Credit: BCNU

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Mandatory vaccinations will keep more nurses on the job

Sep 22, 2021 | 4:30 AM

KAMLOOPS — THE RESIGNATION of Christine Sorenson as president of the B.C. Nurses Union might have gotten a lot more attention except for the fact it was quietly announced with a two-sentence news release in the middle of Monday’s federal election.

The headline on the news release said simply, ‘Important update.’ It thanked her for her service and said she was resigning “for personal reasons and to pursue other opportunities.”

Not much of a send-off for someone who has put in so many years working on behalf of the union and its members. The announcement didn’t even rate top billing for the day on the BCNU website. That honour went to a statement — quoting union vice president Aman Grewal — about a new TV ad on the province’s worsening nurse shortage.

News media, though, headlined their stories with the likes of ‘BC Nurses Union president resigns abruptly amid mandatory vaccine debate.’

Sorenson, a Kamloops resident, didn’t speak for the union when Dr. Bonnie Henry announced mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for nurses last week. Grewal did that, but the BCNU’s opposition to mandatory vaccinations for its members clearly wasn’t the unanimous view of frontline nurses.

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Whether internal disagreements had anything to do with Sorenson’s decision is a matter of pure conjecture but, regardless, the union’s official position is unfortunate.

The job of unions is to protect the rights of their members but nurses have a duty to protect the health of patients.

The union’s concern that the mandate might lead to more resignations at a time when nurses are desperately needed is off the mark. Few nurses are likely to quit their rewarding though difficult careers because of having to be vaccinated.

But more to the point, with all nurses vaccinated, they’ll all be much less likely to be incapacitated by the virus and forced to leave work. Instead of worrying about catching the virus, frontline healthcare workers can focus on their patients.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.