace

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Tash Minwalla Morgan Place

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE

ACCESS TO INFORMATION Surrey mental health nurses use professional responsibility process to address technology troubles

OR OVER SIX YEARS, registered psychiatric nurse Tina Baker has been responding to urgent calls for help alongside the RCMP. She is one of three Surrey Memorial Hospital RPNs that make up the Car 67 mobile crisis response team operating out of the Surrey RCMP detachment. The program is a partnership between the RCMP and Fraser Health Authority and specializes in teaming up uniformed officers with clinical nurses like Baker to provide on-site emotional and mental health assessments, crisis intervention and referrals to appropriate services like local mental health centres, addiction centres and counselling services. For Baker, it’s her dream job. The passionate nurse says she feels lucky to enjoy coming to work every day and making a difference in people’s lives. “Even though you aren’t sure what to expect day-to-day, this is rewarding work,” she says. It’s important that nurses on the team have remote access to a patient’s medical information. However, Baker says that by 2011 the old and unreliable technology she and her co-workers were using often meant there was little or no ability to pull up sensitive information regarding patients they were assisting, which meant they often had to rely on Surrey Memorial’s

emergency room in order to access files and health records. “When I first started with Car 67 in 2000, we still had flip phones,” laughs Baker. “We asked to upgrade to Blackberries and that was an easy solve – asking for new phones FULLY CONNECTED Surrey’s Tina Baker used the professional was good enough. responsibility process to secure new laptops that allow her mental However, it health team to better care for patients in the field. became obvious to us that the mental health issues,” she recalls. “Her laptop we relied on when in the field wasn’t adequate. We were constantly on psychologist wanted to speak to me and get her details but I couldn’t access the phone with the help desk. We work anything on the laptop I had with me.” in crisis response and we depend on The incident prompted Baker and immediate access to people’s healthher co-workers to access the profescare information to determine the sional responsibility process (PRP) history of the patient and what their and in February 2017, they began the needs look like.” first step by initiating a conversation Baker remembers one particularly with their managers about the need for challenging day on the job that made upgraded equipment and technology. her realize something really needed They explained their critical need for to change. a new laptop that would provide them “We had responded to a woman who access to important information around was up a 60-foot tree. She wouldn’t come down, was high on drugs and had an individual’s community support and mental health needs while just been discharged from jail and had

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

“When the laptop came, I was even more excited to do my job because I had access to equipment that worked.”

in the field. They also explained why their existing laptop was making it hard for them to document every call they responded to. The nurses then filled out a professional responsibilTina Baker ity form and submitted the concerns to their workplace Professional Responsibility Committee, where it was well received. “Filing a PRF put our needs down on paper and made it clear what we were asking for,” says Baker. If you need help, please contact your current Professional “Because we are so removed Responsibility Advocates listed below. from Fraser Health sites and generally work in isolation, RIVA Central Vancouver our needs were sometimes Romeo de Leon Lesley Edora overlooked, to no fault of romeodeleon@bcnu.org lesleyedora@bcnu.org the managers. We would mention it, but everyone Shaughnessy Heights Coastal Mountain is so busy.” Baker notes Manpreet Mann Genevieve Dallimore that, while her immediate manpreetmann@bcnu.org genevievedallimore@bcnu.org managers are very supportive, the PR process puts the Simon Fraser East Kootenay onus on the employer to Roy Hansen vacant make the change. rhansen@bcnu.org TBD It took six months, but by August 2017, Baker and South Fraser Valley Fraser Valley her Car 67 colleagues had Edmundo David Ravi Kochar exactly what they had asked edmundodavid@bcnu.org ravikochar@bcnu.org for: a high functioning, reliable Panasonic Toughbook, South Islands North East that now provides them Daphne Wass Barbara Erickson barbaraerickson@bcnu.org daphnewass@bcnu.org instant access to clients’ files while in the field. While Baker admits she North West Thompson North Okanagan had initial concerns about Prisicilla de Medeiros Myrna Nichols how her manager and priscillademedeiros@bcnu.org myrnanichols@bcnu.org supervisor would react to their decision to file a PRF, Okanagan Similkameen Vancouver Metro she says she quickly realized Heather Picklyk Luba Veverytsa it was exactly what needed heatherpicklyk@bcnu.org lyubovveverytsa@bcnu.org to happen to get the ball rolling in the right direction. Pacific Rim West Kootenay “In all my years as a nurse, Sharon Fulton Glenna Lynch I’ve never had to go to sharonfulton@bcnu.org glennalynch@bcnu.org

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY ADVOCATES

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BCNU for help to get things resolved, and I saw it more as a negative,” she admits. “I felt my supervisor and manager would be upset to hear that I went to the union, but their reaction was the complete opposite. They told me the PR process was helpful to get the ball rolling and everything was very well received when I did put the request in.” Baker’s positive experience reflects the guiding principles of the PR process, which is designed to offer the chance for collaboration between nurses and employers at the local level. It allows all parties to identify problems without assigning blame while promoting opportunities for improvement and building trust. Baker says she would recommend the PR process to anyone who’s in need of workplace support or in her case, improvements that make it easier to provide safe patient care. Her experience shows that when nurses step forward and make their voices heard the process does work and can provide positive results. “When the laptop came, I was even more excited to do my job because I had access to equipment that worked,” says Baker. “We’ve had it for months now and it is 100 per cent reliable and allows us to access files on the move which makes our jobs easier – it also helps keep people out of the ER which is a big part of our role.” •

HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUITY STRONGER TOGETHER

HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUITY CONFERENCE

LIVING OUR VALUES

OR UNION MEMBERS, the expression “an injury to one is any injury to all” speaks to the importance of solidarity, that bedrock principle acknowledging that success can only be achieved when workers act together to protect each other from harm. But in the larger movement for social justice, solidarity is required beyond the workplace. Allies acting in solidarity with marginalized groups are critical to the success of the fight for equity. Effective allies need to do the work of educating and reaching out to their own cohorts in the mainstream to bring marginalized perspectives into broader view and break down the barriers of fear and misunderstanding that keep people and communities apart. But in the real world bonds of solidarity are frequently tested, and mutual support is always conditional. Events

can challenge our basis of unity. Our individual reactions to these events and our witnessing of others’ response threaten to pull apart the important bonds that have been built in the name of equity and justice. Living our values is not always easy, and our individual and collective responsibility to each other is always being evaluated. This fact served as the starting point for the questions that were explored during BCNU’s 2017 Human Rights and Equity Conference held in Vancouver Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The event saw award-winning writers, authors and leaders in cultural diversity present ideas and research, and share personal experiences on what it means to be an ally in the struggle for equity and justice. Over two days, some 200 BCNU members were invited to listen, learn and converse with each other, and asked to consider how becoming an ally

MÉTIS WOMEN BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen (right) welcomes Patricia Barkaskas to this year’s conference. Barkaskas is the academic director of the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic and an instructor at the UBC school of law.

can help transform who they are and how they might recreate their workplaces and communities so that they become just and welcoming.

CONFLICT IS NOT ABUSE

Noted novelist, playwright, screenwriter, nonfiction writer and AIDS historian Sarah Schulman spoke

STORIES FROM A HARM REDUCTION MOVEMENT “Heartbreaking”, “realistic” and “enlightening were some of the words conference attendees used to describe the performance project “Illicit: Stories from a harm reduction movement.” Developed by members of Vancouver’s harm reduction movement, the performance explored the lived realities of the opioid overdose crisis, the effects of drug policy, and the necessary leadership of community in developing solutions. Illicit’s co-creators performed an excerpt of their work and engaged participants in discussion to deepen and explore the role that the arts can play in harm reduction by revealing a shared humanity. Presenters included Kelty McKerracher (Managing Artistic Director), Renae Morriseau (Director & Dramaturge), Devon Martin (Music Arrangement & Performance), David Mendes (Shadow Creative Director), Nicolas Crier, Tina Shaw, Shawn Giroux, Alanna Abrosimoff, Brie Leader and Candace Whitehead (Cast & Co-Researchers).

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HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUITY STRONGER TOGETHER

“Truth telling is needed before we can ask the question about meaningful reconciliation.” Patricia Barkaskas

directly to the conference theme with a reading from her newest book Conflict is not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair. Schulman aimed to show how, at many levels of human interaction, there is an ever-present opportunity to conflate discomfort with threat, to mistake internal anxiety for exterior danger, and to escalate conflict rather than resolve it. She illustrated her thesis by sharing examples of domestic abuse, police violence and state-sponsored terrorism that she argued were all instances of extreme overreactions to threats that did not exist. “In all of these cases, the police, the husband and the nation overstated harm,” said Schulman. “They took nothing, normative conflict and resistance and misinterpreted these reasonable stances of difference as abuse.” Her reading illustrated how this dynamic, whether between two

individuals (e.g., husband and wife), between groups of people, between governments and civilians (e.g., the police and unarmed Black men), or between nations (e.g., Israel and Palestine) is a fundamental opportunity for either tragedy or peace. Schulman noted that people do things for reasons they are unaware of, and invited conference participants to reflect on their own (over)reactions towards others’ difference and how come this can work to prevent true solidarity. “Conscious awareness of these political and emotional mechanisms gives us all a chance to face ourselves and to achieve recognition and understanding in order to avoid escalation toward necessary pain,” she said.

FOCUSING ON TRUTH

Conference participants were encouraged to reflect on the historic opportunity for allies in helping to advance reconciliation in the wake of Canada’s

ARTIST UP CLOSE BCNU LGBTQ caucus chair Hanna Embree and BCNU Young Nurses’ Network members Paige Bewley and Sarra Smeaton talk with Toronto-based artist Vivek Shraya after the screening of her short film “I want to kill myself.” Shraya discussed the impact of love and listening on her relationship and her thinking about suicide. She was one of 13 presenters at the conference.

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2016 adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the calls to action contained in Truth and Reconciliation Commission report into the history and legacy of Canada’s residential school system. Guest speaker Patricia Barkaskas reminded participants that Canadians – Indigenous and settler alike – are all treaty people and we all have rights and responsibilities to the commitments made under these treaties and that this is important to remember. Indigenous people have lived up to their obligations and Canada has not, she noted. Barkaskas, an instructor at the UBC School of Law, has worked closely with Indigenous peoples in their encounters with the justice system and with residential school survivors as an historical legal researcher. She noted that a central question for allies is how we meaningfully address the ongoing colonial process in Canada and inequities that Indigenous people continue to suffer. “The process of reconciliation requires truth telling – the truth can’t be glossed over,” said Barkaskas. “The individual stories of the survivors’ of the Canadian residential school system are not just part of a ‘dark chapter’ of, Canada’s history, they are collective memory of the truth about genocide in Canada.” Barkaskas asked participants to situate themselves historically, engage in self-reflection, and listen to each other in order to practice cultural capacity. “It’s time to think about who you are and where you come from, your family history and where your parents were born. What does that mean for you continued on page 24

THE PEOPLE

1. Indigenous elder Tsawaysia Spukwus welcomes conference participants on opening day. 2. BCNU Vancouver Metro region’s Brant Amos catches up with BCNU RIVA region’s Rissa Parto. 3. BCNU Thompson North Okanagan region member and Mosaic of Colour caucus chair Harwinder Sandhu poses for a photo to help promote this year’s National Nursing Week. 4. Author and keynote speaker Sarah Schulman signs copies of her latest book “Conflict is not Abuse.” 5. BCNU West Kootenay region members gather during a break. From left: Erin Roulette, Reanne Laurie and Angela Lamoureux. 6. Kettle Society volunteers were on hand to provide information on the organization work to support people living with mental illness. 7. BCNU South Fraser Valley region co-chair Walter Lumamba (left) connects with BCNU Pacific Rim region’s Holly Gale and BCNU Men in Nursing caucus chair Lee Frederick. 8. Indigenous elder June Shackley shares her experience of the residential school system. 9. BCNU South Island’s region communications secretary Leanne Robertson-Weeds talks with a fellow member during a breakout session. 10. Volunteers from the Positive Living Society were on hand to share the work they do to ensure that people living with HIV in BC can lead purposeful and actively engaged lives in accepting, inclusive communities. 11. BCNU Pacific Rim region steward Marianne Pitt chats with BCNU Thompson North Okananagan region’s Judy Surkon 12. BCNU West Kootenay region’s Sarah McMurchie participates in a small group discussion. 13. Volunteers from QMUNITY were in attendance to talk about the resource centre’s work to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives. 14. BCNU Thompson North Okanagan member and Aboriginal Leadership Circle chair Diane Lingren shares her experiences.

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Q&A

HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY

LIVING OUR VALUES continued from page 22

AN INTERVIEW WITH WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES CAUCUS CHAIR KELLY WOYWITKA

TEACHING TOLERANCE Renowned author and City University of New York professor Sarah Schulman shared her insights on the cultural phenomenon of blame, cruelty and scapegoating to help better understand how members of social movements can support one another.

about your relationship to these lands that you live on?” She said it is critical to focus on the “truth” part of truth and reconciliation – and the truth of what was lost, and noted that the process can be too focused on moving forward and not addressing the harms of the past. In doing so it silences the voices of survivors and of Indigenous peoples and communities who have and continue to suffer harms. “Truth telling is needed before we can ask the question about meaningful reconciliation and what it might look like. The truths of history of residential schools in Canada and the other acts of genocide against Indigenous people in Canada has to be acknowledged,” she said. The BCNU Human Rights and Equity Conference is hosted every winter by the union’s Committee Human Rights and Equity Committee. For more information about this year’s event, please email Hanif Karim: hkarim@bcnu.org •

“WHY DO YOU HAVE A BIG Christmas display over here? Well since 1964, Burl Ives has been trying to say that people should not be labelled. Look at Rudolph: people would not let him play in any reindeer games because he was different, because he had a red nose. But he was the one that saved Christmas. And look at all the toys: just because the Jack in the Box was different, and just because the elf did not want to make toys (he wanted to be a dentist), they still found homes, they were still loved, and they are still whole.” BCNU Workers with Disabilities Caucus chair Kelly Woywitka uses this analogy when speaking to fellow members at BC Nurses’ Union events to demonstrate the potential consequences of disability and inequity. Workers with Disabilities is one of five BCNU equity-seeking caucuses. The group was established to provide a safe space for union members who identify as workers with disabilities, and to address the issues and challenges of working in environments that are often unforgiving towards those who have some form of disability. Update Magazine recently caught up with Woywitka to find out about what the caucus will be doing in 2018. UPDATE What is the current mandate of the caucus? WOYWITKA The caucus continues to help members who are returning to work and still facing discriminatory attitudes, because the perception is

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they may have an easier job. Nurses are extremely kind caregivers, but sometimes fear comes into the picture and we are not that way with each other. The caucus is very focused on helping members and our health-care partners to understand the ability someone brings to work rather than focus on the disability—we do not throw away the mind with the body because the latter may not function as well as it used to. An obstacle we come across is negative attitudes toward a returning member. There’s a presumption that they have an easier job, which is not the case. A duty to accommodate recognizes ability, and if that is the only job your body can do that is the only job you can do. Moreover, it is temporary, so nobody is bumped out of a job. That is a sensitive concern, which I try to address as frequently as I can. An employer’s duty to accommodate means that they must recognize ability. New duty to accommodate language [in the Nurses’ Bargaining Association collective agreement] is huge. In brief this means that once the medical situation is accepted and agreed to by the employer, the accommodation process will begin. The employer will contact the employee and union within two weeks to discuss possible accommodation options. UPDATE What are nurses’ attitudes toward disability? WOYWITKA I have found that, in general, our nurses are generous with their empathy and understanding. For exam-

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY REPS BCNU Human Rights and Equity Committee Christine Sorensen, Chair E christinesorensen@bcnu.org C 250-819-6293 Aboriginal Leadership Circle Diane Lingren, Chair E aboriginal@bcnu.org Rhonda Croft, Council Liaison C 250-212-0530 E rcroft@bcnu.org

ple, when a member returned to work after a physical disability, the individual gave me permission to attend their staff meetings so that I could not only speak to her team about her physical limitations but also explain her motivation to return to work. That tactic helped the member and the team to communicate about any potential misgivings and created a space for understanding one another while eliminating prejudice. That is a best practice I follow whenever possible—and I only do it with the member’s permission so that privacy is not breached. UPDATE What are the caucus’s plans for 2018? WOYWITKA We are trying to get people to recognize fatigue and prevent injury. Sometimes the demands of the job mean nurses do not go to the bathroom or take a break in a 12-hour shift. That makes them vulnerable to injury and can impact the care they provide. Also, ongoing this year is the continuing promotion of a scent-free environment. I cannot emphasize enough how serious this issue is. I have seen people confined to the point where they cannot leave their homes. Scented products have been blamed for adverse

health reactions, some of which include headaches, respiratory problems, nausea, difficulty with concentration and skin irritations. UPDATE Is there anything else BCNU members should know about the work of the caucus? WOYWITKA We are looking for allies, and for members to come forward when someone is not being treated fairly. Come and talk to us—we’re here to help. We are all human beings and each one of us deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. Finally, if a member is self-accommodating, which means they have a disability and rather than follow the recommended official process they have found a job more suited to their present ability—they could get bumped out of the position. I would ask them to protect themselves and come to us— we are here to help. • To join the Workers with Disabilities Caucus, please contact the chair via email at disabilities@bcnu.org or Hanif Karim, BCNU human rights, equity and health policy officer: hkarim@bcnu.org

Workers with Disability Caucus Kelly Woywitka, Chair E disabilities@bcnu.org Teri Forster, Council Liaison C 250-485-7586 E teriforster@bcnu.org LGBTQ Caucus Hanna Embree, Chair E lgbtq@bcnu.org Tracy Quewezance, Council Liaison C 250-320-8064 E tquewezance@bcnu.org Men in Nursing Group Lee Frederick, Chair E m eninnursing@bcnu.org Tracey Greenberg, Council Liaison C 604-613-0381 E traceygreenberg@bcnu.org Mosaic of Colour Caucus Harwinder Sandhu, Chair E moc@bcnu.org Sara Mattu, Council Liaison C 778-989-8231 E saramattu@bcnu.org Young Nurses’ Network Sarra Smeaton Fedick, Chair E ynn@bcnu.org Hardev Bhullar, Council Liaison C 778-855-0220 E hardevbhullar@bcnu.org

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

FEATURE

TARGETING THE New contract language and workshops give nurses the tools to secure psychologically healthy workplaces

PHOTO: PETER HOLST

MARCH/APRIL 2018 â&#x20AC;¢ UPDATE MAGAZINE

Focused too much on budget and not enough on people.” “Allowing a toxic culture to exist that most describe as disrespecting and devaluing everyone.” “Maintaining a top-down, heavyhanded, command and control hierarchy that ignores the willingness of people to provide the best patient care.” “Maintaining an atmosphere of fear, bullying, intimidation, retaliation and censure that prevents people from raising questions, issues or concerns.” “Placing high value on cronyism and nepotism in recruiting, hiring and promoting.” “Failing to establish/demonstrate a pattern of positive leadership behaviours.” “Accountability for abusive behaviour is non-existent.” “Management at all levels not responding to staff issues.” “Maintains a cloak of secrecy around all decisions.”

PROTECTIVE MEASURES NEEDED Bullying, coercion, harassment, intimidation, lack of trust, nepotism and favoritism. These are just a few of the characteristics of a toxic workplace culture. Nurses need to take precautions against these behaviours to protect their psychological health and well-being.

These are a few of the findings of an independent assessor tasked last year with investigating the culture at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital – and this is just the tip of a large and very troubling iceberg. The report, released last November by Vector Group management consultants, concluded that NRGH was “failing significantly in regard to managing people.” UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

FEATURE

When describing the situation, Vector wrote that “organizational culture is past the ‘tipping point.’ The simple act of continuing with daily operations exacerbates the toxicity of the culture. This situation is not sustainable and will, in due course, lead to some form of self-destruction.” Linda* is not surprised by the findings. “It’s not a comfortable place to work. No one comes around to tell you you’re doing a good job or thanking you for doing what you do,” she says. “They only come around when they want to punish somebody.” Linda was one of 473 people at the hospital who contributed to Vector’s assessment. Would she recommend NRGH as a good place to work to a favourite niece or nephew just finishing university? “No, heaven’s no!” she says, echoing the almost universal response to the same question contained in the Vector report. “I mean I don’t want to work there and I’ve been doing this almost 11 years. I turned down a career advancing opportunity because of the culture there,” she says. Linda came to NRGH five years ago, and believes that most of the hospital’s problems stem from a lack of trust. She also argues that the employer’s scheduling practices are a significant contributing factor. “They’ve started to strip away actual lines from the floors and put in more float positions that lets them move nurses in the hospital wherever they like and when they want,” she reports. “So when you come to work you never know if you’re working on the fifth floor, first floor or anywhere. So your anxiety level goes up to 100.” She says that a culture of trust can no longer be built if cohorts of nurses aren’t able to work alongside each *Name changed to protect identity

Pretty much since CDMR came through there has been a culture of fear and intimidation” Linda

other over time. “Now if you go to a floor, you don’t recognize anybody and you don’t know who you can trust or who’s got your back.”

A TORTURED FACILITY?

NRGH’s troubles have garnered considerable media attention. The fact that it finds itself in the news more often than other hospitals may stem from Island Health’s practice of treating it as a test facility for new systems. Turmoil ensued when the employer aggressively began restructuring care delivery in 2013. NRGH was the first hospital in the health authority to endure Care Delivery Model Redesign, or, CDMR, that saw nurses replaced with unregulated care aides. Those nurses who remained working under the new staff mix often found themselves in moral distress when they were unable to deliver care safety. BCNU campaigned against CDMR based on concerns about negative impacts on safe care delivery. And NRGH nurses filed over 200 PRFs documenting situations where professional standards and patient safety were compromised by the new care model before a settlement agreement was reached in 2015 that substantially restored RN and LPN hours lost when CDMR was first introduced. But the hospital was roiled further with the 2016 implementation of iHealth, the employer’s fated electronic

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health records system. Doctor’s rebelled against the project, citing serious patient safety concerns and called for the system to be suspended. The $200-million-plus system marks a fundamental change in the way diagnoses and treatments are recorded, and many health-care workers at NRGH are concerned about how iHealth has reduced the pace of treatment in the ER and intensive care unit, and turned caregivers into highly-paid data entry clerks. The system’s implementation continues to vex NRGH staff, most of whom are not opposed to electronic health records in principle. A recent report commissioned by the Ministry of Health recommends suspending the roll-out of iHealth until the problems at NRGH are fixed (see sidebar: “A cautionary tale”). It’s not hard to imagine how both the CDMR and iHealth projects could contribute to, and be the product of, a toxic workplace culture. Both were perceived by many as top-down projects implemented without input from nurses and other staff. And when the challenges that come with any new system emerged, the employer responded aggressively by disciplining staff who spoke out. Linda remembers this well. “Pretty much since CDMR came through there has been a culture of fear and intimidation,” she reports. “You were afraid to talk to anyone because you didn’t know who was in the managers’ ears or how it would get back round to you.” She says the practice continues to this day with the introduction of iHealth. “We still couldn’t talk to anyone. I couldn’t talk to my parents because if they told somebody at their work that I didn’t like the computer system I could literally get in trouble for that,” she says. “They were so heavy handed and reprimanding everyone

during iHealth – we were afraid to talk.” Is she at all optimistic now that the Vector report has been published? “How can we feel optimistic?” she asks. “We went from a period when we were bullied and intimidated and told that any discontent against iHealth would have consequences. Managers were yelling at nurses in the hallway during that period. The Vector report came out and we all felt vindicated but things have yet to get better.” What about the fact that Nanaimo isn’t a big city. Shouldn’t staff working in a smaller community with less anonymity be less susceptible to experiencing a toxic workplace culture? Linda has a theory about that. “Our culture problem started from the fact that initially Nanaimo was a small hospital that suddenly grew too big, too fast, and the people they have in charge aren’t managers or HR people, they are just nurses who have been promoted,” she explains. “And they fear that if they are seen not being able to cope they will lose their position. So they will do anything to prevent anyone from knowing they are not succeeding. That’s the management culture we have.” The travails of iHealth and the Vector report have put the spotlight on NRGH, but BCNU Pacific Rim region chair Rachel Kimler says that, aside from iHealth, NRGH is no different than any other worksite in the Island Health Authority or anywhere else in the province. “When the Vector Group report came out you could hear people around the province saying that its findings also reflected the culture at their worksites,” she notes. “We hope that Island Health will learn something from the report and change the culture, not just at NRGH but other

WHAT DOES A TOXIC CULTURE LOOK LIKE? THE VECTOR GROUP’S CULTURAL assessment of Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) found that the facility has a toxic culture that disrespects and devalues people, and is focused more on budget than employees’ well-being and patient care. The assessment contains a 10-point culture summary that lists the problems Island Health needs to solve. Do you experience any of these problems at your workplace?

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CULTURE SUMMARY

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Managers spend 80%+ of their time on paperwork and upward focus People have become the least-valued commodity in the system Displaying a sense of pride and a willingness to help each other out is a rarity and when present is viewed with suspicion Groups and functions that used to support each other and get along well have lost trust in each other and often become overtly hostile

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Teams and Communities of Practice were systematically dismantled which added to the loss of a sense of community No evidence, no signs, of active management/leadership focused upon people performance or people concerns and interests Accountability does not exist, other than the fact you may be blamed for anything at anytime. S/he who blames first wins Keep your head down, say nothing, raise no issues or uncomfortable questions and you will not be noticed—which is the best you can hope for NRGH culture is clearly characterized by bullying, coercion, harassment, intimidation, lack of trust, nepotism and favoritism. NRGH maintains an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Advancement is about who you know, not about performance. People feel the reality is clear; NRGH is headed downhill and nothing will ever change

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THE TOXIC WORKPLACE. KNOW THE SIGNS If you're not happy at work and you're not sure why, it might be because you have a toxic manager or toxic workplace. See if any of the following ring true and then consider what you might be able to do about it or whether you need to change jobs.

CLIQUES If there are cliques at work, with some people feeling excluded, that's an unhealthy situation and can keep morale depressed. It's even worse if a clique is a negative one, full of complainers or people who insult others.

INEQUALITY If rules are enforced for some but not for others, it can foster resentment and an unpleasant workplace. Some workers might have some poor behaviors tolerated due to the value they create, but that can make others unhappy.

THE MANAGER COMMUNICATES POORLY If your manager rarely makes clear what needs to be done and then is upset that it hasn't been done, no one wins. A good manager will communicate well and make sure their nurses understand and are comfortable asking questions. Source: fool.com

THE MANAGER DOESN'T LISTEN If your manager doesn't solicit input from others and doesn't consider ideas and thoughts when they're offered – perhaps believing that only she is right – then that can be very unmotivating to workers. It's also a sign that you're not respected.

THE MANAGER MICROMANAGES If you're told exactly how to do every little thing, that can be frustrating and can slow you down. It also reflects a manager who doesn't trust you to do the job well, which is a poor recipe for successful teamwork.

THE MANAGER PLAYS FAVORITES If your manager has a favorite underling or two and doesn't treat all subordinates with respect and fairness, resentments will fester and productiveness will be threatened. It can kill morale too if favorites get plum assignments and promotions.

THE MANAGER IS MOODY If the manager is upbeat on some days and a tyrant on others, it can make for a nervous workplace. A manager who is generally pessimistic and a downer can make it hard to be enthusiastic about your work – and can be hard to be around, as well.

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hospitals and health-care facilities in the health authority.” Kimler now sits on the ad hoc Nanaimo Culture Transformation Steering Committee set up to implement the Vector report recommendations, which includes the continued roll-out of iHealth, but using “an aggressive management and leadership functional program” that sees the employer acknowledging that the current situation is not acceptable.

TOOLS FOR PROTECTION

In 2013, BCNU embarked on a journey to examine, understand and influence the delivery of mental health care in British Columbia based on nurses’ unique knowledge, experience, and perspectives. Part of this strategy has involved the creation of accessible mental health supports for union members. One important support is the union’s personal resiliency workshops. First introduced in 2015, these workshops were developed in response to the recognition that the nursing profession is highly demanding with many physical and psychological hazards. The workshops are designed to help nurses identify things like compassion fatigue and signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in themselves and their colleagues. Many members have found the workshop invaluable (see story on page 35). The union’s focus on mental health also led to the negotiation of the Canadian National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace during the last round of Nurses’ Bargaining Association contract talks (see story on page 33). This standard is a set of guidelines focused on the development of a system of positive factors that support psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. Health employers and the Ministry of

We hope that Island Health will learn something from the report and change the culture. BCNU Pacific Rim region chair Rachel Kimler

Health have agreed that psychologically healthy workplaces are “a vital requirement for a healthy, engaged and productive health care workforce.” “This new contract language is a powerful tool that has the potential to transform workplace culture and address toxic behaviours and systems,” says BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen, who notes that BCNU is the first union in Canada to successfully negotiate the standard into a collective agreement. Sorensen says the implementation of the standard will take years and much effort from both union and employers, but once complete, nurses will be one of the first group of workers who will be able to refer to a normative measure of psychological health if they feel they are being devalued and disrespected by their employer. Sorensen reminds members that in the meantime, new respectful workplace policies created by WorkSafeBC in 2013 are tools that all health-care workers can use to address the toxic workplace. Section 5.1(1)(a)(ii) of the Workers Compensation Act requires employers to address bullying and harassment as they would any other hazard in the workplace by taking all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of their workers. “That means stewards and other members on joint occupational health and safety committees can bring concerns about psychological health and safety directly to the employer and work together to effect meaningful change,” she says. •

iHEALTH: A CAUTIONARY TALE

ANAGEMENT and organizational experts will tell you there are two critically important things an employer must do to ensure the success of any major project or initiative. The first is to include stakeholders in decision-making when drafting policies that affect people. The second is to communicate early and often so that change is not perceived as a mandate that is passed down from on high. These practices are important for helping to establish a positive workplace culture and creating high levels of institutional commitment. Unfortunately, it appears that none of these were followed when Island Health embarked on the roll-out of its fated “iHealth” electronic health records (EHR) system at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) in 2016. The release of a January report written by Ernst and Young and commissioned by Health Minister Adrian Dix now confirms that the project was badly mismanaged, is hugely over budget and should not be expanded to the rest of the Island until the problems are fixed. The report found that NRGH was “in a poor state of readiness from a people and process perspective” when the iHealth went live. The choice to implement such a complex system all at once rather than in phases, coupled with inadequate clinical support and a failure to address patient safety issues, undermined the project.

Ernst and Young condemned both the timing and lack of preparation for the launch, noting that “local stakeholders were not sufficiently engaged, consulted or trained to use the system” and that “existing challenges with the culture at NRGH also made this site a poor choice”. If NRGH was a poor candidate for such massive change, managers bungled the launch by going for full functionality on day one rather than phasing the implementation. Peer organizations consulted by Ernst and Young advised strongly against this path, while a 2011 report by Dennis Protti of the University of Victoria’s School of Health Information Science cautioned that “the fallout from Big Bang approaches can be severe and traumatic.” It remains unclear why Island Health chose to ignore rather than learn from the experience with EHR in other jurisdictions and disregard key recommendations in the Protti report. Ernst and Young also found that clinical staff were not adequately supported or consulted before or after the launch. Efforts to involve doctors in developing the system were minimal, leading to low buy-in for the project. Additional staffing for nurses and doctors to offset the time needed for data entry was simply not supplied, inflating workload and causing disengagement. Staff concerns with medication and other errors affecting patient safety arose early on but were continued on page 36

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WHAT’S IN THE CSA STANDARD FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE? The recently negotiated National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety provides health employers with a framework that, if implemented, would help cultivate a healthy workplace. The standard lays out a process for employers that emphasizes leadership commitment and continual assessment, planning, monitoring and evaluation. The main pillars of a psychological health and safety system in the workplace are: • prevention of employees’ psychological harm 2 • promotion and maintenance of employees’ psychological health 3 • resolution of incidents or employee concerns 1

What are some of the reasons why organizations would adopt the standard? 1• risk mitigation (including compliance with existing legislation and regulation) 2 cost effectiveness • 3 • improved ability for recruitment and retention of workers • organizational excellence and 4 sustainability

What are some of the reasons why workers would actively support the implementation of the standard? 1• promotion and protection of well-being 2• job satisfaction 3• self-esteem 4• job fulfilment

THE STANDARD IS BASED ON 13 WORKPLACE FACTORS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY There are key psychosocial factors that impact employees’ psychological responses to work and work conditions. These include the way work is carried out (deadlines, workload, work methods) and the context in which work occurs (including relationships and interactions with managers and supervisors, colleagues and co-workers, and clients or customers). Psychologically healthy workplaces should contain psychosocial factors that reduce the potential for causing psychological health problems. Positive factors include: 1 Psychological Support: A work environment where co-workers and supervisors are supportive of employees’ psychological and mental health concerns, and respond appropriately as needed. 2 Healthy Organizational Culture: A work environment characterized by trust, honesty and fairness. 3 Clear Leadership & Expectations: A work environment where there is effective leadership and support that helps employees know what they need to do, how their work contributes to the organization, and whether there are impending changes. 4 Civility & Respect: A work environment where employees are respectful and considerate in their interactions with one another, as well as with customers, clients and the public. 5 Psychological Competencies & Requirements: A work environment where there is a good fit between employees’ interpersonal and emotional competencies and the requirements of the position they hold. 6 Growth & Development: A work environment where employees receive encouragement and support in the development of their interpersonal, emotional and job skills.

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7 Recognition & Reward: A work environment where there is appropriate acknowledgement and appreciation of employees’ efforts in a fair and timely manner. 8 Involvement & Influence: A work environment where employees are included in discussions about how their work is done and how important decisions are made. 9 Workload Management: A work environment where tasks and responsibilities can be accomplished successfully within the time available. 10 Engagement: A work environment where employees feel connected to their work and are motivated to do their job well. 11 Balance: A work environment where there is recognition of the need for balance between the demands of work, family and personal life. 12 Psychological Protection: A work environment where employees’ psychological safety is ensured. 13 Protection of Physical Safety: A work environment where management takes appropriate action to protect the physical safety of employees.

Psychological health and safety is embedded in the way people interact with one another on a daily basis and is part of the way working conditions and management practices are structured and the way decisions are made and communicated. NATIONAL STANDARD OF CANADA (2013)

CULTIVATING THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACE New contact language gives nurses the tools to effectively address toxic workplace culture

AST NOVEMBER’S VECTOR Group report on the workplace culture at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) declared the hospital on the verge of “self-destruction.” It was a damning indictment that found the facility was “failing significantly in regard to managing people” and that “the simple act of continuing with daily operations exacerbated the toxicity of the culture.” The problems at NRGH are acute, but they are no means unique. Across the province, nurses and other health-care workers are struggling to provide safe patient care within toxic workplace cultures. Ensuring that nurses’ working conditions are psychologically healthy and safe should be at the top of every healthcare manager’s priority list, because access to a respectful, supportive work environment directly affects the quality and safety of the care that’s delivered. Sadly, almost any nurse working in BC today will tell you that their mental health is near the bottom of their employer’s priority list. Nurses know what they need (see sidebar “What does a psychologically healthy work-

place look like to you?”). The problem is determining how best to achieve the goal of a positive and supportive workplace culture that will promote psychological health. Fortunately, nurses now have a new tool that has the potential to transform the way work is conducted in health-care facilities across the province. During the last round of Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) negotiations the union was successful in having health employers and the ministry of health sign a letter of agreement that identifies psychologically healthy workplaces as “a vital requirement for a healthy, engaged and productive health care workforce.” The letter commits the ministry to ensuring that all provincial health authorities adopt the Canadian National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (“the Standard”) as their own, and agreeing that a three-to-five year implementation plan is put in place by April 2017. The Standard is the first of its kind in the world. Championed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and developed by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group), it is a volun-

PROMOTING PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH BCNU Acting President Christine Sorensen and Acting Vice President Adriane Gear were on hand during the BC Patient Safety and Quality Council’s annual forum on Feb. 23. The two presented the work the union has been doing to help ensure health authorities implement the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace that was negotiated into the current Nurses’ Bargaining Association collective agreement. The three-day quality forum featured presentations and interactive workshops on a variety of topics related to improving care across the continuum. Over 950 attendees learned new skills and strategies, discussed opportunities and challenges, and networked with others interested in improving health care in BC.

tary set of guidelines focused on the development of a system of positive factors that support psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. Launched in 2013, the voluntary standard was developed by a panel of experts representing employers, labour unions, academic researchers and government agencies. The push to develop the standard came from the growing recognition that mental health problems and illnesses are the leading cause of short- and long-term disability in Canada. The toll on Canadian workers and workplaces is substantial, and nurses and healthcare workplaces top the list in numbers of claims. However there had been no comprehensive national standard to help guide organizations that

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FEATURE

wanted to take action. This situation prompted occupational health and safety leaders to develop the kinds of standards for psychological health that are already in place for the protection of physical health. BCNU is the first union in Canada to have successfully negotiated the Standard into a collective agreement,

“We need to implement the standard or we risk seeing more situations like the one at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.”

WHAT DOES A PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACE LOOK LIKE TO YOU? During last year’s BCNU Convention, the union held a special meeting on BCNU’s mental health strategy that was attended by over 50 delegates from across BC. They were asked what a psychologically healthy workplace looks like to them. Here’s what they told us.

EMPLOYER CHARACTERISTICS • Supportive management • Recognition of Mental Health needs • Appreciation of staff

WORKPLACE SUPPORTS • Protocols for violence prevention • Adequate staffing levels • Team-building focus

WORKPLACE CULTURE • Open communication • Respect • Safety to “speak up”

EDUCATION • Mentorship for new nurses • Targeted education on Mental Health • Leadership training

BCNU Acting Vice President Adriane Gear

and Acting Vice President Adriane Gear says its adoption can't come soon enough. “We need to implement the standard or we risk seeing more situations like the one at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital,” she says. “NRGH shows just how far from psychological health many of our workplaces actually are, and we need action to reverse that sort of decline now.” Gear notes that BCNU has made mental health supports for members one of its highest priorities. Dedicated mental health advocates now sit at BCNU regional executive tables. The enhanced disability management program (EDMP) first negotiated with employers in 2010 continues to support members suffering from an occupational or non-occupational illness or injury. The union’s Licensing, Education, Advocacy and Practice (LEAP) program is also an invaluable service for those needing assistance with practice, mental health, addiction and other issues. And for the past two years, BCNU has been offering

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personal resilience workshops designed to help nurses identify things like compassion fatigue and signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in themselves and their colleagues (see story on page 35). Gear says that the letter of agreement on the adoption of the Standard is a reflection of the union’s concern for members’ mental health. “It was put on the bargaining table to help further BCNU’s larger mental health strategy that was adopted in 2013,” she says. “The strategy aims to bring nurses’ knowledge, experience and unique perspectives to the issue of mental health, and is focused on improving care for patients, creating safer workplaces, and ensuring accessible mental health supports for BCNU members.” As NBA contract language, the Standard is intended to supplement the other tools that nurses have to address their working conditions, such as grievance filing and using the professional responsibility process. But what makes the Standard unique is its focus on workplace culture and the behavioral factors at play that also have a significant effect on nurses’ working conditions. Now, nurses have the ability to refer to an objective standard of psychological health when advocating for improvements to their practice environments. Nurses across BC struggle to deliver quality patient care despite the staffing and safety limitations of the current health-care system. The Vector Group’s cultural assessment of NRGH puts a spotlight on how little nurses are supported in this struggle, and highlights the unfortunate irony that nurses, although facing trauma and other psychological stressors while delivering compassionate care, often receive little or no emotional support from their own employers. “We need to see a concerted effort to move beyond the status quo if nurses are to be kept psychologically whole

NURSING ON EMPTY and fully engaged in care giving,” says Gear, who notes that the CSA describes the Standard as “a journey of continuous improvement” involving attitudinal change for managers and additional investments to address the many risk factors that subject nurses to low morale, disengagement, and psychological disorders. The CSA also reports that establishing positive psychological health allows a workplace to better recruit and retain talent, achieve greater employee engagement, become more productive and operate more efficiently. Such workplaces substantially reduce the risk of conflict, grievances, turnover, disability, injury rates, absenteeism and morale problems. The Standard identifies 13 key psychosocial factors that impact employees’ psychological responses to work and work conditions (see page 32). These include excessive workload, low engagement, poor work/life balance, and lack of psychological protection against violence, bullying and harassment. Focusing on these risk factors by engaging the workforce in finding solutions is integral to the standard’s implementation process. Surveys of nurses show that all of these factors remain as broad areas of unmanaged risk to system performance in health care today. “If employers don’t actively address these factors, retention of many older nurses and successful integration of new nurses are likely to fail,” warns Gear. “Much progress still has to be made on implementing the Standard,” she says. “But we’ve now developed an implementation plan and will be focused in our efforts to hold the government and health employers to their word.” •

Personal resilience workshops help nurses survive and thrive in today’s health-care workplace

ROOTS OF RESILIENCY BCNU steward and South Fraser Valley region member Karen Evjen holds a tree that she says symbolizes the strength and resiliency nurses need to brace themselves from the storm that is stressful working environments.

THE NURSING profession is highly demanding with many physical and psychological hazards, and nurses are routinely exposed to trauma, violence and human suffering on a daily basis. To help address this reality, BCNU is hosting another series of its popular personal resilKaren Evjen ience workshop across the province this year. The day-long events are designed to teach nurses how to counter the side-effects of delivering care in stressful and traumatic situations. “Personal resilience” refers to the ability to recover balance and regain a sense of well-being after exposure to the volatile situations encountered in health care. A key tool in managing stress is the ability to recognize its impacts and take corrective action before it turns into burnout and compassion fatigue. “The workshop helps us recognize trauma effects when they show up in

our lives,” says BCNU steward and South Fraser Valley region member Karen Evjen, who took it in February. “Trauma at work can lead to abuses in other areas of life, like reliance on methods of detachment like alcohol, drugs, sex or shopping.” Led by seasoned trauma specialist Dr. Jeff Morley and psychologist Carolyn Burns, the workshops offer help in detecting the signs of excessive stress and offer tips on how to better care for oneself while working in an institution where self-care is not a priority. “We need to cultivate our ability to recognize when we should be putting more time into caring for ourselves,” says Evjen. “Nurses are trained to put their patients first, but they also need to understand when and how to give priority to their own needs too.” BCNU continues to press policy

If I’m not taking care of me, then no one is.”

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makers and health employers to embark on a complete reform of health-care workplaces to make them more psychologically supportive and healthier for nurses. In the meantime the workshops remind individual nurses how important it is to balance the demands of work with life outside the workplace. “As care givers, we share so much of ourselves with our patients and families,” says home health nurse Mindi Sekhon. “You tell yourself you can do this, and you forget that you are running on empty.” The BCNU South Fraser Valley region steward says her workshop was a wake-up call. “Since attending it, I have diligently been practising self-care techniques like staying in bed longer or going for a massage, and it feels really good.” Occupational experts say achieving a reasonable work/life balance plays a critical role in maintaining overall psychological health, which in turn is

SURVIVING AND THRIVING Full-day personal resilience workshops are being offered across BC. Any BCNU member is eligible to attend. Please visit the BCNU Event Calendar, and filter your search by 'workshops' to find dates and locations for the next sessions in your area. The workshops are free but salary replacement and/or travel expense reimbursement is not available. Each workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A light breakfast starting at 8:30 a.m. and lunch will be provided to all participants.

iHEALTH: A CAUTIONARY TALE continued from page 28

You tell yourself you can do this, and you forget that you are running on empty.” Mindi Sekhon

crucial to sustaining a nurse’s capacity for empathy. Long shifts, understaffing and the moral distress that comes with over-capacity operations make it difficult to put personal needs first, so it is vital to encourage nurses to engage in greater self-care. “This workshop gets you thinking about the fact that if I’m not taking care of me, then no one is,” says Evjen. “Nurses need to act on the psychology of their situation before it comes back to bite them.” Workload and burnout have become critical issues for nurses today, negatively affecting recruitment and retention throughout health care. If feelings of burnout are left unaddressed, they can increase the likelihood that nurses will choose to leave their current position or even leave the profession entirely. A 2015 UBC School of Nursing survey of over 2,000 BCNU members found that 45 percent of respondents reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, while 40 percent indicated they intended to leave their current job within a year. Over 50 percent of respondents wanting to leave their jobs cited burnout as the main reason for their dissatisfaction. •

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never fully addressed, spawning resistance that is now entrenched. Management took a “win-at-allcosts” approach and just continued bulling ahead with the implementation. The report is clear that making paperless records work in Nanaimo means addressing underlying cultural issues. “Leadership at the executive, geography, and site level should do everything possible to foster a culture of trust and all possible effort should be made to ensure a respectful workplace.” That sounds very close to saying that Island Health should be implementing the national standard on psychologically healthy and safe workplaces that is now part of the Nurses’ Bargaining Association collective agreement, and just waiting for action. The attempted implementation of iHealth created such turmoil that the project has become an object lesson on how not to implement and manage change. In fact, iHealth’s problems were the catalyst for Island Health’s commissioning of the Vector Group’s 2017 cultural assessment of NRGH. Dix accepted Ernst and Young’s nine recommendations for change. He has also decided to appoint a mediator to foster a culture of trust and treat everyone, including Island Health, as stakeholders with equal interests in making the project work and mandating a collaborative model of decision making to resolve issues that have prevented iHealth’s completion. •

CNSA CONFERENCE 2018

PROMOTING COLLABORATIVE HEALTH-CARE TEAMS Student nurses from across Canada gather in Nanaimo to explore their role in the health-care system JENNIFER THIARA WAS feeling proud. The fourthyear University of Victoria nursing student was attending the Canadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA) national conference for the first time. “The host city is my hometown,” she says. Thiara is a BC Nurses’ Union student liaison at her school. She was also one of the 16 BCNU-sponsored attendees – one from each region – at the CNSA national conference held in Nanaimo January 24-27. Student liaisons act as the link between

BCNU and their fellow nursing students at school. They share union education opportunities, explain the benefits of union membership and act as a resource to their classmates. “I found it incredibly interesting to hear the viewpoints about health care cross Canada, and how we can help one another. It was a very welcoming environment,” says Thiara of her experience at the fourday event. BCNU student member council liaison and North West region chair Teri

GENERATIONAL EXCHANGE Outgoing CNSA President Caitlin Wiltshire (second from left) is joined by BCNU RIVA region chair Sara Mattu, BCNU student member council liaison and North West region chair Teri Forster, and Pacific Rim region chair Rachel Kimler.

PICTURE OF THE FUTURE BCNU Young Nurses’ Network (YNN) chair Sarra Smeaton snaps a group photo of some of the 16 BCNUsponsored students who attend this year’s Canadian Nursing Students’ Association national conference. The students were joined by members of BCNU Council and the YNN.

Forster was on hand to welcome approximately 400 delegates at the conference’s opening ceremony. “BCNU is a proud sponsor of this event,” she told the group. “We know that student nurses are the future of health care and we support your professional development.” Forster told delegates she is passionate about helping students find their voice, and that conferences like these help provide the leadership skills nurses will use throughout their careers to advocate for themselves and their patients. Caitlin Wiltshire is a fourth-year student nurse from Edmonton’s MacEwan University and the current CNSA president (her term ends at the end of February). She says attendees had the

opportunity to learn about various areas of nursing and gain more insight into the roles of members of the health-care team, all built around the theme of collaborative health teams and how these can promote and enhance the nursing role. Attendees explored this theme through speaker and workshop seminars, networking and social events. Wiltshire says the 12-person conference committee that’s made up of student nurses created a phenomenal speaker lineup relevant for the times. Keynote speakers included the province’s Associate Deputy Health Minister Lynn Stephenson, who is a registered nurse. Stevenson spoke to the importance of team work in all disciplines within health care.

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

ACTIVIST PROFILE

PAIGE BEWLEY

Secretary, Global Association of Student and Novice Nurses YOUNG LEADERS Vernon’s Paige Bewley (middle) is among a group of nurses responsible for the recent formation of the Global Association of Student and Novice Nurses. She was joined at this year’s Canadian Nursing Students’ Association national conference by BCNU Young Nurses’ Network member Gina Neumann (left) and YNN chair Sarra Smeaton (right).

A FORMER BCNUsponsored regional attendee to the 2014 CNSA national conference was on hand at this year’s event representing BCNU and the union’s Thompson North Okanagan region Young Nurses’ Network. Vernon’s Paige Bewley graduated from Thompson River University in 2016. The novice nurse currently works part time in the ER at Clearwater’s Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital and picks up casual shifts at the step down unit at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Bewley was clearly excited at the opportunity to connect with other young nurses at

this year’s conference. “I was motivated to come again because I feel like I can share my recent experience of transitioning between school and work,” she says. “My work with BCNU gave me so many opportunities to attend conferences like this one and develop my leadership skills. I hope that more student members get involved in attending conferences and joining BCNU.” Bewley’s latest advocacy work now sees her as secretary for the newly formed Global Association of Student and Novice Nurses (GASNN), a group that hopes to bring a global nursing voice to health policy. GASNN’s stated

MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

mission is to be the unified voice for student and novice nurses globally through partnerships and collaboration. GASNN formed so that nursing students from around the world could connect and improve the global platform for student and novice nurses. Bewley reports that 15 new nations have joined the organization within the last year. She says membership opportunities are available free through nation-members or friends of GASNN. For example, CNSA members can apply for free membership. GASNN will be hosting a conference and AGM in Dublin, Ireland on June 7-8, 2018. • For more information about GASNN, visit their website at www.gasnnurses.com

“Hearing from other student nurses about our role in the health-care system and in the profession is very validating,” says Wiltshire, who noted that the networking events, which included West Coast-inspired activities like hiking, gave delegates a chance to make connections from around the country.

“I found it incredibly interesting to hear the viewpoints about health care across Canada, and how we can help one another.” Jennifer Thiara

“We heard reports that over half the delegates came from outside of the province,” says Forster. “We were fielding inquiries about what it is like to live and work in BC.” Sara Mattu, BCNU RIVA region chair, and Pacific Rim region chair Rachel Kimler were also at the event and joined Forster to provide information about how BCNU supports nurses in their careers. Thiara, who is finishing up her preceptorship at Surrey Memorial Hospital, said she had never attended a CNSA conference before. “In my first two years of nursing school I felt the stress and pressure of all the requirements, but thanks to BCNU I have had a lot of support as I approach graduation.” She highly recommends taking the time to attend at least one conference before finishing up nursing school. “In addition to feeling inspired, I have met new future nurse colleagues that are equally passionate about the profession of nursing.” •

YOUR PENSION SECURING YOUR FUTURE

DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYER’S CONTRIBUTION WHEN BUYING BACK SERVICE FOR UNPAID LEAVES

JOINT CONTRIBUTION Nurses’ Bargaining Association contract language improves pension plan rules on buying service for non-contributory time and commits health employers to contribute a portion when employees choose to buy unused service.

ANY BCNU MEMBER who has taken one of the union’s invaluable pension workshops will know that when they take a leave of absence from work without pay – when they are on Employment Insurance maternity benefits, for example – they do not receive pensionable or contributory service, and this “time away” from the plan will reduce the

total amount of their pension entitlement when they retire. Fortunately, pension plan members can avoid this reduction and maximize their retirement entitlement by buying back service for any unpaid leaves of absence they have taken in the previous five years. The pension plan website has a handy personalized purchase cost estimator

that provides members with an idea of what the buyback might cost and the impact that buying service for non-contributory time may have on their pension. The estimator will create a purchase of service application for those who wish to apply. Employers review the competed application and verify the leave before sending it to the plan, which

then forwards the cost and the payment deadlines to the member. Members’ ability to buy service for non-contributory time is an important feature of the pension plan, and it’s one that almost everyone can benefit from if they can afford it. But did you know the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) collective agreement has language that makes it even easier for its members to buy service? The pension plan is jointly funded through regular employer and employee contributions. Under the plan rules, when an employee purchases pensionable service for non-contributory time the employee must pay both shares unless that leave falls under the Employment Standards Act, such as in the case of maternity leave. However, Article 37.01 of the NBA agreement requires employers to pay their share of the contribution for up

CREATE YOUR OWN ESTIMATES FOR PURCHASES OF MISSED CONTRIBUTIONS The Personalized Purchase Cost Estimator on the Municipal and Public Service Pension Plan My Account web page is an easy way to generate an estimate of your cost to purchase missed contributions. Log on to My Account at mpp.pensionsbc.ca or pspp.pensionsbc.ca and try it today.

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

YOUR PENSION SECURING YOUR FUTURE

to 150 hours (or 21 days) of unpaid leave each year. “This language improves the rules under the pension plan,” says BCNU Executive Councillor Chris Armeanu. “The union has been working hard to increase members’ awareness of this language as many have expressed confusion and didn’t know they needed to submit an application to their employer to recover this pension benefit.” Armeanu says it’s also important that members don’t forget about the annual application deadline. “An arbitration award established March 31 as a reasonable date of enforcement of this language,” he explains. “That means members who take any unpaid leaves in 2017, and who apply to purchase that pension time back before March 31, 2018, will not have to pay their employer’s share for the first 150 hours.” He says that when completing a purchase of service application, members should check the box that says it is an employee/employer shared contribution. “BCNU recommends that members write ‘Employer to pay their share’ across the top of the application form. This is collective agreement language, not pension plan rules,” he stresses. Armeanu also reminds members to keep a copy of the purchase of service application and the date it was submitted to the employer. •

WHEN CAN I RETIRE? YOUR AGE AT RETIREMENT affects the value of your pension. The age at which you apply for your pension will affect your monthly lifetime pension payment. As required by the Income Tax Act, you must begin receiving your pension no later than the end of the year in which you turn 71, even if you are still working. Your normal retirement age is 65 and your earliest retirement age is 55 (those who work in public safety as a police officer or firefighter normally retire at 60 and can take early retirement at age of 50). If you are an inactive member, i.e., someone who has terminated their employment and kept their money in the pension plan but is not currently receiving a pension from the plan, you may apply to begin receiving your pension as early as age 55. If you are retiring before your normal retirement age, your age at retirement and years of contributory service will determine if you are eligible for an unreduced pension.

Qualifying for an unreduced pension You will receive an unreduced pension if, at the date of your retirement, you are: • 55 or older and your age plus your years of contributory service equals 90 or more • 60 or older, with two or more years of contributory service • 65 or older, with any amount of contributory service For example, if you are 57 and have 33 years of contributory service, you are eligible for an unreduced pension

DID YOU KNOW? You can transfer money from your RRSP without penalty when using it to buy back pensionable service.

MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

because your age plus years of contributory service equals 90 or more.

Qualifying for a reduced pension You will receive a reduced pension if, at the date of your retirement, you are: • Over 55 but under 60 and your age plus years of contributory service is less than 90 • Over 60 but under 65 with fewer than two years of contributory service For example, if you are 57 and have 20 years of contributory service, you are eligible for a reduced pension. If you choose to retire, you will receive a reduced pension because your age plus years of contributory service is 77, which is lower than the required 90 for most members. •

HYATT REGENCY VANCOUVER–APRIL 30, MAY 1-3, 2018

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2

SUNDAY, APRIL 29 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Registration

4:45 pm – 5:00 pm Sergeant-at-Arms & Scrutineers meet with Parliamentarian 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm New Delegates Information Session 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Meet and Greet

6:30 am – 7:30 am

Wellness Workshops

9:00 am – 9:15 am

Call to Order

9:15 am

– 9:30 am Report on Communications Survey

9:30 pm – 9:45 am Executive Councillor-OH&S & Mental Health 9:45 am – 10:00 am Executive Councillor-Pensions & Seniors

MONDAY, APRIL 30–EDUCATION DAY

10:00 pm – 10:30 am

Break

6:30 am – 7:30 am

Wellness Workshops

10:30 am – 11:00 am

Guest Speaker

7:00 am – 8:45 am

Registration

11:00 am – 11:30 am

Questions

8:45 am – 12:00 pm

General Session

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch

11:30 am – 12:00 pm Update on Constitution & Bylaws Working Group

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Breakout Sessions

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch

2:30 pm – 5:00 pm

General Session

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Bylaws & Resolutions

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Break

TUESDAY, MAY 1

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Bylaws & Resolutions

4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Recognition of Retiring Activists & Council

6:30 am – 7:30 am

Wellness Workshops

8:30 am – 9:00 am

Call to Order

9:00 am – 9:15 am

Year in Review/Annual Report

9:15 am

President’s Opening Remarks

– 10:00 am

10:00 am – 10:30 am

Health Break

10:30 am – 11:00 am

Finance Report

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

CEO Report

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm

CEO Report (cont’d)

2:00 pm – 2:20 pm

COO Report

2:20 pm – 2:40 pm

Vice President Report

2:40 pm – 3:00 pm

Questions on Reports

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Open Forum

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Resolutions Committee Meeting

6:30 pm

No-Host Bar

7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Banquet

THURSDAY, MAY 3 6:30 am – 7:30 am

Wellness Workshops

9:00 am – 9:15 am

Call to Order

9:15 am

Bylaws & Resolutions

– 10:15 am

10:15 am – 10:45 am

Break

10:45 am – 12:00 pm

Bylaws & Resolutions

12:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Lunch & Rally

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Keynote Speaker

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Closing remarks – President

4:00 pm

Adjournment

The agenda is tentative and may be adjusted prior to convention.

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENTS AMENDMENT 1 ARTICLE 2 – MEMBERSHIP CURRENT WORDING

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

IF ADOPTED, WILL READ

2.01

Insert ”(a)” after “2.01”

2.01

All nurses engaged in the practice of nursing and other allied personnel in the Province of British Columbia who are eligible to engage in collective bargaining are eligible for membership in the Union. No allied personnel shall be admitted to membership without the approval of a two thirds (2/3) majority of the Council.

Delete “and other allied personnel” after “nursing”

(a) All nurses engaged in the practice of nursing in the Province of British Columbia who are eligible to engage in collective bargaining are eligible for membership in the Union.

Delete “No allied personnel shall be admitted to membership without the approval of a twothirds (2/3) majority of the Council” after “Union” Insert “(b)” after “2.01(a)” Insert “No allied personnel shall be admitted to membership without the approval of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Convention delegates unless organizing new health care facilities under the wall to wall certification which will require 2/3 majority vote of council” after “(b)”

Moved by: Michael Young Seconded by: Liz Goba Costing: TBD Bylaw Committee Recommendation: None

MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

(b) No allied personnel shall be admitted to membership without the approval of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Convention delegates unless organizing new health care facilities under the wall to wall certification which will require two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of council.

AMENDMENT 2 ARTICLE 3.01 – OFFICERS OF THE UNION CURRENT WORDING

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

IF ADOPTED, WILL READ

3.01

Insert “of Occupational Health and Safety” after “(4) Executive Councillor”

3.01

The Elected Officers of the Union shall be composed of the following, each of whom shall be a Member of the Union: (1) President (2) Vice President (3) Treasurer (4) Executive Councillor (5) Executive Councillor

Insert “of Pensions” after “(5) Executive Councillor”

Moved by: Joanne Hamberg Seconded by: Elvira Martens Costing: None Bylaw Committee Recommendation: None Note: If passed, all housekeeping changes will be made to reflect amendment.

AMENDMENT 3 ARTICLE 6 – COUNCIL CURRENT WORDING

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

IF ADOPTED, WILL READ

6.02 Eligibility requirements for Council Members will be as determined from time to time by the Council.

Delete “Eligibility requirements for Council Members will be as determined from time to time by the Council” after “6.02”

6.02 All candidates running for Council Member positions must be union stewards.

Insert “All candidates running for Council Member positions must be union stewards” after “6.02” Moved by: Priscilla de Medeiros Seconded by: Jas Gill Costing: None Bylaw Committee Recommendation: None

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

AMENDMENT 4 ARTICLE 7.01 – TERMS OF REGIONAL MEMBERSHIP AND VACANCIES CURRENT WORDING

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

IF ADOPTED, WILL READ

7.01 Each region shall elect Regional Council Members as follows: 1) South Islands 2 Council Members 2) Pacific Rim 1 Council Member 3) Coastal Mountain 1 Council Member 4) Vancouver Metro 1 Council Member 5) Central Vancouver 2 Council Members 6) Shaughnessy Heights 1 Council Member 7) RIVA 1 Council Member 8) Fraser Valley 1 Council Member 9) South Fraser Valley 2 Council Members 10) Simon Fraser 2 Council Members 11) Thompson North Okanagan 1 Council Member 12) Okanagan Similkameen 1 Council Member 13) West Kootenay 1 Council Member 14) East Kootenay 1 Council Member 15) North West 1 Council Member 16) North East 1 Council Member

Delete “1 Council Member” after “8) Fraser Valley”

7.01 Each region shall elect Regional Council Members as follows: 1) South Islands 2 Council Members 2) Pacific Rim 1 Council Member 3) Coastal Mountain 1 Council Member 4) Vancouver Metro 1 Council Member 5) Central Vancouver 2 Council Members 6) Shaughnessy Heights 1 Council Member 7) RIVA 1 Council Member 8) Fraser Valley 2 Council Members 9) South Fraser Valley 2 Council Members 10) Simon Fraser 2 Council Members 11) Thompson North Okanagan 1 Council Member 12) Okanagan Similkameen 1 Council Member 13) West Kootenay 1 Council Member 14) East Kootenay 1 Council Member 15) North West 1 Council Member 16) North East 1 Council Member

Insert “2 Council Members” after “8) Fraser Valley”

R D H T I

N AW

Moved by: Mitch Freestone-Smith Seconded by: Joanne Hamberg Costing: $129,135 Salary and benefits $26,000 Average travel and expense reimbursement $155,135 Total cost per year Bylaw Committee Recommendation: None

MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

AMENDMENT 5 ARTICLE 15 – CONVENTIONS OF THE UNION CURRENT WORDING

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

IF ADOPTED, WILL READ

15.05 Delegates at any Convention of the Union shall be composed of: (a) Regional Delegates (regional representatives) (b) Delegates from Human Rights and Diversity equity-seeking caucus groups. The four caucus groups eligible to elect Caucus Delegates are: (i) Disabilities Caucus (ii) Aboriginal Leadership Circle (iii) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer (LGBTQ) Caucus (iv) Workers of Colour

Delete “Workers” after “(iv)”

Insert “Mosaic” before “of Colour”

Moved by: Rhonda Croft Seconded by: Adriane Gear Costing: None Bylaw Committee Recommendation: None

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

RESOLUTIONS RESOLUTION 1 Policy 7.6 – Use of Personal Devices Be it resolved, that the Use of Personal Device Policy be changed to allow pro-rated credit to be issued on the length of time a member will be in the executive term.

CURRENT WORDING

PROPOSED CHANGE

IF ADOPTED, WILL READ

7.6

Delete “Members elected/ appointed into partial or temporary terms are not eligible” after bullet point.

7.6

Insert “Members elected/ appointed into partial or temporary terms will be granted a credit based on the number of months they will be in the executive term” after bullet point.

• Members elected/appointed into partial or temporary terms are not eligible.

Members who are elected or hired into positions that are authorized to receive devices (phones, laptops, tablets etc) will have from two weeks prior to and two weeks after the start of the three year term to decide whether to purchase their own devices or use BCNU owned equipment to conduct BCNU business. • Members elected/appointed into partial or temporary terms will be granted a credit based on the number of months they will be in the executive term. Remaining wording of policy 7.6 is unchanged by the Resolution.

Submitted by: Connie Fiola Moved by: Connie Fiola Seconded by: Richard Tarenta Costing: Total cost per term (including reimbursement, partial term and processing cost): $130,470 Total cost per year (including reimbursement, partial term and processing cost): $43,490 Resolutions Committee Recommendation: None

MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

RESOLUTION 2 Policy 4.5.5 – Regional Elections Whereas,

pre-requisites to be eligible to be a union steward exist;

Be it resolved, section 4.5.5 Election Procedure common to all processes/methods reflect that candidates must have completed the requirements/pre-requisites to be a steward in their region (Building Union Strength, Skillful Steward, meeting attendance, etc.) and be successful in the steward election cycle previous to an election.

CURRENT WORDING

PROPOSED CHANGE

IF ADOPTED, WILL READ

4.5.5

Delete “If elected, a Member not previously holding a BCNU steward position must complete a BCNU Steward education course within the first year of their term” after “9”.

4.5.5

9. If elected, a Member not previously holding a BCNU steward position must complete a BCNU Steward education course within the first year of their term.

9. All eligible candidates for Regional Executive positions must be a union steward.

Insert “All eligible candidates for Regional Executive positions must be a union steward” after “9”.

Submitted by: Teri Forster Moved by: Priscilla de Medeiros Seconded by: Jas Gill Costing: None Resolutions Committee Recommendation: None

RESOLUTION 3 Whereas,

the BC Nurses’ Union Strategic Direction 1 is to enhance BCNU’s capacity to respond to and protect our number one priority, our members;

Whereas,

the BC Nurses’ Union Strategic Direction 1.5 is to increase member engagement and participation in the BC Nurses’ Union;

Whereas,

the BC Nurses’ Union publishes the Update magazine in print and electronically at least four times a year to engage members;

Whereas,

the BC Nurses’ Union Update magazine has previously published two memorial notices;

Be it resolved,

that the BC Nurses’ Union Update Magazine will publish memorial notices of no more than 250 words, when requested by a member’s family.

Moved by: Julie Imbeau Seconded by: Rita Deverney Costing: $218.25 per 1/8 page Resolutions Committee Recommendation: None

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

WHO CAN HELP? BCNU IS HERE TO SERVE MEMBERS

BCNU CAN. Here’s how you can get in touch with the right person to help you. CONTACT YOUR

Stewards for all workplace concerns. Regional Reps if your steward can’t help, or for all regional matters. Executive Committee for all provincial, national or union policy issues.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT Gayle Duteil

On leave

ACTING PRESIDENT Christine Sorensen C 250-819-6293 christinesorensen@bcnu.org

REGIONAL REPS CENTRAL VANCOUVER Marlene Goertzen Co-chair C 778-874-9330 marlenegoertzen@bcnu.org Judy McGrath Co-chair C 604-970-4339 jmcgrath@bcnu.org COASTAL MOUNTAIN Kath-Ann Terrett Chair C 604-828-0155 kterrett@bcnu.org EAST KOOTENAY Helena Barzilay Chair C 250-919-3310 hbarzilay@bcnu.org FRASER VALLEY Tracey Greenberg Chair C 604-613-0381 traceygreenberg@bcnu.org

ACTING VICE PRESIDENT Adriane Gear C 778-679-1213 adrianegear@bcnu.org

EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR Chris Armeanu C 604-209-4260 chrisarmeanu@bcnu.org

TREASURER Sharon Sponton C 250-877-2547 sharonsponton@bcnu.org

ACTING EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR Rhonda Croft C 250-212-0530 rcroft@bcnu.org

NORTH EAST Danette Thomsen Chair C 250-960-8621 danettethomsen @bcnu.org

SHAUGHNESSY HEIGHTS Claudette Jut Chair C 604-786-8422 claudettejut@bcnu.org

SOUTH ISLANDS Lynnda Smith Co-chair C 250-360-7475 lynndasmith@bcnu.org

NORTH WEST Teri Forster Chair C 250-485-7586 teriforster@bcnu.org

SIMON FRASER Lynn Lagace Co-chair C 604-219-4162 lynnlagace@bcnu.org

Margo Wilton Co-chair C 250-818-4862 mwilton@bcnu.org

OKANAGAN-SIMILKAMEEN Deanna Jerowsky Acting Chair C 250-499-9134 deannajerowsky@bcnu.org

Wendy Gibbs Co-Chair C 604-240-1242 wendygibbs@bcnu.org

PACIFIC RIM Rachel Kimler Chair C 250-816-0865 rachelkimler@bcnu.org RIVA Sara Mattu Chair C 778-989-8231 saramattu@bcnu.org

MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

SOUTH FRASER VALLEY Hardev Bhullar Co-chair C 778-855-0220 hardevbhullar@bcnu.org Walter Lumamba Co-chair C 604-512-2004 walterlumamba@bcnu.org

THOMPSON NORTH OKANAGAN Tracy Quewezance Chair C 250-320-8064 tquewezance@bcnu.org VANCOUVER METRO Meghan Friesen Chair C 604-250-0751 meghanfriesen@bcnu.org WEST KOOTENAY Ron Poland Chair C 250-368-1085 ronpoland@bcnu.org

COUNCIL PROFILE HERE’S WHO’S WORKING FOR YOU

“I look forward to serving our union, and to being a part of great initiatives that will help our members and the public,” says provincial executive councillor Chris Armeanu.

JOURNEY TO LEADERSHIP PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR CHRIS ARMEANU

AT A GLANCE NAME Chris Armeanu. GRADUATED 2012, Douglas College. UNION POSITION Executive Councillor. WHY I SUPPORT BCNU? "The union was by my side during my career and I always felt supported."

CHRIS ARMEANU IS NO stranger to new adventures. The recently elected provincial executive councillor finds himself embarking on a leadership journey after changing countries and careers. Armeanu emigrated with his family from Romania in 2001 and spent his first seven years in Canada running his own trucking business in order to provide for his family. But tragedy struck in 2008 when Armeanu’s father suffered a debilitating stroke. “I received a call from the hospital to attend to my father as his English was limited,” he recalls. “When I arrived, he was in the psychiatric ward surrounded by nurses and doctors.” While Armeanu cared for his father, he found himself helping other patients with basic needs. “I was amazed by how much I enjoyed helping them,” says Armeanu. “This is when something major changed in the way I was seeing the world. I realized that helping people when they are most vulnerable is much more rewarding than any financial well-being.”

An inspired Armeanu applied and was accepted into Douglas College’s psychiatric nursing program. After graduating with his Bachelor of Science degree in 2012 he began working at hospitals across the lower mainland, including Royal Columbian Hospital, Ridge Meadows Hospital, Chilliwack General Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital. He has also worked at the Cottonwood, Connolly and Cypress Lodges at Riverview, and Chilliwack’s Cedar Ridge Lodge, providing acute care to patients with psychiatric and substance use disorders. He says his only regret in choosing nursing as a career is not having done it sooner so that he “could have had a bigger impact on other peoples’ lives.” In 2017, Armeanu decided to run as a candidate for the position of executive councillor in the union’s last provincial election and was acclaimed this January following extraordinary circumstances that led to a postponed election and the last-minute withdrawal of a fellow candidate. “The first two months on the job have been amazing

with lots of support and many education opportunities,” he reports. “The team and staff are amazing and I’ve felt welcomed and supported.” Armeanu is now responsible for a variety of portfolios, including pensions and benefits. He is also co-chair of the committee that oversees the union’s retiree benefit plan and chair of the seniors’ strategy steering committee. He admits the new job comes with a steep learning curve and heavy workload. To relax, he spends time with his family and his music. He plays piano and keyboards in a pop/rock band, and is father to three children aged 12 to 26 years, and, most recently, host-father to an international student from South Korea. When asked about his willingness to take on the work, he reflects about the role the union played in helping him pursue his dreams. “BCNU was by my side during my career and I always felt supported,” he says. “I strongly believe that it is my duty to give back and help others just as much as I was helped when in need. Our members need support due to the nature of our careers.” •

UPDATE MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2018

OFF DUTY MEMBERS AFTER HOURS

ETERNAL FLAME LOGAN GIESBRECHT KEEPS FIGHTING FIRES AFTER STARTING A CAREER IN NURSING LOGAN GIESBRECHT knows a thing or two about forest fires. After graduating from his Williams Lake high school in 2006, he fought fires in the province’s interior every summer until 2015. Giesbrecht thought he had hung up his fire hose for good after embarking on a career in nursing, but when last summer’s massive wildfires broke out, the recent grad found himself back in the line of duty. The new nurse says he enjoyed working outdoors, but found that nursing school studies and practicums that extended through the summer were a barrier to continued involvement in fire-fighting. But Giesbrecht kept up with his former firefighting co-workers through Facebook. Then, one week before his wedding last summer, he saw a post asking retired firefighters to help fight the wildfires that were sweeping through the Interior and displacing thousands from their homes and communities. Giesbrecht had just begun working at Royal Inland Hospital after graduating that May. “I

was working a part-time line on a surgical floor and had just completed several shift swaps to take two weeks off for my wedding and honeymoon,” he recalls. Despite his tight schedule, Giesbrecht was able to make time to join the effort. “I shift-swapped to help fight fires for two weeks when I returned from my honeymoon,” he says. Giesbrecht’s volunteerism is a reflection of his longstanding community efforts. He served three years as a BCNU student liaison while studying, joined BCNU’s

MARCH/APRIL 2018 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

2017 Run for the Cure team and proudly marched in the Kamloops Pride Parade last year with his new husband. Giesbrecht’s start in firefighting began in his last year of high school when he was introduced to the Ministry of Forests Junior Initial Attack program. After completing a semester-long course, he was selected to work at the Cariboo Initial Fire Attack Crews (CIFAC) station that serves the Interior. “The work suited my lifestyle – it’s summer-long, perfect for a single person,” he says. “I traveled to Alberta, Manitoba, Yukon, and around BC as far north as Fort St. John.” He says he’ll never forget the pumping of adrenaline that came with his first fire-fight. “You frantically get your gear on, get in a helicopter and lift off towards a target,” he says. “Sometimes you get limited information about the scene you might encounter. It depends on the source of the report. It might have been vague smoke LINE OF DEFENCE Logan Giesbrecht took time out from nursing duties to fight last summer’s BC wildfires.

detection reported by the public or it could be more specific coordinates that comes from the Ministry of Forests spotter plane.” Giesbrecht’s decision to pick up the fire hose again came as a shock to his partner. “When we returned from our honeymoon, people asked my husband, ‘How is married life?’ and his response was, ‘I don’t know, my husband has run away to fight fires,’” he laughs. Giesbrecht admits he was a little bit rusty coming back to his old job. “I had a bit of anxiety, but I have a good understanding of how the system works.” And while firefighting is considered dangerous work he says the risks can be overstated. “The most common injuries are foreign objects in the eye and rolled ankles,” he explains. “In the short time I’ve been nursing, I’ve noticed that many nurses have injured backs or have been struck by patients.” Last year’s fires behind him, Giesbrecht has now secured a full-time position in the ER at Royal Inland Hospital. He says he would join CIFAC again if required. And while he misses the work, he finds his new career equally fulfilling. “There are parallels to fire-fighting and nursing work, like the unknown, the exhaustion, the ever-changing environment and definitely the team work required to keep you and your co-workers safe.” •

BCNU HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUITY SEEKING CAUCUSES Promoting equity and recognizing our collective struggle for justice – in BC and around the world Find out more at bcnu.org > About BCNU > Human Rights and Equity

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