Nurses say Winnipeg’s HSC too dangerous to work in

WINNIPEG – Nurses in Manitoba have made the rare move of declaring the province’s largest hospital too dangerous to work in and plan to discourage work there until safety concerns are addressed. The Manitoba Nurses Union voted in favour of what they call “grey listing” the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg.

According to a report by the Canadian Press, It’s something the union has done five times in the last 45 years. The last grey listing was of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre in 2007.

The union says it has made several requests for the hospital to improve security measures but the safety of nurses there is consistently compromised.

Police arrested a man last month after a string of random sexual assaults in and around the hospital.

The union says it has asked for swipe cards to access hospital tunnels, the creation of a security team to man the tunnels and an alert system to notify staff of security issues.

It represents more than 13,000 nurses across the province, with approximately 3,000 at the Health Sciences Centre.

Union president, Darlene Jackson (pictured), said the hospital has a duty to protect staff.

“The employer now has a clear opportunity to meet the reasonable conditions set by nurses,” Jackson said in a statement. “The decision to lift the grey list rests entirely in their hands. Nurses will no longer accept empty promises or inaction that puts their safety at risk.”

The union also said on social media that it became aware last week of a bomb threat and a sexual assault at the hospital.

Shared Health, the body that manages healthcare in the province, said it takes the vote seriously and understands nurses want to see change.

Dr. Chris Christodoulou, the interim president and CEO of Shared Health, said the organization met with representatives from government, police, the University of Manitoba and unions to discuss the hospital’s security issues.

“This meeting is a recognition that there are several factors involved and groups that have a hand in improving safety for everyone on HSC’s grounds,” Christodoulou said in a statement.

“The meeting is an important step towards bringing several partners together, including justice experts, to enhance security and fill gaps within our facilities.”

The statement cited security measures that have been taken, including increased patrols, new cameras and artificial intelligence weapons scanners.