Nurses vote to ‘grey list’ Health Sciences Centre over safety concerns

The Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg is pictured on January 7, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)

The Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU) has voted in favour of “grey listing” Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre over “increasingly unsafe working conditions,” according to a news release.

Voting began Wednesday and resulted in 94 per cent of nurses at HSC voting in favour of grey listing the downtown facility.

The union has grey listed five facilities in the past 45 years, with the last one being the Dauphin Regional Health Centre in 2007.

MNU president Darlene Jackson previously told CTV News that if the vote passes, the union will be alerting members who may want to work at HSC to “relook at that decision” based on a lack of safety measures.

“What (grey listing) really does is it advises members that are already there, nurses who may be thinking of applying for a job at Health Sciences Centre, as well as letting the public know that this is not a facility that the employer provides a safe environment in,” said Jackson.

“As Manitoba’s flagship hospital, HSC has a duty to lead by example in protecting its staff and creating a culture that values the well-being of healthcare professionals,” said the MNU news release.

“However, despite numerous calls for action, the necessary improvements have not been made, prompting this latest step in holding the employer accountable.”

Jackson previously said escalating incidents over the years at HSC have raised concerns, including a string of sexual assaults outside the facility last month. She said conversations about grey listing the workplace began in 2020.

‘Work is ongoing and evolving’: Shared Health

In a statement, Shared Health interim president and CEO Dr. Chris Christodoulou said the provincial health authority takes this vote seriously and understands that nurses are looking for change.

Christodoulou said Shared Health has met with representatives from unions, government, police and the University of Manitoba to discuss the ongoing security issues at the facility.

“We know this work is ongoing and evolving,” said Christodoulou.

“There is more to do, and we are fully committed to listening, learning, and continuing to take meaningful steps to support a safer environment for everyone, including addressing the recommendations by the MNU.”

The statement lists security measures that have been taken over the past several years, including increased parkade security, more institutional safety officers, new cameras and artificial intelligence weapon scanners.

MNU represents more than 13,000 nurses across the province, with approximately 3,000 nurses at HSC.

-With files from The Canadian Press