British Columbia

Nurses General Nursing

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I was wondering if anyone in here might know what the starting wage for LPN and/or RN is in British Columbia, Canada

Start wage for RN in BC is 21.40 with a top wage of 26.00 (DOE). I hear it's 32.00 in Alberta. That's all CAD by the way.

It's a bit off the topic, but, pertinent to BC. I just watched a segment on BCTV. It concerned the nurse job action going on here. The job action is a simple no overtime for a specified number of days. The entire story consisted of a story about a beautiful little child who was unable to have surgery due to the shortage of nurses, caused by the no overtime job action. The mother stated that she didn't blame the nurses but wanted to put a face on things for the government. The reasons for the job action were not even mentioned. No one thought to ask the mother whether or not she actually wanted a nurse who had been on shift for 16 hours taking care of her child. It was a sad story. Sadder still, it failed to address what is actually going on here, and, intentionally or otherwise, made the nurses out to be the bad guys. Is that what it comes down to? We get blamed for an operation not being done because we won't work overtime? Did anyone else in BC see this story?

I did see that story and I could just cry, unfortunately if nurses don't work overtime this is what happens because of the shortage. Why is it do you think that we are so short of nurses?

We aren't working OT BECAUSE were shortstaffed. We're shortstaffed BECAUSE of OT (and poor working conditions and poor pay and a lack of respect). Who would go into nursing nowadays when so many other careers are available to them? The solution to the surgery waitlist and cancellations is to get more nurses, not work the ones we have to death. It's only going to burn out more nurses so those left have even worse working conditions.

Go to Medhunters website and you will find out. Goodluck!:p

Specializes in Trauma acute surgery, surgical ICU, PACU.

Hmmm.

Anyone hear about what almost happened in manitoba? We got our contract settled just in time, thank god.

When the union started talking job action by only refusing overtime and extra shits - not even any type of real strike - the governement (ie the employer) tried to say that since our contract was expired, they were going to invoke the "essential services" legislation. This law is supposed to protect the public from complete withdrawal of essential services such as basic health care and fire safety, etc. Sounds good, except the way it is set up, the employer gets to decide what level of staffing is considered "essential"...

So, they said that because there is a nursing shortage, they could use the essential services legislation to *force* us to pick up shifts beyond our EFT and work 16+ hour shifts - because there aren't enough nurses in the system to provide safe care unless we all pick up extra shifts. :( Like, duh! The point of us doing job action was to get them to increase pay so we could keep more nurses here and reduce the flipping shortage! (one nurse actually did get mandated to stay for 24 hours... union is investigating legal action on that one too)

The union was set to fight it in court, but they were able to negotiate a contract only 8 hours before we were set to start refusing to work overtime.

Is it me, or do management and governement look at the problem backwards from the way we see it?

Specializes in Geriatrics.

As an experienced LPN, I make about 20.69 (I think, don't hav a paystub handy). Since then, there have been two wage increases, due April 2001 and April 2002, plus comparability. Our boss apparently doesn't have the funding yet, because the health region in his words, "doesn't like him," which is a huge crock, because every other facility in our region has the funding and HEU has confirmation that he's got it. I have paid $1000 bucks to that crappy union last year and they don't have the guts to take him on. I think my boss' attitude is now "If HEU can't take the gov't on, they can't take me on." HEU doesn't have any answers and are all a bunch of idiots and couldn't care less about us:o :o :o

Specializes in Geriatrics.

By the way BCNU, who was on the ball, filed a contempt of court charge against him right away and he paid them the day before he was to be held in contempt. HEU, I think doesn't even have a clue to do this.....

I know what you mean pebbles and that's why I moved out just in time.

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