Tentative nurses' union deal would make wages more competitive, says president

The president of Newfoundland and Labrador's largest nurses' unionsays a tentative deal reached between her union and the provincial government on Saturdaywould make wages more competitive with the rest of Atlantic Canada and improve recruitment and retention efforts.

Yvette Coffey, president of the Registered Nurses' Union of Newfoundland and Labrador,said there were three weeksof "intense" negotiations leading up to the agreement, which she said was a step toward wage parity with the other Atlantic provinces.She said the deal ensuresregistered nurses and nurse practitioners know they are valued.

"Other unions have accepted the template. The template would not put us with Atlantic parity," Coffey saidTuesday.

"We went into this round of bargaining saying that this contract had to show registered nurses and nurse practitioners that they are valued and respected. We believe, as a team, that this contract does that."

However, Coffey said wageparity likely won't lastlong, as the nurses'unionin Prince Edward Island also recently negotiated an agreement, and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick nurses' unions are soon headed to the bargaining table.

The tentative agreement comes as Newfoundland and Labrador faces more than 750 vacancies in the health-care system. Millions are being spent on travelnurses to fill those holes, and those already in the system face mandatory overtime due to the shortages.

Coffey said she hopes the new dealwill encourage more people to take on full-time positions, which will decrease the amount of casual workers and the number of workers leaving the profession because ofworkingconditions.

"By doing that, and hiring the internationally educated nurses, hiring our own graduates here in this province, we're hoping to start decreasing those vacancies," she said.

"Is that going to happen overnight? No.But we truly hope that we will start to see a decrease in the vacancy rate."

Coffey said shehopes meetings with union members to discuss the tentative agreementwill start by the end of theweek. The dealcould be ratified about 10 days after, she said.

Health Minister Tom Osborne said he couldn't get into specifics of the deal but did sayitwould make wages more competitive and also help the provincerecruit and retain health-care staff.

"These negotiationswill help us to staff up in terms of registered nurses, and we will have less reliance on agency nurses," Osborne said."Thekey now is in recruitment, because I believe that this contract will help retain the nurses that we have in the province,and the more nurses we have workingthe less mandated overtime is required."

Osborne said both sides will continue to work together to address other workplace issues addressed in the nursing think tank held in 2022.

Coffey says that's a key step for a health-care system still in crisis.

"We still got a long ways to go to address the health care issues in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to make sure that registered nurses and nurse practitioners have the ability to care for our patients and to give them the care that they need," she said.

"We can not afford to lose one more registered nurse or nurse practitioner out of the system."

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