Benefits of LPNs joining BCNU

LPNs will be members of a professional nurses’ union with other professional nurses.

As nurses, LPNs know they have much more in common with RNs and RPNs than with other members of their current unions, who are not licensed professionals.

BCNU is one of the most successful nursing organizations in North America. We provide strong advocacy, excellent collective agreements and quality representation. It’s only natural that LPNs want to be part of that success.
LPNs are members of nurses’ unions in Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec. In those provinces LPNs and RNs work together, learn together and build strong unions together. It should be that way in BC too.

Better contracts through stronger bargaining.

When all nurses are members of one union, BCNU will negotiate better wages, benefits and working conditions for all nurses.

Bigger means stronger. A larger union representing all nurses will have more bargaining power than individual groups of nurses negotiating by themselves.
LPNs will no longer need to compete with HEU’s non-professional members to see which group gets a raise and which group takes rollbacks. BCNU has a policy of not accepting concessions in the nurses’ provincial collective agreement.
BC LPNs are exploited. LPNs in BC are consistently exploited by their employers and poorly represented by their current unions. LPNs’ rates of pay don’t reflect their expanded scope of practice and their increasing responsibilities.

Workplace representation will improve – LPNs will represent and be represented by other nurses.

When LPNs join BCNU, they will have a nurse as their steward and be represented by nurses during PRF meetings.

LPNs will no longer need to worry about their union representatives not understanding their workplace issues and their need for professional conduct in the workplace.
BCNU’s professional practice department will help LPNs resolve professional issues. HEU, BCGEU and other unions have no resources of the same scope or quality.

Sound nursing practice and patients’ needs drive BCNU’s actions.

BCNU’s actions are driven by sound nursing practice. Getting the right nurse to the right patient in the right setting is our goal.

Because LPNs and RNs are now separate, management has almost complete control over the way nurses are introduced into new roles in healthcare.
When BCNU represents all nurses, the union will have greater power to ensure that changes to care delivery models are done collaboratively.
The needs of patients should determine whether an LPN, RN, RPN or Nurse Practitioner provides care. Nurses and nursing unions understand this – others may not. All members of the nursing team should have the support they need to deliver quality patient care.