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B.C. nurses petition to debate union “raid”

BCNU president cautions that convention does not mean a vote

By Andrew Bates, CUP Western Bureau Chief

petition has been circulating among members of the

A® Nurses Union (BCNU) to call an emergency
onvention to debate and vote on the BCNU’s

controversial policy to sign up members of other unions.
This includes licensed practical nurses (LPNs), usually
represented by the Hospital Employees Union (HEU) in the
province. The practice of taking members of other unions,
referred to as “raiding,” is condemned by the Canadian
Labour Congress.

The petition claims that the BCNU, whose stated goal
is to eventually represent all health-care workers in B.C.,
has not given membership a chance to vote on the issue
despite protests within the union. In the B.C.’s South Fraser
Valley region, a motion calling on the board to “stop the
LPN raid” was passed in September.

BCNU President Debra McPherson dismissed the
protest as a “small amount of members,” but said she
would welcome debate on the issue. “If one per cent of the
members sign up, then we’ll have a convention, which is
our democratic process, and then we’ll have a debate,” she
told the Canadian University Press. “However, having a
special convention and having a debate will not ensure, as

the petition seems to imply, that members will have a vote.”

She stressed that the BCNU board was empowered
to make decisions when it was elected, and that members
were canvassed on whether they would permit the addition
of nurses other than registered nurses (RNs) into the union.
“While we have heard from these members and we have
discussed their concerns,” she said, “We are not at this
point changing our strategy because we’re well into the
campaign.”

The BCNU has been leading a campaign to sign up
licensed practical nurses, who are currently represented
by other BC healthcare unions including the Hospital
Employees Union (HEU).

While McPherson was reluctant to call the BCNU
campaign a raid, she mentioned that she hoped the CLC
would change its stance on raiding. “Times are changing,

and the labour movement has to change with the times. That

doesn’t mean that because we change some of our internal
processes, it undermines our solidarity,” she said.

Mike Old, communications director of the HEU,
disagrees with the practice, noting that resources should be
used to improve the lives of workers that are already union

 

members, or signing up non-unionized ones. “Attacking
other healthcare unions is really a waste of time, a waste of
resources, and it really violates the trade union principles
that we all try and adhere to,” he said.

McPherson claims that the issue is not whether or not
it’s a raid, but an expression of the wishes of workers to
switch. “The LPNs who are currently represented [by the
HEU] . . . no longer want to be represented by the HEU and
have approached us, in very large numbers, to change to the
BCNU,* she claimed. “I think it’s an issue of choice about
which union you want to be in.” She noted that the BCNU
is still signing up uncertified workers, and that they believe
their priorities are in balance.

Above all, she believes that her members want it
to happen, citing a number of instances where BCNU
members indicated that it was okay to let nurses other than
Registered Nurses (RNs) into the union. “Having all nurses,
whether they are LPNs or RNs or Nurse Practitioners in one
union, when we talk to the employer about nursing issues,
cannot help but to strengthen us,” she said. “Nurses are
not so elitist that they would reject the opportunity to have
other nurses in their union.”

Old, however, wonders how members can condone
actions that conform to definitions of a raid. “I find it hard
to believe that the majority of members of the BCNU
support a raid on a fellow health-care union, especially
BCNU members who know that in the past, when they’ ve
had to go on strike, that our members have . . . stood on
their picket lines to support them,” Old said. “This is not
business as usual. This is very unusual.”

Debra McPherson

 

Douglas College Wrap-Up

By Kristina Mameli

Nine West Coast business owners take
home Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

During Smali Business Week, over 400 special guests
and Douglas alumni attended a celebration and
awards ceremony at the Executive Hotel in Coquitlam
recognizing graduates of the Douglas College Self
Employment Program. There were over 25 finalists in
eight categories as well as one overall winner.

The winners include: Susan Cumberland as
overall Entrepreneur of the Year; Kerry Chin won the
Global Award; Melanie Burk took home the Service
Award; Chris Begg was awarded the Consulting
Award; Sharon Gordon was given the Perseverance
Award; Duglas Cruz won the Home Based Award;
Eric Wang took the Construction and Manufacturing
Award; Andrew Lawrence, the High-tech Award and
Tara Blokzyl won the Retail Award.

For more information on the Douglas
College Self Employment Program, please contact
604.777.6012.

Federal by-election all-candidates forum

On Wednesday November 4 from 6-7:30 p.m.,
the Douglas Student Union will facilitate an all-
candidates forum in the upper longue of the DSU
Building on the New Westminster Campus. The
candidates of the New Westminster Coquitlam riding
are campaigning for the federal by-election which
takes place Monday, November 9. The election is a
result of former MP Dawn Black leaving the post to
serve as MLA for New Westminster.

Students will be able to direct their questions
to Conservative candidate Diana Dilworth, NDP
candidate Fin Donnelly, Green Party candidate
Rebecca Helps and Liberal candidate Ken Beck Lee.

Old School Cartoon Breakfast

The DSU will host an Old School Cartoon Breakfast
Wednesday November 4 at the David Lam Campus.
The event will include the screening of an assortment
of cartoons from the “80s and ‘90s as well as a free
pancake breakfast from 7:30-11:30 a.m.

 

Movember: Changing the face of men’s health

 

Raising awareness and money for Prostate Cancer Canada is as easy as growing a ‘stache

By Kristina “Mo Sista” Mameli, News Editor

ovember, formerly known as
the month of November, is an
initiative that started like all great

ones—over a few beers among friends in
Melbourne, Australia. The campaign aims
to use the facial hair to raise both funds
and awareness for men’s health issues,
particularly prostate cancer.

It encourages students to sport a
“stache and collect donations which go
directly to Prostate Cancer Canada. They
never dreamt the effort to bring back
the ‘stache would grow into a global
movement.

Last year’s Canadian Movember raised
a staggering $2.4 million, making it the
largest charity event for men. This year’s
campaign is already off to a great start,
13,965 Canadians have registered so far
raising $505,762. Of that number, 4,093
people have registered in BC and have
raised a total of $50,439.16 and counting.
Prostate Cancer Canada will use the money
raised for the development of programs
related to awareness, education, support,

4

OO —————E—————

and research into the prevention and cure
for prostate cancer.

The month-long celebration of
moustaches comes with a list of strict rules,
however, and even its own Mo Lingo for
Mo Bros (men who grow mos) and Mo
Sistas (women who love mos) to learn. As
noted on the initiative’s website:

1. Once registered, each Mo Bro must start
November 1 with a clean shaven face.

2. Then, for the entire month of Movember
each Mo Bro must grow and groom a
moustache according to these rules:

¢ There is to be no joining the Mo
to the side burns—that’s a beard.
There are no beards.

° There is to be no joining of the
handlebars on the chin—that’s a
goatee.

¢  Asmall complimentary growth
under the bottom lip, a.k.a.a
tickler, is allowed.

While growing the mo, a Mo Bro becomes
a walking advocate for the cause, the
mo itself becoming a symbol of prostate

cancer awareness, much like the ribbons
that represent various causes. A Mo Sista
becomes and ambassador and is responsible
for recruiting more Mo Bros and helping

to raise money both for the cause and for
the “gala partés” taking place in major
cities across the globe. At the galas, Mo
Bros dress to match their mos, and vie for
the title of “Man of Movember” as well as
other prestigious titles. In Canada, the galas
will take place at the end of Movember

in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal,
Toronto, Vancouver, and Victoria.
RE

ee”

 

A few mo facts courtesy of the group’s

interactive website
¢ Apparently, mos are sported by

over 3.5 million men and some
females in Eastern Europe
Mos allegedly make you look
smarte
And finally, in 1967, the Beatles
gave away cardboard mos with
their album Sgr. Pepper's Lonely
Ip CCAR GULL Lene

Become a Mo Bro or a Mo Sista, visit http:

ca.movember.com/ for more info