Union wants better wages for nurses at one of busiest Maritime hospitals
Emergency room nurses at one of the busiest hospitals in the Maritimes are asking their employer to recognize their training and pay them accordingly.
"Our nurses are working 12 to 16 hour days. We have nurses that have 25 years' experience. Very difficult to get time off," said Hugh Gillis, the first president of the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU).
The NSGEU is now going public with its plea to improve working conditions for nurses at the Halifax Infirmary's emergency department.
The union says it's also about pay and retention. Gillis points to salary comparisons for nurses working with Nova Scotia Health and travel nurses who work for private agencies that then get hired by the province.
“When we have nurses for Nova Scotia Health being paid half of what private nurses are making in the province, we simply can’t compete," he said.
Gillis says this leads to nurses leaving for other jurisdictions and burnout. The NSGEU wants the province to level the playing field.
In a statement to CTV News, officials with the Department of Health and Wellness say they are trying.
“We know nurses and other health-care workers are tired and need support. While we continue to work to train and recruit more nurses, we know retention measures will also be needed. We continue to work on this, both through nursing negotiations and as part of the budget process,” read the statement.
Nurse practitioner Tammy O'Rourke says the NSGEU is "right on target."
She says she works with many young nurses entering the profession.
“They do want a work/life balance, they want security and you know, they want respect. They want to be treated for the education that they’ve obtained, a four year undergraduate degree,” O’Rourke says.
An education that they say right now in Nova Scotia is not paying off.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.