March 28, 2024

Two battling unions and Licensed Practical Nurses still waiting for vote result

Approaching a month and half after Licensed Practical Nurses finished voting in the BC Nurses Union’s second raid attempt on the HEU and still no result.
 
 “Well we are waiting for the vote to be counted actually.”

 BCNU President Debra McPherson says her union is ready to welcome LPN’s if the vote goes their way.

 “We do know how we would absorb those people when we are successful and we hear the count and we are preparing to welcome them fully into our membership.”

 McPherson says the voting result is coming at a critical time for her union.

  “We are as you know in our bargaining round and our key issue there is patient safety relative to safe staffing levels nurses are working short staffed in all environments community, long term care, and acute care and we need more registered nurses in our workplaces.”

 Mike Old with the Hospital Employees Union says the emphasis on needing more registered nurses is puzzling.

 “Yes Debra McPherson is right we need more RN’s but we also need more LPN’s they are an imortant part of the nursing team and she should acknowledge that.”

 Old added the delay getting the vote result isn’t raising any red flags.

  “Well it is a very complex vote it involves thousands and thousands of LPN’s in six different applications so they are taking their time to make sure they do it right.”

 As for when the Labour Relations Board and Employment Standards Branch might have results Old says

  “The count hasn’t yet taken place maybe..maybe in a few weeks.”

 The results will be tallied in each health authority.
 
 Raising the possibility LPN’s could change unions in one health authority but not another.

CKNW Vancouver News

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