‘Some nurses are already starting to resign’: BC Nurses Union doesn’t support mandatory vaccines for healthcare workers

KAMLOOPS — Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced in a news conference on Monday (Sep. 13) that as of Oct. 26, it will be mandatory for anyone working in a healthcare facility to be vaccinated — and the BC Nurses Union (BCNU) doesn’t support it.

The BCNU says it’s now seeing the effects of the health order.

“Some nurses are already starting to resign,” Aman Grewal, BCNU Vice President Aman Grewal explains.

Which is troublesome for a healthcare system that is already short-staffed.

“Any order which is served that will remove a single nurse or any other healthcare worker from the healthcare system at a time of severe crisis is not something that we will support,” she continues.

The Hospital Employees’ Union, which represents workers in other areas of healthcare, says it trusts Dr. Henry’s decision but shares a similar concern.

“We really need every hand on deck, we’ve got some very serious problems in our healthcare system right now,” Hospital Employees Union spokesperson Mike Old says.

The risk is something that B.C.’s provincial health officer took into account before deciding to implement mandatory vaccinations.

“Yes, I know it’s going to be one added stress, but I also know that there’s very, very strong support from our professional organizations, from healthcare workers across this province, to ensure that they and their colleagues are vaccinated,” Dr. Henry said.

Unvaccinated healthcare workers won’t be able to consider other realms such as long-term care homes – which will have mandatory vaccines for all employees by Oct. 12 – and the BC Care Providers Association is happy that this will now apply to all healthcare workers – saying it levels the playing field.

“We were very concerned that we would see an exodus of care aids and nurses from long-term care into acute care if they did not have a similar mandatory vaccination policy. So this is a great relief,” BC Care Providers Association CEO Terry Lake says.

BCNU says there are a variety of reasons 20 per cent of its members are unvaccinated. Grewal says they shouldn’t have to lose their job. Instead, their skills could be reassigned to areas where they are not in contact with patients.

“That could be contact tracing, infection control – there’s other positions that they could enter and still contribute to healthcare,” Grewal says.

Both unions say the majority of healthcare workers are vaccinated – something they encourage.

“Now is the time for healthcare workers who have questions about the vaccine to seek out credible sources of information, like their family doctor, and make that decision about getting the vaccine,” Old says.

The unions say the patients are the ones who suffer most when a healthcare system is understaffed — so, CFJC News asked the consumers of healthcare, Kamloops residents, how they feel about mandatory vaccines for healthcare workers.

“I think everybody should have free choice, whether it’s a healthcare worker or not,” said one man, walking through downtown Kamloops.

“They’re interacting with the public, the people that are most infirm and at risk, and it just helps reduce the spread,” said another man.

One senior living at Kamloops Seniors Village is in direct contact with healthcare workers regularly and told CFJC News the vaccine mandate will make him feel safer.

“I think that everybody should be vaccinated. If we’re going to stop this, that’s the only way,” he said.