Health authority drops call for nurses’ confession letters for illegal walkout

Nurses walkout. Photo courtesy of Soufiane Agraoui / Twitter

HALIFAX — Capital Health has withdrawn its directive to dozens of unionized nurses that they write confession-like letters regarding last month’s wildcat strike in the Halifax region.

The district health authority said Tuesday there’s no need for the registered nurses to pen a mea culpa regarding patient safety during the illegal strike on April 1.

According to a letter from the employer made public by the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, nurses don’t have to write anything acknowledging they allegedly violated professional ethics by taking part in the controversial job action.

Capital Health’s decision came following the receipt of a policy grievance from the union.

Capital Health has been having disciplinary meetings with some of the more than 200 nurses who took part in the wildcat strike.

The union said last week that management handed several nurses two-day suspensions for participating in the unlawful walkout.

The labour dispute between the Capital district health authority and the union’s Local 97 involves about 2,400 registered nurses who mainly staff the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Nova Scotia Hospital, East Coast Forensic Hospital and Public Health Services.