[lg policy] Canada: Nurse protests bilingual hiring policy

[Harold Schiffman]

Nurse protests policy
By TONY MUMA, tmuma at standard-freeholder.com

CORNWALL — Armed with three signs, a petition and a few cups of
coffee, Christopher Cameron said he would stand out in front of the
Cornwall Community Hospital for a few days to be the voice of the
“silent majority. Cameron — a casual basis registered nurse at the
hospital — stood outside with signs and a petition to voice his
displeasure with the hospital’s hotly disputed bilingual hiring
policies With his nose running and cheeks painted a rose-colour by the
chilly temperatures, Cameron’s signs read in bold lettering: “CCH
discriminates,” “Equality For All” and “Your Health Care = Education
or Language?”

“I’m getting lots of honks, lots of support from the silent majority,”
he said, waving back at supporters. “I’ve also had close to 20
petition signatures since I started this morning.”
At that moment, a woman pulled up to Cameron in her SUV asking where
to sign. The woman briefly blocked traffic going in and out of the
hospital and motorists quickly ran out of patience, but Cameron
thanked her over the loud honking, angry shouting and wagging middle
fingers. Cameron’s petition asks that the province review and amend
the hospital’s hiring policy and bilingualism requirements to be a
representation by population.

Cameron said that for him, it’s not a language issue, but one of
discrimination.Cameron prepared a letter for supporters which
explained his position on the issue, both as a nurse and a resident of
the city. “On Saturday, June 21 2008, a headline in the
Standard-Freeholder: “Nursing Shortage at City Hospital” ignited a
fire in my soul,” he wrote.
At the time, Cameron was working full-time at the Ottawa Civic
Hospital and casually at the CCH. When two positions that fit
Cameron’s specializations came up, both times the jobs went to
registered nurses who had less education and experience, but a higher
proficiency in French, he said.

Cameron thanked Dr. Dany Tombler for igniting the debate which has
since besieged the city and surrounding area. “Thank you, Dr. Tombler,
for opening the community’s eyes to the discriminatory practices at
Cornwall Community Hospital.” Cameron can said he can, in fact, speak
what he called “basic French,” but that’s not what he said the
hospital is looking for. “That’s not democracy — that’s
discrimination. I’ve lost track of all the good people we’ve lost as a
community to jobs in other cities where being bilingual is not a
requirement.”  Cameron said his family has been in the Cornwall area
for “hundreds of years,” first settling as United Empire Loyalists. “I
want to stay here, this is my hometown,” he added. “I work in Ottawa,
too, but this is where I want to be.”

Cameron’s wife works at the hospital, too, and fears his stand against
the hospital’s hiring policy may cost them both their jobs.

“She specializes in intensive care, operating rooms and dialysis and
she still can’t get a full-time job because she doesn’t speak French,”
Cameron said.

“I’ve never heard of a nurse having three separate specializations and
not being able to get a job.”

The fear of repercussions for speaking out on the subject is
widespread in the hospital’s work force, Cameron added. “My co-workers
can’t sign my petition for fear of retribution and repercussions
affecting their job,” he said.

Other employees of the hospital came out to voice their support for
Cameron during a cigarette break.

An aide in the hospital’s surgery ward spoke on condition of
anonymity. “I think Chris is right,” the man said. “Just call me Mr.
Employee. I’m English – I don’t speak French.”

Another employee — a dietary aide with 32 years of experience — said
she was kicked out of the cafeteria because she could not speak
French. “I won’t give my name because I want to keep my job — that
goes for all the dietary aides,” she said. “What happened to me has
happened to more than one person.”

The woman said that if the hospital is going to peddle its bilingual
hiring policy on employees, board members should be forced to follow
suit.

“The head honchos at the hospital don’t speak French, why do we have to?”

Cameron said he plans on being outside over the next few days to
ensure his message is being heard.

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3478627
-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents.
Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal,
and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message.
 A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman,
Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************

_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list