Nurse bonuses go out this month, but casual workers, some licensed pratical nurses not eligible
CBC
Retention bonuses for nurses will arrive before the end of the year, but not everyone will be eligible.
Premier Susan Holt has announced the $10,000 payments promised on the campaign trail will be sent to 9,950 nurses before the year's end.
"One of the reasons why we made a commitment during the election was that we need to retain and care for every caregiver in this province and particularly the nurses that are on the front lines of the crisis that we've been experiencing," Holt said at a virtual question and answer session with New Brunswick Nurses Union president Paula Doucet and Health Minister Dr. John Dornan, on Tuesday.
"We can't recruit in when we don't have a staff that is feeling respected and valued by their employer, so we thought that issuing a retention payment immediately would signal that value for the work and our request that you stick with us for the next two years as we try to improve working conditions."
All permanent registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse managers and supervisors, working in both regional health authorities and with Ambulance New Brunswick and Extra-Mural, are eligible.
Permanent part-time employees will receive a bonus pro-rated to their average hours over the last 12 months.
Nurses represented by the New Brunswick Nurses Union and licensed practical nurses represented by the New Brunswick Union working in long-term care homes will also receive the payments.
However, licensed practical nurses represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees will not be eligible.
According to Holt, CUPE has refused to sign a letter of agreement on the bonuses over their opposition to Bill 17, or the Pension Plan Sustainability and Transfer Act.
That legislation transferred several locals represented by CUPE from a defined benefit pension to the shared risk model used by the rest of the civil service.
Holt said she is committed to repealing the legislation and working with CUPE to ensure the licensed practical nurses they represent receive the bonuses eventually.
A spokesperson for CUPE New Brunswick said the union has been waiting for a commitment to repeal the legalisation before negotiating any agreements with the government.
"We are eagerly awaiting a formal written statement from the government so we can proceed with the signature of the LPN retention bonuses," Simon Oullette said in an email.
Casual workers will also not receive the bonuses, but Holt reiterated that anyone accepting a permanent position next year will be eligible.
A surgeon who used to work at Flin Flon's hospital says residents in the northwestern Manitoba city have been left in a precarious situation after more than five years without general surgery services.
Moubarak Bokhit Ali's memories of his home country of Sudan are punctuated by flashes of violence.
The man behind the Moose Jaw health centre that has claimed “a 100 per cent success rate in stopping the progression and in restoring function of people with ALS” says a recent CBC story about his company is evidence that he is seen as “a direct threat to the ALS drug industry.”
The Neighbour to Neighbour Centre’s trans and non-binary grocery program, which offers free food and household products to community members once a month, began with a simple question: how do we get free menstrual products to trans people without being awkward?
Bill Van Vugt is living a life that's unlike most other people his age, and one which has seen him turn a longtime hobby into championship gold.
The provincial government is taking steps toward improving Alberta's lucrative sand and gravel industry.
As medical labs across Ontario remain understaffed, one medical association is calling on the province to expand labs’ capacity for student placements by funding positions to train them.
The year wrapping up means it's getting closer to tax season, and the federal Community Volunteer Income Tax Program will once again be offering free filing services for Islanders with modest incomes.
It's not so easy to remove a politician from office between elections in Canada.
Natasha Martin-Mitchell says creating art gives her a sense of calmness that acts as a medicine during stressful times.
Gabriel Vilardi scored twice and star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves in his first game back from injury to power the Jets to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday that snapped Winnipeg's three-game losing skid.
Alberta’s auditor general Doug Wylie says his office's budget will be $1.5 million short next fiscal year.
British Columbia has filed a civil claim against e-cigarette giant Juul Labs, alleging the company developed highly addictive nicotine products and fuelled youth nicotine addiction with “deceptive marketing practices.”