2018–2019 Annual Report

I feel fortunate to work with such a diverse range of individuals both inside and outside the BC Nurses’ Union. Our organization continues to move forward on many fronts to serve the interests of our members, and this is a result of everyone’s willingness to sit at the table and problem-solve common issues together.

Our dedicated staff has done an incredible job strengthening our programs and services by streamlining processes and implementing innovative technology.

Our relationships with external stakeholders continue to mature. Discussions with government, health authorities and other health-care unions have taken on a more collaborative tone. This does not mean we don’t face challenges when advocating on our members’ behalf, but there is greater willingness to meet and have open, constructive dialogue.

As chief executive officer, contract negotiations are my top priority. We signed the Comprehensive Framework Agreement in early 2018, which provided closure on several outstanding issues while securing a renewed commitment from employers to increase staffing. We then approached the bargaining of a new provincial contract with a mindset that was focused on collaboration, innovative thinking, and respectful, open and honest dialogue. Both sides presented viewpoints backed by data analysis and costing and challenged each other to find “outside-the-box” solutions to make headway on the two biggest issues: staffing and workload.

Thanks to the expertise and remarkable team effort of our bargaining committee and staff, we succeeded in negotiating and ratifying new, innovative contract language that includes financial consequences for managers who fail to replace nurses when short staffed and a nurse-driven staffing and workload process to ensure short term staffing needs are met.

It is this collaborative approach that’s giving BCNU the traction to move forward. Change is happening, but it’s a long-term effort that will require commitment, patience and resolve.

I would like to acknowledge BCNU Council and the Provincial Executive Committee for their continued support, stewardship and hard work on behalf of their regions. Together, we will continue to grow as an innovative organization focused on benefiting members for the long term.

I’m committed to celebrating our values by creating a spirit of community.

As leaders we aim to model a culture that reflects BCNU’s values and organizational priorities. Strengthening the union’s organizational capacity and improving our culture is one of these priorities. Improving our culture begins by promoting a shared commitment to civility, respect and the need for kindness. I am proud to have brought this commitment to the workplace through the work I have done speaking with members around the province.

We have all heard stories about the incivility members experience and the toll it takes on their physical and psychological well-being. Nurses have been described as wounded healers, especially when faced with increasing workload and constant organizational change. We are caring professionals who often forget to take care of ourselves. That’s why it’s vital for nurses to become their best civil selves, challenge the status quo, and practice kindness.

We again acknowledged Pink Shirt Day this year, and reminded ourselves that kindness is the cure to bullying. Our occupational health and safety reps and mental health advocates promoted the message of encouraging kindness by supporting new colleagues, praising good practice, and helping each other.

This celebration of our values brings us back to the basics of who we are as nurses and human beings. Each of us has the capacity to be a leader, show kindness, and create a positive culture. Great leaders express pride in the accomplishments of their teams. As an organization, BCNU prides itself on the fact that its leaders are members whose hearts have been encouraged to go the distance. My own path was inspired by leaders who went before me, such as Patt Shuttleworth, Myrna Allison and Debra MacPherson. And like them, I’m committed to leading with kindness and letting others know how much they mean to the organization.

I’m focused on searching for opportunities and looking for innovative ways to improve.

People and organizations do their best when there’s the chance to change the way things are. It’s always important to look for good ideas and seize the initiative whenever possible.

Last year we took the opportunity to begin modernizing BCNU’s finance systems and I am proud to report that we have now implemented a system that is automated, simpler, and faster than ever.

Our previous system was outdated and unable to support our growing organizational needs. Our new cloud-based accounting platform allows us to streamline many financial processes, reduce the use of paper, track workflows and improve reporting.

Last year also saw the roll out of our new on-line member expense form system. The submission process is far more convenient and reimbursements now have a much faster turnaround time. Looking ahead, the union will save money and time now that the system is in place. Meanwhile, the funding of education for staff, regional leadership and our members continues to be a key priority.

BCNU held several large events in 2018 that required strong financial monitoring and rigorous budgeting, but I’m pleased to report that the union’s operating budget remains in a surplus position.

Our recent systems improvements have helped ensure that BCNU does not fall into a deficit position and that we can continue to build our much needed defence fund balance (bargaining is three short years away). We ended 2018 in a strong financial position and independent auditors provided us with a clean audit opinion for the close of the year.

I believe it’s important to be innovative. We will continue to seek out opportunities and initiatives that allow us to effectively manage members’ dues and ensure that BCNU remains financially sound so we can provide members with the services they need.

I'm committed to modelling the way by affirming the shared values that make our union strong.

True leadership does not involve titles, positions or power. Rather, it’s about setting examples through actions that demonstrate a deep commitment to our values. The achievements we’ve made as an organization over the last year are a reflection of some of BCNU’s most important values, such as collectivity, democracy and excellence, and I’m pleased to report that 2018 was a year that saw BCNU modelling the way on a number of fronts.

Our governance renewal project was a major undertaking that began with a resolution at our 2015 annual convention. Our Constitution and Bylaws Renewal Working Group has completed its review of the union’s governing document after a thoroughgoing and inclusive process that lasted a year and a half and involved input from thousands of members across the province. A revised set of bylaws is being brought to this year’s convention for adoption. Throughout the process, the committee was focused on modernizing the rules that govern our organization while ensuring that any changes are consistent with BCNU’s culture and values.

We have also reviewed BCNU policies to ensure they reflect our organizational goals and decision-making processes. And with new technology in place, we are striving to enhance member services while maintaining our fiduciary responsibility to carefully manage your dues. Nurses’ Bargaining Association negotiations focused on problem solving and collaboration to resolve shared workload and staffing issues. We challenged ourselves to be innovative and “think outside the box” to solve complex issues that impact our workforce and our lives.

I’m proud of the work we have done to build an inclusive union. Our strength lies in our diversity. BCNU is a place where all members can share their ideas and advocate for change. I see members from all sectors, from varied educational backgrounds and from all areas of the province leading change in their worksite, their region and in their profession.

There’s no question BCNU is a learning organization committed to the growth and development of our members and
leaders. We want to help members gain a better understanding of their union, their workplace and the healthcare system. Over the last year we have focused on cultivating leaders through mentorship. Our pilot Council mentorship program paired seven new regional chairs with experienced chairs who met regularly to help new chairs identify short- and long-term goals for their roles. Our new steward-at-large program also paired a steward mentee from each of the union’s 16 regions with their regional chair who served as their mentor.

We are national leaders when it comes to confronting violence in the healthcare workplace. We delivered 24,000 signed postcards to the BC Legislature in October 2018 that called on the government to do more to eliminate violence in health care. The Victoria event was an important milestone in our “Violence. Not Part of the Job.” campaign. In the year ahead we will continue to challenge the perception that nurses should just cope with repeated exposure to violence and other traumatic events, and put forward specific, evidence-based demands for legislative and policy changes to help keep nurses safe.

We also scored a major victory in April 2019 when the provincial government finally enacted changes to the Workers Compensation Act by adding nurses to the list of occupations that have the presumption of mental injury when filing for compensation for PTSD and other related conditions.

And our advertising agency Wasserman and Partners took home a marketing excellence award at this year’s BC American Marketing Awards. Our violence prevention campaign won top honours in the community engagement and not-for-profit category. We’ve influenced public perception of nurses’ workplace violence with compelling social media and TV ads and our message has since been taken up by nurses’ unions across the country.

BCNU truly is a model union, and our leadership team has laid the foundation for a strong, professional organization that will challenge the status quo and change the future of health care.

I would like to ask all members to join me in welcoming Aman Grewal to BCNU’s provincial executive committee. Aman was elected vice president in a March 2019 membership-wide vote. I look forward to working closely with her as she steps into the provincial lobby coordinator role and assumes other responsibilities in the union.

As your president, it is a privilege to serve our 48,000 members. I’m truly humbled by the care and compassion of nurses who go to work every day short-staffed, overworked and exposed to violence and trauma. But deeds are far more important than words. As we look to the future, I am also committed to modelling the way by aligning my actions with our shared values so that patients can receive the care they need and nurses can go home safely to their families and friends.

Let us all strive to model the way as leaders in our worksites and our communities. I’m counting on you to be the kind of change we need to see in our world. That means being informed, inclusive, respectful and inspiring – never forget you have the
power to lead.

I’m committed to strengthening members by increasing self-determinization and developing confidence.

Extraordinary things rarely happen all by themselves. It takes partners and teams working together to achieve the results we want to see.

This year, securing nurses’ inclusion in mental injury presumption under the Workers Compensation Act is an important win we achieved together.

Our political action was successful because nurses united around this critical issue. Together, we shared our personal work experiences, called out the gender bias of the existing legislation and demanded that the provincial government amend the law to include nurses.

I am proud to have led BCNU’s lobby effort and bring our members’ voices to provincial and federal legislators. We began by developing relationships with members and enabling them to act through the sharing of meaningful stories. Bonnie Christie is one of those members. I was honoured to share Bonnie’s story of delayed post-traumatic stress disorder with other nurses who attended regional meetings during BCNU’s fall 2018 outreach tour.

Although emotionally challenging, I shared details of some of the horrific incidents Bonnie was exposed to during her 20 years working in the intensive care unit at BC Children’s Hospital. Bonnie then recounted the four-month long WorkSafeBC claim process that worsened her PTSD as she was repeatedly required to recall the trauma and human suffering she had witnessed.

Hundreds and hundreds of members were motivated to write to Labour Minister Harry Bains and Premier John Horgan and explain why nurses like Bonnie deserve WorkSafeBC presumption of mental injury.

BCNU’s work on mental injury – and all of our lobby efforts on a range of issues – is designed to inspire and empower members to advocate for change in their own workplaces. It all starts with developing confidence and fostering collaboration so that members can get extraordinary things done.

I’m committed to enlisting members in a common vision built on shared aspirations.

It’s always important to look toward the future and imagine the possibilities that it holds. For a union, that means engaging members in a dialogue about their hopes and dreams.

A great example of this kind of engagement can be seen in the recent work we have done to develop a pension strategy for the future. A member’s pension is an invaluable asset that provides income throughout retirement. I am proud to have articulated a vision for the future that sees all BCNU members, both active and retired, having more control over the design of their pension plan and any changes that are made to it.

We began by sharing information on the existing plan with members ahead of our successful provincial contract ratification process. Now we will be inviting members to envision an improved pension plan while ensuring the plan they are contributing to today will be there for them when they retire. Our goal is to transform ideas into action. But wherever we land, any changes to the pension plan will only happen with the full vote of the membership.

It’s an honour to continue engaging with members at BCNU’s popular pension workshops. Educating and empowering nurses is what we are about. The individual choices we make throughout our careers impact our pension, and it’s important we maximize this valuable benefit. Likewise, the choices we make as an organization can go a long way in securing our future and helping all members realize their retirement goals.

Pensions continue to be my core focus. Taking leadership on this file means recognizing and managing organizational risks. It also means taking stock of the current pension landscape and looking for opportunities for progressive change that can benefit all members.

It is truly my pleasure to serve a dynamic and progressive organization like BCNU. As chief operating officer I’m responsible for structuring and leading the internal organization of the union and delivering the best service and representation to our members. I can honestly say there hasn’t been a day in my 13-year tenure when I have not been amazed and proud of the work of our talented and qualified staff.

Over the past year we’ve been busy building and expanding our organization’s internal capacity. Along the way, we have been focused on provincial bargaining and contract ratification, both of which required a significant amount of time and effort from BCNU staff. I would like to extend a huge thank you to all staff members who rose to the challenge and assisted during the bargaining and ratification process – all while attending to important day-to-day union business.

We have also enhanced the senior leadership of the organization and put building blocks place to help us meet our service delivery goals. We now have incredible individuals directing various departments. We recently appointed Donna Bouzan as director of servicing, Sharon Costello as director of communications and campaigns, Dominique Roelants as director of pensions and special projects, and Moninder Singh as director of occupational health and safety. They join director of professional practice Heather Straight and director of finance David Tsai to round out a talented leadership group while continually improving and enhancing members’ experiences in their respective areas of responsibility.

Concerted efforts are being made to support and train all BCNU staff members. Although we lost many after the 2016 job action, I’m pleased to report that those who remain continue to demonstrate their commitment and loyalty to the organization while newer staff bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm. This fall we will be introducing a leadership development program and updating our organizational structure to expand and improve our service delivery.

BCNU’s strength and resilience is a reflection of the dedication and passion of the staff who work within it. I thank them for their contributions and look forward to their continued support for members through the coming year.