The association representing Northwest Territories physicians has endorsed calls for nurses in the territory to be given their own bargaining unit.
Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan has drafted a private member’s bill which, if passed, would allow NWT nurses to pursue their own collective agreements.
Currently, nurses are part of the same collective agreement as nearly all other unionized NWT government employees, who are represented by the Union of Northern Workers – a component of the larger Public Service Alliance of Canada, or PSAC.
Morgan argues allowing nurses to form their own bargaining unit would let them advocate for needs that are distinct from those of other GNWT employees.
PSAC says it has problems with Morgan’s proposal. While the union said it is “not opposed” in principle, PSAC has appeared to rule out pursuing or accepting any change in the months ahead, suggesting the creation of a nurses’ bargaining unit should happen only through future “meaningful consultation with all of our members.”
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Whether that consultation has begun or been scheduled is not clear. The UNW did not respond to a request for comment sent on Wednesday last week.
The NWT Medical Association, or NWTMA, represents physicians in negotiations with the territorial government.
In a statement sent to Cabin Radio last week, NWTMA said it “stands in solidarity with our nursing colleagues in their call for independent, profession-specific representation.”
“As physicians, we work alongside nurses every day and see first-hand their expertise, dedication, and leadership. We have heard clearly their growing desire for a voice of their own and we recognize this desire as both legitimate and long overdue,” the association stated.
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“We believe that granting nurses independent bargaining power under the Public Service Act” – the mechanism Morgan has proposed – “is a critical step toward strengthening professional advocacy, reducing systemic conflicts of interest, and ultimately improving patient care across the Northwest Territories. Nurses deserve the same autonomy in representation that physicians and teachers already have.”
Dr Courtney Howard, NWTMA’s president, said many of the solutions nurses propose to improve the territory’s healthcare system “are lost in a discussion that does not allow them an independent voice.”
“We wholeheartedly support their call for independent representation,” Howard was quoted as saying.
“This will allow their excellent ideas to be better heard and given the consideration they merit. It is an important step towards a thriving local nursing workforce, an efficient, effective healthcare system, and better care for northerners.”
A private member’s bill is a piece of legislation brought forward by a regular MLA rather than cabinet. Morgan is expected to formally introduce her bill in the House next month.
Getting a private member’s bill through the House can be difficult, not least because regular MLAs don’t have the backing of departments when drafting their bills and must follow strict rules. However, several such bills have become law so far this decade.
PSAC has said giving nurses their own bargaining unit would roll back protections earned through the existing collective agreement, jeopardize their ability to use strike action as a negotiating tool, and leave nurses “at the mercy of the employer” if and when current staffing shortages ease.
Morgan has said change is needed in part because dedicated nurses’ unions elsewhere in Canada are “out-negotiating our UNW in terms of getting incentives and bonuses and appropriate compensation for nurses.”
