An ambulance drives past Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski)
Nurses at the Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg have voted 94 percent in favour of “grey listing” Manitoba’s largest hospital over unsafe working conditions.
In a rare union measure, the Manitoba Nurses Union said Friday afternoon that the move follows “years of unaddressed safety concerns,” including reports of assaults on staff both inside the facility and near its parkade. Winnipeg police responded to a sexual assault late Thursday night on the north side of William Avenue. Officers arrested a 39-year-old man a short time later.
“Nurses have been crystal clear that safety is a non-negotiable priority,” said Darlene Jackson, MNU president, in a release.
“The situation at HSC has become untenable. Nurses are being asked to work in conditions where their safety is consistently compromised, and we’ve had enough.”
Grey listing does not require current employees to leave, but it can discourage new nurses from accepting positions — potentially worsening staffing shortages.
Shared Health, which oversees HSC, has previously said it is working with the union and police to enhance security measures.
The grey listing will remain in effect until the employer meets the conditions set by the nurses, according to the union.
