Q: I work at two, (or more), MNU represented facilities & have dues collected by both Local/Worksites. Can I get any of this money back?
A: You may qualify for a refund of the PROVINCIAL PORTION of the Union dues deducted by your employers. Union dues consist of two components, the Provincial & Local dues portions. Only the PROVINCIAL portion of the dues will be refunded. To confirm your rebates, please contact MNU directly at www.manitobanurses.ca.

Q: I’m a part-time nurse who always picks up additional shifts over my 0.6 EFT.  Why don’t I get extra vacation hours for the extra shifts I worked?
A:  Extra hours earned above your EFT entitlement are considered vacation money earned, not vacation hours earned.  The extra money earned will be distributed equally among your weeks of earned vacation. For further information on scheduling vacation procedures please see the MNU Boards at the Court Street entrance & Dialysis, first floor.

Q:  I believe the employer has violated my rights as per the Contract. What do I do next?
A:  Contact an Executive member who will guide you through Article 12 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with your concerns. Remember you have 15 days from the time of the occurrence to file a grievance.

Q: The last shift I worked was very heavy & we were short staff. What can I do if this situation occurs again?
A: Any nurse or group of nurses can fill out a Workload Staffing Report, WLSR, if in their opinion safe competence care can not be provided to the patients, if breaks are missed or late, if the unit is over census, or any other workload issue arise which has the potential for an unsafe work environment. The first step should always be to discuss your concerns with the manager on duty in an effort to resolve the situation. A WLSR should be completed online for every incident causing a breach of the agreement of a safe work environment.  Provide as much detail as possible, as these forms are reviewed at the Nursing Advisory Committee & can result in changes being made.

Q: I was injured at work. My doctor says I’m ready to go back with some restrictions. What do I do now?
A: Once you have the all clear from your medical provider you must bring documentation of this with any restriction to the OH & S nurse who will then arrange a meeting with you, your PCTM, a Union representative & WCB/MPI/HEBP Case Manger if applicable. At this meeting your restrictions will be discussed & a schedule will be created to help you get back to your full EFT. This schedule can range from weeks to months depending on your injury & can be revisited if needs arise to either speed up or slow down the process. During this meeting you will be told that you are an “extra” therefore giving you the ability to rest when needed and provide you the opportunity to build up your endurance. How & who pays you will also be discussed and a goal return to work date will be set.

Q: What do I do when I’m mandated to work overtime?
A:First know that only the employer can require you to stay for mandatory overtime; the Patient Care Team Manager, Facility Care Team Manager, Program Directory or Chief Nursing Officer and/or any out of scope, (not a MNU member such as the Charge Nurse). The employer can ask for a list of the members able to do overtime, information on who had been mandated recently & who needs to return for a following shift.
Secondly know the difference between being mandated & volunteering. If you say yes to overtime, it’s not mandating. If the employer says “please stay…please, please…” and you say yes it’s not being mandated. If the employer says “one of you must stay”, i.e. you pick, and one of you does it’s not mandating. If the answer is no & you clearly communicate your intent to leave upon completion of your shift & the employer states “you must stay” or “I’m mandating you” this is mandatory overtime.
Thirdly, ask questions of the employer: have all other options been considered; can some of the work be delayed or deferred; who has the staffing office called, is there someone else who you think could come in; can the amount of overtime be shortened. Clearly communicate any issues you have related to this mandatory overtime, i.e. compromised patient care, child care needs, personal health concerns & exhaustion.
Lastly, complete a Workload Staffing Report online, with all of the above information so that the Union can follow up all instances of mandatory overtime.