News & Press

Collective Bargaining Update for PEINU Members
RE: Employer refusing to bargain during the election

To all PEINU Members:

It is with regret and overwhelming frustration that I am writing to inform members of PEINU that we have been given notice that Health PEI is refusing to continue bargaining during the election and will not be participating in the next set of meetings that were scheduled for the week of March 20th. They have suggested returning to the table June 14-15 in anticipation of when a new government might be sworn in.

The 46-year-old Fredericton nurse said the shortage of nurses across Canada is the major issue at the conference, adding that they are all tired of excuses and plans. Nurses want action. “There’s times when I will meet girls outside the unit and we will hold hands, take a deep breath and walk in the unit. …

It has never been a more challenging time to be a nurse, but there have also never been as many opportunities in the profession, says Barbara Brookins, President of the PEI Nurses’ Union, which represents Registered Nurses (RNs) and Nurse Practitioners on PEI. There is currently a shortage of at least 200 Registered Nurses on the Island. …

Dear PEINU Members,
I am writing today about the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions' (CFNU) participation at the upcoming Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Convention, May 8-12 in Montreal. [...]

We know that collective bargaining is taking longer than anyone would like – but the importance of negotiating an agreement that will improve our working conditions cannot be understated.  Members communicated their priorities through the Negotiations Survey and it was no surprise that there were significant, complex issues that needed to be addressed in this round of bargaining.  …

MEDIA ADVISORY Frontline nurses demand action on nursing shortage CFNU President Linda Silas available for comment on upcoming First Ministers Meeting February 3, 2023 (OTTAWA, ON) – Canada’s nursing leaders are coming together in Ottawa during the First Ministers Meeting to ensure better care for patients and better working conditions for nurses are central to …

PEINU President Barbara Brookins and other Union representatives recently met with Federal minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos, provincial MOH Ernie Hudson, MP Robert Morrissey, MP Sean Casey, MP Heath MacDonald, VP PEINU Joanne Chisholm, Board member Kim Sears, UPSE President Karen Jackson. The purpose of the meeting was to address the nursing crisis that is …

February 2, 2023 – Barbara Brookins, president of the PEI Nurses Union and Linda Silas, the president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, provided the following opinion article. Right now, nurses across Prince Edward Island are at a breaking point. We are so understaffed, if even one nurse calls in sick, entire departments can …

Applications for Sponsorship are now being accepted from Active PEINU Members who would like to attend the 2023 Biennial Convention being hosted in Charlottetown from June 5-9th. The deadline to submit an application is January 18th.  The application form is available on our website under the Resources > Forms 2023 CFNU Biennium – Sponsorship Application …

A position statement is being shared with Members in anticipation of potential reassignment/shift changes that may occur over the 2022-2023 Christmas-New Year Holiday period, to ensure a broader awareness about the issues that are affecting the bargaining unit.  “Knowledge is Power” and while the Union will continue to advocate for you, we also want to …

Updated March 29, 2023 Premium extended until June 30th We’re pleased to share that an agreement was signed on March 28, 2023 to extend the terms of the MOA (RE: Addressing RN Shortages in 24/7 Bed-Based Care Services) that would have otherwise ended on April 1, 2023.  The MOA has now been extended until June …