The Labor Union and the Registered Nursing Profession
The labor union movement has been negotiating contracts for registered nursing jobs
in Canada for over 40 years. The vast majority of nursing jobs in Canada are in the public health
care sector and the provincial nursing union negotiates on behalf of registered nurses in each province.
The nursing union operates under the jurisdiction of provincial and federal labor laws and works to
improve the economic and social well being of its members.
When an group of workers becomes organized under exisiting labor laws,
they form a union and engage in a process with the employer
called collective bargaining.
Through these negotiations a contract called a collective agreement is formed. It
defines the working conditions, salary structure, benefits, and other economic factors.
The collective agreement can also contain provision for processes that must be followed for:
- hiring
- firing
- conflict resolution
- occupational health and safety
- seniority
- training requirements and much more.
Just 17 % of the 2.2 million nurses in the United States are unionized.
Fully 62% of the registered nursing jobs in Canada are represented by an organized labor union for nurses..
Many other registered nurses are represented by other unions depending on the nature of their job and
who their employer is.
Faculty members at universities and colleges for example would be
represented by their own faculty union.
Registered nursing jobs in federal or provincial agencies would be
represented by a union that represents the federal employees.
The
Canadian Health Care system is administered provincially. Almost all registered nursing jobs are in the
public sector so the union representing the nurses would bargain either directly with the provincial
government or with an "Employers Association".
This employers' association would have representation from all employers with collective
agreements in place for the registered nursing workforce. The employers' association provides for a single
baragaining agent with the
nursing union.
Both the union and the employers' association would have a bargaining team to
negotiate the collective agreement when it is time for renewal.
In Canada the
Rand formula has been applied to
collective bargaining since it was first introduced by
Ivan Rand in an arbitration with the Ford Motor Company in 1945.
This formula requires that workers who work in a unionized workplace must pay dues to
the union even if they choose not to be a member.
Nursing Labor Unions in Canada and the US
In the US many state boards of nursing represent their members as a union.
In Canada this is considered a conflict of interest as one organization cannot act
in the interest of members and in the
interest of the public.
In Canada there is recognition that there will be times when these interests are in conflict, therefore
nursing organizations that represent the public interest must be separate form those organizations that represent
the interest of members.
Go to a
list of nursing
unions in Canada
Go from this article on the
labor union and registered nursing jobs to a general history of labor unions in Canada
