I am not surprised about this at all, as the way the government treats nurse is disgusting. Though the Union its self is sticking up for them, the rest of the healthcare system isn't.
My girlfriend is finishing up PACU ie, ICU/acute patient care. She caught wind of her raise that she is getting when she is finished and I was appalled to hear what it was. $50 dollars extra….a month…that is a 0.007% raise on her current wage. No wonder the union is going on strike, that and the working conditions are some of the worst I've seen in a public sector.
If the government puts emphasis on how important nurses/healthcare workers are then they really need to get their heads out of their asses and start treating them properly. No wonder our healthcare system in crumbling under mismanagement.
This is in Canada.