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 Nurses in Ontario experience racism on the job from patients, doctors, nurse managers, and most often from other nurses, research by a York University professor has found. In the survey, 41 per cent responded that they had been made to feel uncomfortable because of their “I would call it a new racism, a subtle but systemic form,” says professor Tania Das Gupta, Chair of the Department of Equity Studies in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies. “It doesn’t use the language of racism, but it ranges from comments about accents and physical attributes, to a failure to recognize the nurse’s skills and knowledge.”\
    Das Gupta surveyed nurses through the Ontario Nurses’ Association, receiving 593 responses from nurses across the province. She conducted 18 in-depth interviews and closely studied arbitration cases.
    race, colour or ethnicity. Most Black/African Canadian nurses (82 per cent) and Asian Canadian nurses (80 per cent) said they had experienced this, as well as 50 per cent of South Asian Canadian nurses and 57 per cent of Central/South American Canadian nurses. Even 25 per cent of the white/European Canadian nurses said they had been made to feel uncomfortable because of their ethnicity or religion, said Das Gupta. 
    The results of the survey, which was conducted a few years ago, are analyzed in Das Gupta’s recent book, Real Nurses & Others: Racism in Nursing (Fernwood, 2009). The title for the book came from the experience of one black nurse who was asked often if she was a “real” nurse.
    Das Gupta decided to study racism in nursing closely because she had often been called as an expert witness in racial discrimination cases involving nurses. She expected that most of the racism toward nurses would come from their patients or managers, but the greatest proportion – 27.3 per cent – was from co-workers. Patients were the next most likely group to express racism (23.8 per cent), followed by doctors (14.3 per cent) and nursing managers (12.8 per cent).
    Systemic racism in institutions arises from conscious or unconscious policies, procedures and practices that adversely affect people of colour, including their exclusion, marginalization and infantilization, says Das Gupta. Her research examines how fear, lack of support, management collaboration, co-worker harassment and ineffective institutional responses make it difficult for victims of racism to fight back.
    Surprisingly, most nurses who experience racism don’t take the issue to their union, but try to handle it on their own, says Das Gupta. This is significant because 58.1 per cent of black/African nurses and 48.3 per cent of Asian nurses perceived that their race, ethnicity or colour affected their relationship with their colleagues, while 54.8 per cent of black/African nurses, 46.7 per cent of Asian and 44.4 per cent of South Asian nurses said it affected their
National Union of Public and General Employees
Deal reached for community social services workers
National Union of Public and General Employees - Nepean,Ontario,Canada
... community social services workers. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over ... More

Manitoba introduces social work college act
Manitoba proposes to set up a professional college to regulate social workers practising in the province.
         A bill presented by Finance Minister Greg Selenger will   establish a self-governing body of registered social workers The Manitoba Association of Social Workers and the Manitoba Institute of Registered Social Workers worked with the government on the bill.        The Social Work Profession Act will require individuals who use the title in Manitoba would meet these  conditions:  
•       hold a social work degree from a recognized post-secondary faculty or school,
•       complete another course or program of study recognized by the board of the College;
•      have a combination of education or training, and work or volunteer experience pertinent to the practice of social work.             This legislation allows existing practitioners and those who may not have the prescribed requirements with a three-year grace period to apply for registration.  
        The Manitoba College of Social Workers would administer the act to maintain the professional standards of licensed practitioners and would maintain a register of social workers available for viewing by the public.  The college would also be responsible for receiving and reviewing complaints about licensed practitioners and disciplining those who have been negligent, are guilty of professional misconduct or any other prescribed offence that would bring the practice of social work in Manitoba into disrepute.     

Social sector pay down June and jobs up 
The average weekly earnings of employees in the health and social assistance sector stood at $721.45 in June 2008, down from May (-0.4%). Compared with a year earlier, average weekly earnings rose 3.5%, Statistics Canada reports.. The average for all Canadian sectors was 2.8%

The strongest year-over-year earnings growth in all sectors was reported in Alberta (+4.6%) and Saskatchewan (+3.7%).

About 3,000 more jobs were added to the social and health sector in June 2008. The total number employed in this sector was 1.513,100, an increase of 2.7%.

Source:  Statistics Canada, Employment, Earnings and Hours (72-002-XIB, free).

00 Addiction Education Program provides a  comprehensive program for social service and health science professionals, and those aspiring to enter the addiction field.

Laurier Press

Social workers in the North West Territories are an important part of the health and social services system,

OASSIS. Helping Community-Based Organizations attract and retain qualified leaders and through affordable Group Benefits. and Flexible Plans

Athabasca University offers accredited distance education programs and courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

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