Presidents Message
Welcome to the PEINU website!
I hope you will find its contents informative and helpful. The site is easy to navigate and provides a variety of information specific to PEINU, and as well links to other provincial and national unions.
As your new President, I want to encourage an “open door” policy at the PEINU office, to foster the opportunity for a good exchange of communication with you, the members. With so many changes happening in our Health Care System, more than ever, it is important that we work together and provide support for each other. Please feel free to contact me with any of your concerns or ideas for how the Union can be a help to you in your work life. All of the information necessary to get in touch with me is located on the front page of this site.
As I indicated during my campaign, my primary focus will be on the improvement of workload issues for our members through the promotion of effective retention and recruitment strategies. With the employer’s recent implementation of the new “Model of Care”, I recognize this will be a significant challenge. As your President, I will speak out strongly on issues and concerns identified with the new Model, both publicly and to the employer, while continuing to work on improving the everyday issues that affect the work lives of Island Nurses.
The current collective agreement will expire March 2011. This Fall, the Union will select the next Negotiating Committee. I encourage interested members to submit their Application of Interest found under the Forms column on the wed-site. A settlement for the “wage re-opener” for the third year of our contract has still not been reached. We returned to the negotiation table in March in an attempt to finalize the last year’s wage rate. A very short meeting with the employer quickly resulted in a stalemate. Government’s offer would not come close to maintaining a competitive wage rate for PEINU members, and so a date for conciliation was arranged. Prior to the date for conciliation, it was acknowledged that the Island’s Teachers accepted a 1% wage increase for 2010. At almost the same time, IOUE, the union which represents clerical and some technical professions in the health sector, also saw the bulk of its members receive a 1% increase for 2010 through arbitration. With this information, it became clear that the employer would not offer anything more than 1% to PEINU through conciliation. As 1% will not maintain a competitive wage rate with RNs in the Atlantic region, conciliation has been bypassed in favour of proceeding straight to binding arbitration. A three member arbitration panel will now determine the wage rate for the third year. We will advise the members as soon as arbitration dates are set.
Since my start date of June 2nd, I have been extremely busy attending many meetings, most of which are related to the issues around the implementation of the new Model of Care. As a result of the employer’s decision to delete RN positions from the show case units, there are some RNs who will be transferred to vacant positions in the system. The Union is currently negotiating with the employer to create a uniform staffing process that will be fair to all Registered Nurses throughout this province as the model is implemented province wide. We are determined to hold Government to its promise that no PEINU member will lose their employment. Please check back on the website for updated details on this issue.
It is my hope that by increasing the visibility of the Union, more members will develop an interest and become involved. There are many opportunities available by making this choice. Although the President is viewed as the leader of the Union, having active members that help provide direction is the key to strengthening PEINU. Solidarity will be achieved through your involvement.
Thank you for your support.