One Union or Two?

[Spritz]

Currently in BC, the majority of LPN's working in hospitals (and some private facilities) are in the HEU (Hospital Employees Union). This union consists of Support Workers. http://www.heu.org/ LPN's have mixed feeling about HEU in their history both positive and negative.

LPN's have approached (this has been a 3 yr process) the BCNU (BC Nurses Union) http://www.bcnu.org/ and BCNU is currently offering LPN's and other health care workers an associate membership in BCNU for us to "check it out" http://www.bcnuassociate.org/

In the provinces (NS ? and Manitoba ?) that are in ONE union with the RN's - how is it working? Are you getting your needs met professionally? and supported? good thing? bad thing? what needs to be looked at? downfalls?

Here in BC the RN's in BCNU are approximately 26,000 strong, LPN's around 8,000 strong.

Personally, I feel a Union built by nurses, for nurses, makes the over all needs of nurses better known and understood. Being ALL together in one union makes sense to me as far as bargaining, contracts, education, support, training, etc etc. We have more in common with RN's than we do with housekeeping staff, kitchen workers, plumbers, electricians etc - as we have a licensing body, are professionally recognized, have a code of conduct, Standards of Practice etc etc. We are nurses and legally entitled to use the title "Nurse".

I look forward to hearing thoughts from others

Nurses for Nurses :)

Cheers

[Fiona59]

We've gone through it here in Alberta. UNA wanted to "take in" some LPNs who were either AUPE (same as HEU except bigger) on non-union. Their bid failed.

UNA has run some pretty insulting ads out here about how "only RNs can provide effective care". There isn't a lot of love either between CARNA and CLPNA either.

Many LPNs out here feel we'd be better served by HSAA (covers lab techs, EMTs, dieticians, x-ray) basically professional medical staff that aren't RNs. HSAA negotiates good contracts. Does BC have somthing similar?

AUPE is trying harder for the PNs now that they know we are unhappy and loosing our dues would hit them hard.

[Spritz]

HSA (Hospital Sciences Association) does not want the LPN's. They were approached a few years ago when HEU negotiated a 15% CUT to LPN wages. So those initial LPN's approached BCNU and it has been a work in progress for 3 years.

BCNU does good work for their members. HEU wants to keep LPN's in with care aides - and negotiate as such. We want to be stand alone but the current union won't do that for OUR needs. It is frustrating.

Thanks for the reply

Cheers

[lpn1972]

Thanks Spritz for posting this! I am wondering the same questions! I have so many mixed feelings about possibly joining BCNU, in ways I think it would be great, and other ways I am afraid that we will lose all that we have gained in the past few years. Most RN's that I know respect LPN's as nurses but then there are some who dont. I would really like to know how other LPN's who belong to the same union with RN's are treated.