FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2024
Nurses demand answers for failure to implement collective agreement commitments
St. John’s, NL – It’s been eight months since the Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners signed their collective agreement with government. They have yet to receive all the benefits that were negotiated in good faith.
“This failure to implement our collective agreement is unacceptable,” said Yvette Coffey, President of the Registered Nurses’ Union of Newfoundland & Labrador (RNUNL). “Our members are being nickeled and dimed at all levels. The disrespect shown by the employer and government is absolutely unacceptable.”
Despite numerous assurances and promises that nurses are valued and respected, actions testify to a different reality.
“We negotiated a long-service premium to be paid for the dedicated registered nurses and nurse practitioners who have devoted their careers to our public healthcare system – often at high cost to their personal lives and families – but they have not seen one red cent of that money,” said Coffey.
Today RNUNL received correspondence from NLHS that the commitment to pay this premium by March 31, 2024 would not be met. NLHS also did not provide a revised timeline or reason for missing the promised deadline.
“Last week we heard this government tout a ‘record investment’ in healthcare – let me tell you, our members are not seeing it,” said Coffey. “The only thing that was mentioned was the mentorship program that we negotiated last August! There is no new investment dedicated to retaining nurses in our public healthcare system.”
RNUNL is demanding immediate action by government to resolve this issue and to immediately fulfil its commitments in the collective agreement that was negotiated in good faith last August.
“Our members have been patient. That patience has run out. It’s time for action.”
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The Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador represents more than 5,900 registered nurses and nurse practitioners working in acute care, long-term care, community, education, and research.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jonathan Hamel
Director of Communications
Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador
Tel: (709) 691-6890
Email: jhamel@rnunl.ca