FREDERICTON — Nurses in New Brunswick are fed up – and they're showing it with their vote.
Over 6,000 registered nurses voted down a tentative agreement b the province, marking another strike against a troubled healthcare system.
The president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union says there are almost 1,000 vacant nursing positions across the province, and that’s led to 24-hour shifts, denied vacation and burnout.
That is why 87 per cent of them rejected the government’s latest proposed contract in a recent vote.
"There is still that stress of COVID and the variants being very much present around us and in our province, so there’s a huge stress load placed on the shoulders of these nurses," said Paula Doucet.
The union represents over 6,000 nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse managers and supervisors. They have been without a contract since 2018.
Premier Blaine Higgs said in a statement he was disappointed with the result of the vote, but also acknowledged a "broken" healthcare system.
"I know there are safety concerns in the workplace that must be addressed. I know there is a nursing shortage, and yet we have too many young nursing graduates leaving this province, in part, because they can’t secure full-time employment," the statement read.
"I will commit that every graduating nurse who wants to stay in New Brunswick will have a job here."
He said the "status quo is not acceptable" and promised to address the situation with the regional health authorities.
Doucet says they’re very willing to return to the table and continue negotiating.
"But we do also have dates set in the middle of September for conciliation board, so if we do need to, we will utilize those days as well because it is part of the legal negotiating process," she said.
"And if that avenue doesn’t work, then we move on and potentially take a strike vote later in the fall."
