Federal party leaders and provincial governments are trying to facilitate workers to move without problems between the provinces as an response to US tariffs, but some medical care leaders in Manitoba are not excited.
“I simply worry that nurses take this as an opportunity to attack and look for more green pastures,” said Manitoba President Nurses Union, Darlene Jackson.
There is a renewed interest in eliminating interprovincial barriers that restrict the mobility of workers, now seen as a way of strengthening an economy that hurts the rates of the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
The provincial governments of Ontario, Nueva Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Eduardo’s island have introduced legislation or written letters to support the workers’ movement.
Jackson, however, cares about the possible consequences.
He has been playing alarm that nurses with excess of work flee from the public health care system to leave the profession, work for private agencies or move to other jurisdictions.
Without a notable change in the working conditions of nurses since then, according to Jackson, “I think it will not be excellent for our medical care system” to discard labor mobility restrictions.
Campaign promises
Both liberals and conservatives, parties with an opportunity to form the next federal government, have promised better mobility.
Before the Federal Electoral call, the Liberal Government requested a credential recognition plan throughout the Canada that will take place before June 1. According to that plan, each profession would be carried under the new structure, but it would depend on the provinces and territories to decide on what jobs to focus first.
The liberal electoral platform also undertakes to eliminate all federal obstacles to the movement of workers and implement pananadian licenses for doctors.
Meanwhile, conservatives have repeatedly promised to develop a national competition test that allows qualified doctors, nurses and other health professionals to work anywhere in Canada.
Jackson said he recognizes the benefits. She said she knows of relocated nurses who are currently fighting for a license in Manitoba.
But the culture in health care is not conducive to recruiting and retaining staff, he said.
“I really don’t want to be out of Manitoba,” he said. “I prefer to improve things in Manitoba and keep those nurses.”
The president of the Association of Health Professionals of Manitoba, Jason Linklater, shares the concern, Manitoba will be affected by a better labor mobility.
The province historically loses more people for interprovincial migration of what it earns, but the population of Manitoba still grows annually, mainly through immigration of other countries.
“I really think Manitoba is a fantastic place to live and work, but to keep people here, we will have to remain competitive,” Linklater said, referring to areas such as salaries, scope of practice and working conditions.
The contract that reached the union with the provincial employer in March includes provisions that will help, he said.
But the association that represents the doctors of Canada expects the broad interest in updating the rules of labor mobility to bring lasting changes.
“I think if not now, when?” Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the Canadian Medical Association based in Winnipeg asked.
“This is the first time in which we really listen to all the provinces, the Ministers of Health, the prime ministers who talk about this with a common perspective.”
Reimer said that giving doctors the freedom to move easily will not lead to an exodus.
Doctors can now go to a new jurisdiction if they wish.
“It is worth the cost, it is worth the paperwork” for them, but the current rules are a barrier to doctors outside the province that, for example, want to help a hospital in the northern Manitoba in the short term, but do not think that requesting a Manitoba license is worth it.
Blessing for rural hospitals: Reimer
Changing the rules will not solve the shortage of doctors, but will help, said Reimer.
“I think the most likely result is that we will see that rural and remote areas will benefit more than one policy like this.”
Doctors Manitoba, a medical defense group, said in a statement that it is intrigued by the Pan-Canadian license, but other changes, such as simplifying the path to the license for international doctors, would better address the shortage of a doctor.
The association also said that facilitating labor mobility limits would be complicated, because doctors are regulated from the province.
A Manitoba Cabinet Minister said that helping people move freely between jurisdictions would be a net positive for the province.
“You can have a good job here, own a house and, sometimes, even having a cabin,” said Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mining, Commerce and Employment Creation.
“These are the opportunities that we are selling to the rest of the country, in addition to being a beautiful province with great opportunities, culture and life,” he said. “We want to make sure more people know this.”
Moses said the government focuses on addressing the challenges in medical care to be an attractive field.. The province hired 1,255 additional health workers for nine months in 2024.
Trade union leaders are concerned that a proposal to relieve the rules of labor mobility throughout the country will lead workers who feel work overloaded in the Manitoba medical care system to flee.
