UNA Forums

I work in home care and there were questions brought up about the AUPE strike. At present some LPN visits are completed but RNs for example if the LPNs on have already maxed out their visit times ( 4 hours of visits for example) the remaining visits would be given to the RNs. For the strike are we to not to ANY LPN visits or we we calculate the hours usually taken by the LPNs and still take lpn visits on top of those hours. Hope this makes sense
- Brittney Local 218

I am following this as we have the exact same question here in our rural home care office.
The LPNs take the majority of the skills visits (wounds, catheters etc) and then the RNs pick up whatever they are not able to fit in for the day. These visits are essential so still do have to occur, but we do want to be supporting our AUPE NC colleagues during this strike.
Thanks!
-Nadia Chopping
Local 42

The AUPE ANC Essential Services Agreement prohibits the Employer from having our members do the work of striking members. The employer can use Non Unionised employees (such as managers) to carry out LPN duties and AUPE is allowed to provide designated essential workers where it is needed, as per heir Essential Service Agreement.

Our best advice is go to work as scheduled, if our nurses are asked to do something that they think is a striking workers duty, to go to management.

If something cannot wait for a manager to either do the task or to direct an RN to do it, then the RN should first and foremost ensure patients are not harmed.

If a manager directs an RN to do something that they know is LPN/HCA work, they question "are you directing me to do LPN/HCA work? If the manager says yes. They do the work and communicate that to UNA via this Forum, the Local, a PRC, the LRO or by calling in to our offices.

If a manager directs them to do work they are not oriented to, they follow a similar process. (question, confirm order, contact UNA). It is very important they let us know.

We are under a work now, grieve later process, but put it on managers to make the hard decisions first.