As talk of a nursing strike heats up in the Halifax area, nurses are threatening to quit en masse, rather than be ordered back to work by the government.
While not unanimous, the president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union says registered nurses are showing support for the move if the provincial government orders them back to work in the event of a strike.
“There’s a message in there," says Joan Jessome. "The nurses are that upset and frustrated and nervous about the level of care that's being provided that they are willing to use that to the premier, 'do not bring legislation in.'"
When asked whether back-to-work legislation is being drafted, the Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness says the situation is fluid, so they’re putting several different options in place.
“All of those possibilities are being prepared for when we go back in the house next week,” says Leo Glavine.
The union representing the 2,300 registered nurses who work at Halifax’s Capital District Health Authority took their fight public last week with TV ads, warning that patient safety is at risk if the issues of staff-to-patient ratio, scheduling, and replacing nurses who call in sick aren’t addressed.
But Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil is questioning the ethics behind the nurses’ threat, asking how a union raising patient safety concerns in TV ads can issue such a warning.
“Any organization that has been out there now, spending the money that would be required to run these TV ads talking about patient safety, I just find it hard to believe that they would actually leave Nova Scotians lying in hospital beds with the health care they deserve,” says McNeil.
Some Halifax residents are siding with the nurses, but others are questioning the talk of mass resignation.
“They certainly do work hard, a lot is expected of them,” says one Halifax resident.
“I think it’s disgraceful,” says another. “There’s so many sick people out there and they can’t get any help. I just think it’s absolutely disgusting.”
Capital Health says it’s aware of the discussion around the threat of resignation and says “any such action happening ahead of Local 97’s being in a legal strike position (on April 3, should mediation not succeed) would be illegal under the Trade Union Act and we would take any necessary steps in response.”
Jessome says resignation letters haven’t been signed just yet, but a motion from the floor is being discussed at union meetings.
Mediation begins Friday and is expected to continue over the weekend.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster
