As I reflect on this past year, and on the last five years I have had the privilege of serving as President of the Prince Edward Island Nurses’ Union, I am filled with both pride and a deep sense of responsibility. Representing over 1,400 Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners has been the greatest honour of my professional life.
This past year has been one of the busiest and most productive yet. We:
- Completed the RN Reclassification initiative — the first full review in 20 years — bringing clarity to over 1,400 positions and delivering long-awaited wage adjustments and retroactive pay.
- Opened collective agreement negotiations in June, with more than 20 full bargaining days completed so far this year.
- Launched two major public campaigns — one showcasing the vital role of Nurse Practitioners, and another amplifying the real-life experiences of nurses on the frontlines.
- Secured a performance audit of agency nursing by the Auditor General, the direct result of our sustained advocacy to bring accountability to the growing reliance on private agencies.
- Redesigned and relaunched our website, making it easier for members to access information and stay connected.
- Began a new strategic plan and rebranding process in partnership with STIFF, positioning PEINU for renewal and a strong future.
As I look back over the past five years, I am proud of the milestones we achieved together. One of the most memorable successes of my term was hosting the 2023 CFNU Biennium convention here in Prince Edward Island. Over four days, 1200 nurses from across the country attended workshops and general meeting sessions on governance and union business. It was inspiring to witness the collective strength and unity of nurses nationwide throughout the week. The convention concluded with a powerful “die-in” at Confederation Landing, where delegates echoed demands for safe staffing ratios, safe working hours, and adequate staff levels. The image of nurses lying on the ground, representing a number equivalent to our entire working membership, was both poignant and unforgettable. That moment captured the urgency of our cause and the strength of our voice together.
In 2024 PEINU hosted Eastern Labour School , the first since 2018 and after the pandemic. This 2-day educational event offered a wide range of learning opportunities, from labour relations and negotiations to communications, nursing law, workplace safety, and more. Delegates were highly engaged in discussions and sharing insights throughout. These sessions reminded us of the value of coming together as nurses to learn, share, and strengthen our collective knowledge.
We also worked to ensure that Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) received pay recognition for their prior experience before coming to PEI. We have been active in the onboarding process, and I have the privilege of meeting and speaking with PEI cohorts of IENs who participate in the Transition to Registered Nursing in Canada program. These efforts reflect our commitment to supporting a strong and inclusive workforce.
Another significant milestone was the Organizational Design and Governance Review, completed as part of our 2021–2024 Strategic Plan with the support of MRSB Consulting. The recommendations, presented at the 2022 AGM, set us on a path of change that began with refocusing Board and Executive meetings to reduce duplication, strengthen attention to provincial issues, and dedicate more time to education and Local Union concerns. A major part of this work also included revamping our budget structure to improve transparency and accountability, a project that required significant effort and commitment. Preparing the amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws was another major undertaking, and while these changes have helped position us to better represent RNs and NPs across the province, we recognize that further adjustments to our governance structure are still needed. We are actively working on these refinements with an increased focus on strengthening member engagement at the grassroots level.
The years of the COVID-19 pandemic will forever mark our profession. COVID did not just test us; it revealed the instability of our health care system. Nurses and Nurse Practitioners worked through some of the scariest times in their careers, showing commitment, compassion, and adaptability while under enormous strain. We saw firsthand how quickly our system could be pushed to the brink, and that reality has shaped the decisions and actions we have taken since.
Today, we continue to face a nursing shortage that is at an all-time high. The reliance on private agency nurses has grown at an unsustainable pace, while vacancies remain unfilled in our hospitals and communities. This crisis is not about statistics, it is about Islanders who struggle to access timely care, and it is about frontline nurses who carry workloads that are simply unsafe. Retention must remain an urgent priority, not just for the sake of our profession, but for the very sustainability of our health care system. Recruitment of nurses into our system is important but without the knowledge, skills and experience of our current nursing workforce, who will train and onboard them?
Our progress as a Union has often been hampered by the instability of leadership and staffing within Health PEI. The constant turnover in Human Resources has meant that initiatives stall, timelines drag, and opportunities are lost. It is difficult to move forward when every few months we are starting over again with new staff, re-explaining the same challenges, and re-building relationships that should already be strong and steady.
This instability has extended to the highest levels of the health system. Over the last five years, I have led through three provincial Ministers of Health and three CEOs of Health PEI. Each change has meant a loss of institutional knowledge, a reset in priorities, and a new cycle of educating incoming leaders about the realities facing nurses and patients alike. Through all this turbulence, we have remained a steady and determined voice for nurses, ensuring that no matter who held the top job, the concerns of our members were heard loud and clear.
This was especially evident during the 2023 General Election, when the use of the Caretaker Convention impeded our ability to finish bargaining. At a critical stage of negotiations, progress was halted. Yet, our nurses stood strong, showing up at our leadership rally to protest this disruption and to demand fair treatment. That early election call had a significant and lasting impact on our members.
While these years have been among the most challenging our union has ever faced, they have also shown me the incredible resilience and solidarity of our profession. Together, we have advanced reclassification for Registered Nurses, amplified the voice of Nurse Practitioners, and taken on issues that will shape the future of health care in our province for years to come.
This marks my final year-end update as PEINU President, and I want to take a moment to share my heartfelt thanks. It has truly been an honor to represent PEI Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners and to work alongside our Executive and Provincial Councils across the province. I am especially grateful to our Local Presidents and Worksite Representatives, whose knowledge of their members is critical. They bring forward the real front-line examples of where challenges exist, whether it be collective agreement misinterpretations, scheduling difficulties, or struggles with work-life balance. Their commitment and dedication have ensured that every nurse’s voice is heard and that our union remains firmly connected to the realities of the workplace.
As this chapter closes for me, I encourage you to carry the work forward by ensuring that every member is represented, respected, and valued. Our shared voice is the most powerful tool we have to create meaningful change for nurses and for the health of Islanders we all serve. In the year ahead, our new strategic plan will place even greater focus on you, the members. I urge you to support one another and stand together in upholding the collective agreement. When side arrangements are made within a unit or service, it undermines our unity and weakens our ability as a union to negotiate fair and equal opportunities for all nurses.
It has been an extraordinary honour to serve as your President. I leave this role knowing that our union is strong, that our voice is respected, and that our fight for better working conditions and a stronger health care system will continue.
Respectfully,
Barbara Brookins, RN