Dear Members,
This is the first in what will become a monthly message from me, your PEINU President Kim Sears.
Each month, I’ll use this space to keep you informed about the issues that matter most to you as members of our union. As President, my goal is to make sure you hear directly from your union leadership about what’s happening, why decisions are being made, and what it means for you.
What’s Happened Since We Left the Table
On Friday Sept 18th, following our 32nd day of bargaining, PEINU’s Negotiations Committee felt they had no choice but to walk away from the bargaining table.
The following week, we submitted a request for the appointment of a Conciliation Officer, which has now been appointed and we’re expecting to receive dates within the next few weeks.
In the meantime, we have been speaking with the media, including The Guardian and CBC PEI, as well as meeting with government representatives, including the Liberal party and their health critic MLA Gord McNeilly and the Green party and their health critic MLA Tayte Willows.
In these meetings, we shared the perspective of our members and the unaddressed concerns that have left us with no choice but to walk from the table. Along with these meetings, both parties have published statements showing strong support for PEI Nurses’ Union’s members at this critical time (Liberal Party Statement & Green Party Statement).
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is Conciliation?
Conciliation is a step in the bargaining process to bring in a neutral third party to help the union and employer work through the issues that remain on the table and find a path toward an agreement.
Why can’t we Strike?
Unlike some other unions, PEINU cannot strike or use a work stoppage to put pressure on the employer. The PEI Labour Act specifically prohibits Health PEI employees from striking or engaging in any stoppage of work. Instead, when the bargaining and conciliation process has been exhausted, an Arbitration board is appointed to resolve outstanding issues.
Can we go back to the Table?
While we have walked from the table for now, our position has remained firm that if Health PEI and government is willing to put forward a serious counterproposal, we would be willing to go back to the table and continue negotiating a collective agreement that our members can stand behind.
Write a Letter to Government
We are launching a letter-writing campaign that will give both members and the public an easy way to contact their MLA, the Minister of Health and the Premier and tell them why a robust and competitive Collective Agreement is essential for our nursing workforce.
All you have to do is click the link below and fill out the form for PEINU Members and it will provide you with a ready-made template to send your letter. If you would prefer to send your own letter, you are welcome to make whatever changes you see fit!
TV and Radio Campaign
We are also taking our message directly to the public.
Over the coming weeks, you will see two television ads featured on CBC TV and some ad-supported streaming platforms. One will highlight PEINU Nurse Practitioners and another will highlight the work of Registered Nurses, reinforcing our campaign message from last year:
Your nurse is your lifeline. Treat them like your life depends on it.
We will also be promoting these videos on social media, and we encourage you to please share them as widely as you can!
You will also hear radio ads on Ocean 100 encouraging members of the public to join our letter writing campaign and tell their MLA, the Minister of Health, and The Premier that they stand in solidarity with our province’s nurses.
We often hear that nurses have the public’s support, and with this campaign, we want to capture that support and send an undeniable message to Health PEI and our government. We have so much power when we surround each other.
What’s Next? You Tell Us!
We have been working on several other possible upcoming initiatives including a public rally. But first we want to hear what you think!
Please click the link below to share your thoughts and let us know what you want our union’s next steps to be:
Other Updates: PEINU Vice President
I also would like to take a moment to congratulate Christa Bertram, who was acclaimed as Vice President last week. Christa has been a valuable member of our Union’s leadership team and I am excited to welcome her back for another term as our provincial Vice President.
Thank you for all of your support as members during this critical time for our union. We will continue to keep you informed, and if you have any questions, please reach out anytime to our provincial office.
Sincerely,
Kim Sear
President, PEI Nurses Union