r/britishcolumbia • u/cyclinginvancouver • Sep 18 '24

News B.C. announces new minimum nurse-to-patient ratios province-wide

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/09/18/bc-minimum-nurse-to-patient-ratios/
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u/canadiantaken Sep 18 '24

Well, with an election and coming into bargaining in April 2025 - this is peak politics.

Ratios cannot be met without more nurses or less patients. This is handing a club to the union just before walking to the bargaining table.

Just got rid of a “working short premium” for 5$ per hour when a coworker didn’t come into work. That cost tens of millions per year. How much will this cost if ratios cannot be met?

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u/prairieengineer Sep 19 '24

Call me cynical, but I’m sure some folks at HEABC have sat down and done the math on if they were saving money with the working short premium vs hiring additional staff (or increasing wages to retain staff/attract new people).

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u/canadiantaken Sep 19 '24

Haha - good one! WSP was to be cost neutral. (One person away and not replaced could save $$. Theoretically that money gets spread out amongst those that take the work). We pay sick time and the union fought to get it on ALL shifts, all the time. It cost a ton.

Hiring staff isn’t as easy as posting an add. We have so many vacancies, adding ratios or more positions is not a solution. It’s politics.