Manitoba Nurses Union

Manitoba Nurses Union Run by Nurses – For Nurses Membership in the union increases solidarity, bargaining power and contributes to better working relationships for all nurses.

Our members represent 97% of all unionized nurses in the province, including Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and Nurse Practitioners. Collectively, we represent more than 12,000 nurses who work in a variety of health care settings: acute care, community health, home care and long-term care. A source of strength and support for Manitoba nurses, our all-nu

rse membership and management structure ensures the union addresses pressures and challenges inherent in the nursing profession. We remain dedicated to safeguarding the role of nurses in the Manitoba’s health care system.

Today’s TGIF comes from one of our members.“With Pride Month in full swing, I’ve been reflecting on what Pride means to ...
06/05/2026

Today’s TGIF comes from one of our members.

“With Pride Month in full swing, I’ve been reflecting on what Pride means to me.

I am a proud, out le***an, married to my wonderful wife and surrounded by supportive family and friends. I feel connected to the 2SLGBTQ+ community and its many allies. But as fortunate as I feel, I am also very aware of the threats to my safety and happiness simply because of who I love.

I am reminded of the generations before me who fought for the visibility, rights, liberties, and freedoms of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

I also understand that there is still so much work to be done. Those rights and freedoms continue to be threatened, and we still face ongoing prejudice and discrimination.

This passion to do more has prompted me to become more involved in advocacy work. I am an active member of the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Task Force with my employer, and I began asking myself what more I could do, especially in my capacity as a nurse.

I knew it was important to use my experience and, more importantly, my voice to advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) for ALL Manitoba nurses.

That calling led me to advocate for a DEIB committee supported by the Manitoba Nurses Union. Following consultation with leadership, MNU’s DEIB Committee was born. Together, we have brought together nurses from diverse backgrounds, as well as allies, who share a strong commitment to recognizing the diversity within our membership and ensuring that both our union and our employers treat every member with the dignity and respect we all deserve.

The goal of DEIB is to foster a culture of dignity, respect, and safety by identifying gaps and advocating for systemic change.

When we raise our voices together in solidarity, we strengthen our message and are better able to challenge the discrimination, microaggressions, and stereotypes that still exist in our province.

I am passionate. I am determined. I am proud.”

Happy Pride 🌈

— Sarah Fordham

At MNU, we believe fairness and social justice are not abstract ideas. They are daily responsibilities.Pride Week is a r...
06/04/2026

At MNU, we believe fairness and social justice are not abstract ideas. They are daily responsibilities.

Pride Week is a reminder that equity work does not end when the celebrations do. Real inclusion means examining the systems, policies and workplace norms that create barriers for people in the first place.

It means recognizing intersectionality.

It means supporting anti-racism and reconciliation.

It means ensuring accessibility.

And it means protecting the right of every person to live and work free from discrimination and harassment.

We are committed to continuing that work — imperfectly, honestly, and together. Because everyone deserves more than a seat at the table. They deserve to feel safe once they sit down.

Happy Pride from MNU! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜✊

Nurses know that belonging matters.When people feel respected, safe, and supported, workplaces become stronger. Teams co...
06/03/2026

Nurses know that belonging matters.

When people feel respected, safe, and supported, workplaces become stronger. Teams communicate better. Care improves. People thrive.

This Pride Week, MNU is reflecting on one of the core principles of our DEIB policy: inclusion is not passive. It requires action.

It means listening, learning, and owning our biases.

Creating room for difficult but necessary conversations.

And making sure people can show up authentically without fear of humiliation, exclusion or retaliation.

Solidarity means all of us.

And the labour movement is at its strongest when every worker — including 2SLGBTQIA+ workers — knows they belong here too.

Happy Pride from MNU! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜✊

Pride is more than a flag.It’s about creating workplaces where people feel safe enough to be fully themselves.At MNU, ou...
06/02/2026

Pride is more than a flag.

It’s about creating workplaces where people feel safe enough to be fully themselves.

At MNU, our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging means recognizing that every nurse, every employee, and every member deserves dignity, respect, and psychological safety. Not just during PRIDE Week, but every single day.

That means speaking up against discrimination. It means challenging stereotypes and microaggressions. It means building workplaces where people are not simply tolerated, but welcomed, valued, and empowered to participate fully.

Health care is built on humanity. And humanity includes everyone.

To our 2SLGBTQIA+ members, colleagues, friends, and communities: we see you, we value you, and we stand with you.

Happy Pride from MNU! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜✊

06/01/2026

Last week, I stood in a room at the Safe Staffing Saves MHA Breakfast in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with nursing leaders from across Canada to discuss safe staffing and the future of healthcare.

Before I walked up to that podium, I was thinking about Manitoba nurses.

About the nurse who told me she sat in her car after shift and cried before driving home because she could not shake the feeling that something had been missed while caring for too many patients at once.

About the nurses who hear the words “you’re staying” at the end of a 12-hour shift when they already have nothing left to give.

About the nurses still carrying the weight of what they have witnessed in overcrowded ERs.

And about how many nurses have said to me, “This is not the nurse I wanted to be.”

Those conversations are exactly why the work around Nurse-Patient Ratios matters.

Over the last year, nurses across this province shared what safe staffing actually looks like. They talked about what happens when there are not enough staff to respond, when experienced nurses leave, and when patients don’t get the care they deserve.

That work became a recommendations report for minimum Nurse-Patient Ratios across hospitals and community settings in Manitoba. It was submitted to government in December 2025, followed by a summary report meant for public release.

After months of waiting for that release to happen, MNU made the decision last week to provide the summary directly to our Central Table members ourselves.

Because nurses have waited long enough.

This work is overdue, and I know nurses are tired of hearing that change is coming while walking back into the same unsafe conditions shift after shift.

But we are moving forward.

And Manitoba nurses are the reason why. ✊❤️✊

As always, I’m available to discuss this or anything else further. Email me directly at [email protected].

Today’s good fight shout-out goes out to all the nurses who send in DMs, emails, and phone calls demanding better condit...
05/29/2026

Today’s good fight shout-out goes out to all the nurses who send in DMs, emails, and phone calls demanding better conditions for themselves and their patients.

At Seven Oaks General Hospital Urgent Care, nurses have sounded the alarm because the situation is no longer sustainable — or safe.

Single physician coverage.

20-30+ patients in the waiting room, with EMS arriving nonstop.

Resuscitation rooms full for most of the day.

No additional nursing staff provided to safely manage the workload.

When resus fills up, nurses are pulled from triage and monitored cardiac patients, stretching already thin coverage, to keep critically ill patients alive. Areas that should be staffed with two nurses are down to one. Meanwhile, staff must continue to respond to emergency codes throughout the hospital.

This situation yet again represents a lack of planning. The shifts are predictable. Nurses are raising concerns daily during safety huddles and advocating for preventative action before harm happens. And when experienced physicians continue leaving while frontline staff are stretched beyond safe limits, patients are the ones who ultimately pay the price.

Healthcare workers should not have to beg for the conditions necessary to provide safe care.

If 1400 new nurses have been hired into the system, we need new metrics because headcount alone does not explain what is happening at the bedside. Staffing increases are not being reflected in improved care and working conditions, and we need to understand why.

Heavy workloads and short staffing affect both nurses and patient care. That’s why Workload Staffing Reports (WSRs) matt...
05/28/2026

Heavy workloads and short staffing affect both nurses and patient care. That’s why Workload Staffing Reports (WSRs) matter.

WSRs help document concerns, protect nurses professionally, and provide important evidence that can support advocacy and change.

Swipe through to learn what a WSR is, why it matters, and how the process works. Learn more, access resources, and submit a WSR on our website! 🎓❤️🎓

Manitoba is investing in the future of health care, and that includes supporting the workers who make it all possible.Th...
05/27/2026

Manitoba is investing in the future of health care, and that includes supporting the workers who make it all possible.

The province has announced 148 new child-care spaces at Brandon Regional Health Centre, designed to support healthcare workers and strengthen recruitment and retention.

Accessible child care is essential, especially for shift workers in health care. Investments like these recognize that supporting the workforce means supporting the whole worker.

As conversations continue across the labour movement, including at the Canadian Labour Congress, these kinds of investments are an important step toward building a stronger, more sustainable healthcare system for Manitoba.

People hear “130 Institutional Safety Officers” and think healthcare workers must finally be protected.But nurses know s...
05/26/2026

People hear “130 Institutional Safety Officers” and think healthcare workers must finally be protected.

But nurses know safety is measured by whether help is actually there when violence happens.

The ISO framework was first proposed through Manitoba legislation in 2019 and came into force in 2021. On paper, the system was established, but in practice, implementation across Manitoba healthcare facilities has been gradual and ongoing, driven largely by continued advocacy efforts from MNU as rollout lagged behind frontline safety needs. The first class of ISOs only began patrolling HSC in April 2024 following a significant MNU safety grievance arbitration decision.

And while implementation continues, the violence has not stopped.

Hospitals operate 24 hours a day. Seven days a week. Every emergency department. Every psych unit. Every hallway. Every entrance. Every waiting room. Every code white. Every shift where nurses are being threatened, punched or assaulted requires support systems that actually reach the frontline.

Thompson was promised five ISO positions in last year’s budget. Only after a grey listing and months of escalating safety concerns have those positions begun to be filled.

Prairie Mountain Health has 20 announced positions, but most are reportedly concentrated in Brandon, leaving very little coverage for the rest of the region.

Southern Health currently has none.

And even at major sites like HSC, which spans 39 acres, staffing numbers shrink quickly when stretched across days, nights, weekends, vacations, sick calls and multiple response areas inside facilities this size.

This is not a criticism of ISOs. Nurses have fought for these supports for years. They are an important piece of the solution.

But healthcare workers deserve proactive systems that prevent violence before it escalates — systems that are present, consistent, and able to intervene before situations reach a crisis point, not after harm has already occurred.

Because no nurse — whether in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson or rural Manitoba — should ever have to wonder if help is close enough when seconds matter.

05/25/2026

This is your voice. Your truth. Your union. ✊❤️✊

As always, I’m available to discuss this or anything else further. Email me directly at [email protected].

Address

275 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB
R3C4M6

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12049421320

Website

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