Picket lines have been set up at Vancouver General Hospital and are expected to expand to Surrey Memorial.
UPDATE (July 9, 10:15 a.m.)
Nurses have set up picket lines Thursday morning at two Metro Vancouver health facilities, expanding job action that began earlier this week.
A new picket line went up at Surrey Memorial Hospital and the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre at 5:30 a.m. on July 9, adding to the heightened job action that started at Vancouver General Hospital two days earlier.
Nurses began job action last week after members rejected a tentative agreement reached by negotiators in June.
What to expect at Surrey Memorial Hospital
Essential service levels are now in effect at Surrey Memorial Hospital and Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre, according to Fraser health.
Emergency departments remain open and are operating as usual.
Patients with appointments may be affected. Those with affected appointments will be contacted directly to arrange rebooking or discuss alternate options.
Patients requiring walk-in medical imaging are encouraged to consider alternate locations at this time.
During essential service levels, outpatient laboratory services at Surrey Memorial Hospital and the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre will be operating at reduced capacity.
Some services may experience delays or changes. If appointments need to be rescheduled, people will be contacted as soon as possible, according to Fraser Health.
Patients and their families can cross picket lines to access services on site.
“We understand that crossing a picket line may feel uncomfortable. If you have an appointment or need care, please come as planned,” reads a statement from Fraser Health. “Our teams are here to support you and provide the care you need. Please allow extra time for temporary delays when entering or exiting the site.”
“Nurses didn’t choose this,” says BCNU President Adriane Gear. “Every nurse would rather be at the bedside than on a picket line.
ORIGINAL (July 8, 7:45 p.m.)
If you’ve noticed more picket signs outside hospitals this week, the labour dispute involving B.C.’s nurses is entering a new phase.
The BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) says it’s ramping up job action after receiving complaints from nurses throughout the province of attempts from health employers to intimidate staff and prevent them from exercising their legal right to strike.
At the same time, the union is urging the provincial government to intervene before the dispute escalates further.
A picket line started at Vancouver General Hospital on Tuesday morning (July 7). Additional picket lines are scheduled at Surrey Memorial Hospital and Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre at 5:30 a.m. Thursday (July 9). But essential services will continue during the job action, according to the BCNU.
Here’s what you need to know before you visit VGH
Vancouver Costal Health was reached for comment on how the patient care is impacted behind picket lines. The health authority didn’t provide a statement, but pointed to the service alerts section of their website.
While most VCH programs and services are operating normally, there may be changes to scheduled appointments, according to VCH.
VGH’s emergency department and rapid access services are operating as usual. All VGH entrances and parkades remain open and accessible. Patients and their families can cross picket lines to access services on site.
Clinical care sites on the VGH campus that may be impacted include Leon Judah Blackmore Pavilion, Jim Pattison Pavilion, Segal Family Health Centre, Willow Pavilion, Diamond Health Care Centre, Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, Mary Pack Arthritis Centre, VGH Skin Care Centre, VGH Eye Care Centre.
Despite the impacted areas, the information desks in Jim Pattison Pavilion and Diamond Health Care Centre will remain open.
Other affected areas include the VGH Cafeteria (Sassafras), which will be temporarily closed while union picket lines are up.
Other food and retail services including Café Ami, Bean Around the World (Blusson), the Gift Shop and all Diamond Health Care Centre food retailers (including Shoppers Drug Mart) are operating as usual.
VCH hasn’t yet said how services will be impacted at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
Nurses’ union urging province to step in
BCNU CEO and Nurses’ Bargaining Association chief negotiator Jim Gould is urging the provincial government to get involved.
“Government cannot stand by while health employers blatantly retaliate against nurses’ lawful job action,” says Jim Gould in a press release.
The union says nurses are scheduled to continue bargaining with health employers while job action remains in effect.
The strike is part of a historic vote, with 50,850 nurses casting votes, followed by 98.2 per cent voting in favour of strike action. Later, union members voted against a tentative agreement by 67 per cent, claiming employers weren’t doing enough to address wages, nurse retention, workplace safety and the province’s current nursing shortage.
In addition to the picket lines, nurses across the province continue to refuse non-nursing duties and overtime work as part of the union’s job action.
BCNU president Adriane Gear says nurses have reported being threatened with discipline, warned their professional licences could be at risk and pressured to perform duties outside the union’s job action directives.
Patient care has been a priority throughout the dispute, Gear adds in a press release.
“Nurses do not want to see patient care impacted. Every decision we’ve made throughout this process has been guided by our commitment to protecting patients and maintaining essential services,” Gear says.