NOTICE OF 2014 CONVENTION
The 2014 convention of the Union of Psychiatric Nurses shall begin on Thursday, May 22nd, 2014 Commencing at 0900h, at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos at 1200 Rancher Creek Road.
Full Details and Registration Form HERE.
UPN Election results (Directors):
The sucessful candidates were:
Lola Backeland
Sue Bateman
UPN congratulates the winners and thanks all who participated.
Clara's Big Ride Highlites from the road
Hello everyone,
I hope you're all doing well! We have had an incredible first 14 days of the Ride and have seen everything from an 850 person dinner in Chatham, to 7,000+ people filling the Bell Centre to rock out for mental health in Montreal, to students from 35 schools coming together for a youth event in London. At every event we are inspired by the work being done in communities by individuals like yourselves.
Each and every one of you has contributed to the success of the Big Ride, as we continue to elevate the mental health conversation in a truly meaningful way. Community by community, kilometre by kilometre, as Clara states – this is becoming Canada's Big Ride collectively helping end the stigma around mental illness.
Thought you might enjoy the wonderful work of our CTV crew with this week 1 highlight reel. Please feel free to download the video and share with your networks. http://review.bellmedia.ca/view/1367463046 Thank you again for joining the team – you're all in this peloton!
Dana Brown Engagement ManagerNEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE UNION OF PSYCHIATRIC NURSES
The Union of Psychiatric Nurses welcomes Garnet Zimmerman as Executive Director.
Langley, B.C. February 24, 2014 – UNION OF PSYCHIATRIC NURSES announces the appointment of Garnet Zimmerman as Executive Director. "Garnet has been a key part of our success in the past year, and we are thrilled to welcome him to this important position," said Dan Murphy, President of the Union of Psychiatric Nurses. "We plan to further promote Psychiatric Nurses and the UPN across British Columbia and Canada and we are confident that Garnet will be an important asset to help our organization reach its goals," said Dan Murphy. For more information please contact: UNION OF PSYCHIATRIC NURSES
211-20644 Eastleigh Crescent, Langley, B.C.
V3A 4C4 Canada 604-530-9253 1-877-931-2471
Mailbox @upnbc.org
www.upnbc.org
upn appoints new member/benefits coordinator
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The UPN is pleased to announce the appointment of Sue Bateman to the position of Member/Benefits Co-ordinator. Sue will be an asset to the UPN team as we move forward to a stronger Union focussed on promoting and representing the RPN profession both Provincially and Federally.
As our Member/Benefits Co-ordinator, Sue will be undertaking the responsibility of representing our members with disability/benefits issues. Sue has experience in Gradual Return to Work Programs, Duty To Accommodate, Disability Management, WorkSafe BC, Long Term Disability claims as well as employer and CRPNBC practice undertakings.
As our Member Co-ordinator, Sue will be a direct liaison between our Members and the Union administration. Communication with our Membership is extremely important and vitally necessary as your Union moves forward in developing programs and training opportunities for the RPNs.
I am sure that given everything we already know about Sue that she will no doubt prove to be a valuable member of the UPN teamGarnet Zimmerman
Executive DirectorDAN MURPHY, PRESIDENT RE-ELECTED BY ACCLAMATION
The President would like to thank the UPN Council, Staff and Membership for their continuous support without which the achievements gained in the last term would not have been possible. The President is looking forward to the next three years and continuing his current mandate of promoting the RPNs and The Union of Psychiatric Nurses across British Columbia and Canada.
Bargaining Proposals - 2014 NBA Negotiations – Input needed
The UPN is seeking member input on bargaining proposals for upcoming NBA negotiations for a new collective agreement. To assist, we have developed a questionnaire to help guide you in the process. Please take the time to review and complete the questionnaire. When you are finished you can fax it to the UPN Office @604-530-9653 or send it via email to: mailbox@upnbc.org. Your participation is vital to the success of negotiations.
Download questionnaire HERE
The Spotlite is on . . .
Lola Backeland RPN
Lola Backeland graduated from BCIT in 1983. She was, as the vernacular would have it, a "mature student;" having worked as a cook and ward clerk for several years prior to entering college. In fact, she did so as a single mom of three children. As it turned out, Lola actually attended BCIT with two of her children; her daughter being in nuclear medicine, her son in electronics?telecommunications. The third child was still in school.
At BCIT, her daughter's classmates thought that Lola was "pretty cool." Lola added: "But of course, my daughter didn't think I was cool – very few younger people regard their own parents as cool." The students felt this way because Lola was "having fun." Lola said: "I was a student again – something I always wanted. And I was with a diverse group of 19 to 54 year-olds. I was in the middle, and could more or less identify with everyone."
Lola's interest was in abnormal psychology from the start. Throughout her nursing career, forensic nursing has always been her first choice. This area both intrigued Lola and inspired her to discover why people deviated from societal norms; and yet, how as a professional psychiatric nurse, she could assist some of them to make better choices in their lives. While it is true that this area of practice can be stressful at times, Lola always found it fascinating.more >>>
UPN WELCOMES seven NEW SITES TO THE MEMBERSHIP
The UPN is pleased to note that seven sites that were represented by HSA have now overwhelmingly voted in favour of becoming members of the UPN.
We would like to thank all of those who supported us on this decision and to extend a warm welcome to you as new members of our Union. We want to assure you that we are here to represent you and to listen to what you have to say about your profession, your work environment and your aspirations as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse.
We are planning to visit these worksites in the near future so that we can get better acquainted and to discuss the needs of these members. We are also planning to hold Steward Training sessions in January to better enable members to know their rights and how to advocate for them.
We have several other worksites that are awaiting results of their votes. We hope to provide you with more good news in the near future. Once again, thank you for your support and welcome to the UPN.
Educational opportunities fund returns.
UPN is pleased to announce the return of the Educational Opportunities Fund. Bursaries from this fund are used for the clinical education of nurses and include the upgrading of nursing skills. All active UPN members are eligible to apply for this funding. The current maximum that will be paid out to an individual annually is $4,000.
UPN Welcomes all RPNs
The Union of Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia would like to extend a warm welcome to our counterparts at HSA and offer you the opportunity to be part of a professional union that supports and unites ONLY Registered Psychiatric Nurses. Uniting RPNs in a strong, profession-focussed union will strengthen our profession's ability to negotiate better contracts and practice conditions while advocating for improved mental health and addictions care in British Columbia.
The UPN is the only Registered Psychiatric Nursing union in Canada. It's a fact that no one can understand and advocate for RPNs better than other RPNs. The Union of Psychiatric Nurses has been doing just that since 1965. Our roots reach back even further, to September 4th, 1947, when the first Psychiatric Nurses' Association in Canada was formed here in British Columbia.
Click HERE to print/read new information pamphlet
HSA Members click HERE.
Any Questions? Forward your questions to joinnow@ telus.net
"Turning the spotlite on our members"
In the coming weeks and months the website and Spotlite Magazine will showcase some of UPN's front-line practitioners by telling their stories and highlighting what a unique group of care professionals RPN's are. This month we are "turning the Spotlite" on Lola Backeland RPN. Do you know an RPN who deserves to have the Spotlite focussed on them? If you do, send your recommendation along to Yves Chinnapen, Chair, UPN Communications Committee for consideration.
Transfer from the Public Service Takes Place June 1
Forensic Psychiatric Services, Oak Bay Lodge and the Lodge at Broadmead Impacted
On March 28, the B.C. Public Service Agency advised us that they were removing Forensic Psychiatric Services (FPSC), Oak Bay Lodge and the Lodge at Broadmead from the Public Service effective June 1, 2013. FPSC and Oak Bay were to be moved to the Health Sector and the Lodge at Broadmead would become an independent employer. This letter can be found by clicking the link Notice Letter.
This brings about some very significant changes, especially for those members working at FPSC and Oak Bay Lodge, as the move to the Health Sector would entail a transition to a completely different collective agreement. With Broadmead, the employer intends to remain under the 15th Master until it expires on March 31, 2014 and then negotiate separately from then on.
Shortly after receiving this notice we entered into talks with the government and learned that they did not consider this a change in employers and therefore they did not believe that our members had a choice in remaining with their employer or taking their displacement rights as found in Article 13 of the 15th Master. We categorically disagree with the government's position and, after some discussion, filed a General Application Grievance claiming that there was indeed a change in employer and that our members should have all of their Article 13 rights including the right to opt for severance pay.
Since then, John Hall has been appointed as sole arbitrator for this case and we have July 31 and August 1, 2013 set aside for the hearing. As this will take place after the June 1 transition, we have also received undertakings that, if we should win our case, all employees of the effected agencies will be offered their Article 13 rights at that time.
We have also been actively involved in working out a transfer agreement for FPSC and Oak Bay Lodge. We have had several meetings with representatives of the Government, Health Employers Association (HEABC), FPSC and Oak Bay management present. While we have not yet completed talks on the transfer agreement, most of it has been agreed to and there are only a couple of matters remaining to finalize. You can review the tentative agreement by clicking the link transfer agreement.
With the move from the 15th Master to the Provincial Collective Agreement (PCA) you will note that there are quite a few changes to your working conditions. Some are for the better while others are not so good (see comparison document). Through our transfer agreement talks, we have tried to lessen the negative impacts in some of these areas. For example, while you will be losing STIIP, your sick leave banks will be "seeded" with 10 sick days per year of service up to the maximum allowable.
During talks, we also spent quite a bit of time determining how the change from a 35 hour week to a 37.5 hour week would impact your schedules. While you will lose your surplus days because of this, we have come to the conclusion that there is no need to radically alter your rotations. Those on a 4:2 rotation can remain on the same rotation and need only work ten minutes more per shift. Members working a 5:2 shift will see no change. In the community, if you were working a 9-day fortnight, this can still be retained however, you will need to work an extra 33 minutes per shift. You can review the rotation calculations by clicking on one of the links: 4:2, 5:2, or 9-day fortnight.
One major question that we don't have an answer for yet deals with classifications. The classification system in the Health Sector is significantly different to that in the Public Service and, in some instances; the classifications don't align with each other. We have been constantly asking the employer for information on how they see our members being classified but they say they haven't completed their determination yet. All we can do is wait and see at this point. Once they make their determination, we hope that it will be a fair one. If it isn't, then we will have to sit down with those members who are negatively impacted and figure out what kind of a case can be made for disputing the classifications. As I say, until they advise us of what the classifications are, we can only hope that it will be reasonable and fair.
For those members at the Lodge at Broadmead, we hope to be over there soon to discuss any concerns you may have and to discuss strategies for bargaining at the end of the year. We believe you will see little noticeable change after June 1 and so we have focused more on the other two groups who are facing much more change. This doesn't mean that we have forgotten you. You are important to us and we will do our best to support you through this change.
We recognize that this is a major change for many of you who have spent your entire nursing career in the Public Service. Should you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact us either by email or by calling the office.
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Presidents' Comment
Dan Murphy – President
Email: pres@upnbc.org
I would like to give a warm hello to a very deserving membership, This, to say the least, has been a very challenging year for the union, mental health and addictions, and the nurses who work within it. A Health Sector Collective agreement based on "Safe Patient Care = Safe Staffing" was bargained that was designed to help with workload and safety issues, by way of staffing levels. Excellent staffing language was bargained for, that is supposed to support this by requiring employers to replace nurses on vacations, maternity leaves, short and long term leaves, along with backfilling community mental health nurses for two weeks of their vacations. Many other language gains were made to help with safety concerns such as new PRF language and changes to the make- up of the Occupational Health and Safety committees. By all accounts this was a good collective agreement bargained for during a very challenging time for the province of British Columbia. As always, the Nurses Bargaining Association (NBA) led the way in achieving for the nurses who provide the gold standard of care to those who access our health care system. Unfortunately the health authorities who worked with us to develop this collective agreement seemed to have their hands tied by the government of the day, the Liberals. It seems a lack of funding from the government has led to many lengthy delays in the implementation of many of the principle areas bargained.
Many of the changes that have been implemented by many of the health authorities were never part of the Health Sector Collective, but rather attempts to wrap mental health system around an existing medical model. Community nurses have been told they must now function within cookie cutter hours (8:30-4:30) across many of the health authorities, so as to optimize office hours. This means RPN's who were volunteering to work outside those cookie cutter hours, to meet the needs of clients who hold jobs or can only access services outside the 8:30-4:30 hours , will not be able to meet the needs of those clients anymore. Despite excellent rotations and well documented rationales for same put forward by the community nurses, both Forensic and regular community nurses, it seems the health authorities are set to implement rotations they may limit many successfully community integrated consumers. The changes in shift rotations in the community to cookie cutter hours will be, as believed by many, a failure to the consumers. I was told at one meeting with the front line managers who were delivery the rational for the changes in community nursing office hours, consumers who fall outside the 8:30-4:30 office hours make up only a small minority of those who access mental health and addiction services. I say shame on those who don't consider all people worthy of consideration and accommodation. Our nurses have been working extended hours for years at straight rates to meet the needs of all those who need access to mental health and addiction services. Hospitals are open 24 hours a day if you have a medical problem and addiction services do home detox, drop in detox, or inpatient but in mental health, the choice can be the emergency room or a jail cell. Now that's harm reduction at its worst!
I have spent a lot of time on the road, talking to our members. Like me, they are extremely angry with their employer and the health authority their employer falls into. The move to a 37.5 hour work week was done to give existing nurses the extra time to finish work within their regular work hours without having to stay behind and work for free as reported by an overwhelming amount of RPNs. The increase to 37.5 hour week was bargained to shore up existing nursing hours and help the employer begin to hire the nurses needed to meet the workload problems and set up safe staffing levels. We were to see existing vacancies filled. The combining of casual and OT hours were to create full time positions along with vacation relief pools. Instead, the displacement of nurses has again increased the workload per nurse.
The two nurses unions, UPN and BCNU, are continuing to meet and sit with the interior health authorities to discuss workload, staffing levels, and safety issues. We have met several times in Kamloops for the Hillside tertiary facility and have walked away with the same rhetoric coming from the managers involved. They continue to claim they are not aware of any safety issues, morale problems, or staffing issues. PRFs continue to fall through the cracks. Clearly, the employer needs a wake- up call of some sort. We have the same problems on Vancouver Island at Seven Oaks and both the UPN and the BCNU will not be sitting back and letting this go by. RPNs working at FPH, Maples, Youth Forensics, and PAC still have ongoing safety issues. Staffing levels are insufficient; safety measures are insufficient, and morale is down. To say the least, there is work to be done. These nurses work in the most difficult areas of mental health and addictions, and deserve support from their workplace not excuses. This was supposed to be a collective agreement where the nurses and the employer share the responsibility of trying to bring the safest and most effective care to the patients, while alleviating ongoing workload problems both in the hospitals and in the community.
I attended the Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses conference in Kelowna, where we had our booth set up. Several of our Kelowna and Kamloops nurses were able to take in the conference. It was a very good conference and spoke to many significant challenges mental health and addictions nurses and consumers face here in Canada. I had the pleasure of meeting most of the Kelowna RPNs. I was very impressed to hear this group meets monthly on their own to discuss their profession and challenges at the workplace. It's this sort of dedication that makes RPNs the profession of choice for mental health and addictions. We were proud to have the UPN banner carried by our Tiger (Les) Robinson who marched for the UPN at the Pride Parade held in Vancouver and was joined by some of our UPN members and families. Thank you Tiger!
Has the government of BC and the health authorities within it, not woken up to what the rest of Canadians know? We have a serious deficiency in mental health and addiction resources. The old Riverview Hospital Grounds and facilities sit empty and unused. This could be a mental health and addictions teaching hospital of excellence as they have in Toronto. Patients are being forced into seeking shelter on the streets or are ending up in city jails. These people are our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and sons or daughters. THEY MATTER! We need a properly structured mental health and addiction services system with the appropriate people working within it. The nurses continue to do their part; it's time for the government and employers to do theirs.
In Solidarity,Dan Murphy President, UPN