We’ve just finished hosting the NBNU Executive Council Meetings in Fredericton from March 30-31. As always, it was great to see nurse activists connecting, learning from each other and going back to their workplaces stronger than before.
Day 1
The meetings started with presentations from the NBNU Board of Directors, who provided progress updates on the work completed towards NBNU members’ priorities since the 2025 AGM.
Highlights included:
- Ongoing work with Horizon and Vitalité to streamline how internationally educated nurses are supported in the workplace
- CFNU’s launch of a parliamentary petition asking for a refundable tax credit for nurses across Canada
- Requests to the provincial government to improve long-term care and supports for seniors, with tentative wins revealed in the provincial budget
- Significant progress on amending the Nurses Act to include Licensed Practical Nurses
After lunch, local executives then had the opportunity to connect with their Labour Relations Officers to talk about the most pressing issues nurses are facing in their workplace.
These meetings are very productive because they allow local leaders to work with our Labour Relations team to address problems and bring solutions back to the workplace.
Day 1 business ended with Open Forum, which provides NBNU members an opportunity to raise issues and concerns in a more informal setting. Open Forum can be very spirited – but more importantly, it’s a great opportunity for all members to express their opinions and for the Board of Directors to use that feedback to shape your union’s direction moving forward. In the evening, we partnered with the Fredericton North Rotary Club to host a BINGO fundraiser. Half of the proceeds were donated to the Fredericton North Rotary Club to support their school snack program. We then held a draw among all participants, and the winner, Shelly Patten, selected which food bank in the province would receive the remaining half of the funds. She chose the West Side Food Bank in Saint John.
Day 2
Day 2 business started with a panel discussion on Women in Leadership. We were joined by four women who have each played important leadership roles in New Brunswick through public service, community work, advocacy, and government:
- Dorothy Shephard
- Norma Dubé
- Roxanne Fairweather
- Elizabeth Weir
Each of our panelists shared the great insights they’ve drawn from their experiences in leadership, including navigating barriers and helping create space for other women to lead.
The focus was on education for the rest of Day 2. Members were able to learn about labour management, types of grievances and Mental Health First Aid. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because NBNU’s online campus is launching VERY soon. When it does, all NBNU members will be able to benefit from valuable union education we have to offer.
That was a wrap for Executive Council Meetings and as always, everyone went home reinspired and reinvigorated! Connecting with NBNU members isn’t just fun – it’s crucial if we want to keep moving the needle on what matters most to nurses.
