Nurses deserve better headline

- Dear Editor:

The lead headline of your June
16 edition Lives at stake in LGH
strike was inflammatory and out-
rageously unfair.

Does it really seem logical to
you for one moment that a
reduction in services of 25 per
cent (asthe article states) would
have such a devastating effect?

Surely if Mr. Smith, hospital
president, has any administrative

’ skills whatever, he would have

‘ anticipated this development
weeks ago when the nurses were
in a legal position to: strike, and
would have made the appropriate
arrangements.

The nurses are not solely
responsible for patient care;
management has some serious
responsibilities here as well.

The nurses of British Columbia
have for years permitted

Patients meed care every day

Dear Editor:

Regarding your Friday, June
16 headline of Lions Gate Hospi-
tal’s administration's view of the
risks to long-term patients during
the nurses’ strike: would you
please give some coverage for the
nurses to present their views?

Mr. Robert Smith, LGH ad-
ministrator, lost his bargaining

ie,

power when he stated, ‘‘Union
alloted staff is comparable to
that of weekends.” Does it mat-
ter to resident, 3 bether it is Sun-
day, Wednesday or Saturday?
They still require washing,
feeding, mobilization; yet every
weekend, staffing at Evergreen
House is at the same level the
striking nurses are providing.
How can Mr. Smith justify his

INCREASED ACCIDENTS

Don’t Siame cyclists

Dear Editor:

lam getting a little tired of hear-
ing that cyclists are responsible for
ali accidents involving them.

Very recently: an official of
ICBC stated that B.C. drivers are
atrociously bad as well as being ex-
tremely rude. As a car driver and a
cyclist, it has been my displeasure
to have witnessed many more
‘stunts’ pulled off by motorists
than by cyclists.

Furthermore, there are still too

leensdal

many motorists who act as if the
cyclist has no right to be on the
road,

Your reference in a recent edito-
tial to bikes as ‘freedom machines’
is curious — they were (and are)
non-polluting, pleasurable ‘trans-
portation machines’ in existence
long before the auto was some-
one's dream.

John R. Wilcockson
West Vancouver

Produce

7 - Sunday, June 25, 1989 - North Shore News

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themselves to be coerced into low
wage settlements by headlines
and attitudes such as this. In
fact, I have heard at least one
expert in the labor relations field
tefer to it as “‘the Florence
Nightingale Syndrome,’’ by
which they repeatedly refused to
back up their bargaining position
with possible strike action. As a
consequence they, as a profes-
sion, have steadily fallen behind
in wage levels.

It’s time we stopped penalizing
the nurses for this professional
sensitivity and recognized the
difficulties they face and the
commitment they give, and
reward them accordingly.

[I'm not a nurse nor am | mar-
tied to one. It simply seems to me
that they deserve better than
what your headline gave.

Doug Baker
North Vancouver

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statement that patients are at risk
Serving the North Shore for 18 years.

in this situation when he allows

the same staffing to be the norm

on weekends and holidays (115

days a year). Are they not at risk

for those 115 days every year?
Do you wonder why nurses are

frustrated in their efforts to

maintain quality care?

Audrey Stegan

North Vancouver

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