Three nurses – including the woman recently elected as the next leader of the Registered Nurses Union – are seeking a court injunction against the RNU following a decision made to hold a second vote for the union’s executive.
The decision to overturn the previous vote was made at the recent biennial convention in Corner Brook.
Lawyer Kyle Rees says his client, Stephanie Winsor, was surprised to learn that a complaint was made shortly after the July election results came in, filed by incumbent, Yvette Coffey, “seeking to be acclaimed as President (and) to determine that Stephanie Winsor, the successful candidate, was not eligible to run.”
He says it took elections lawyer Andrew Fitzgerald “a couple of months to put his report together, and he found that there was no problem with Stephanie Winsor’s candidacy and the results of the election should stand.”
Kyle Rees (VOCM News)
Winsor won the union presidency by a margin of 300 votes and was taken aback when an “emergency resolution” was made during last month’s nurse’s convention to overthrow the election results.
The injunction application challenges the decision alleging that it wasn’t made in compliance with the union’s constitution.
Rees calls it “a real surprise move” especially for Stephanie Winsor who was “there to give her succession speech.” Rees claims an “emergency resolution” does not exist under the constitution of the Registered Nurses Union.
Listen to “Lawyer Kyle Rees” on Spreaker.
According to the union, a record number of people (39 according to Rees) voted who were not eligible to vote, while some who were eligible, didn’t get a chance to vote.
Rees claims no advance notice or adequate information was given to the convention members “in order to make that kind of a decision.”
The RNU says it is aware of the Supreme Court application and because the matter is now before the courts, it will not be commenting on the details at this time.
