Healthcare professionals encountering obstacles in employment at Manitoba's major hospital due to safety concerns
In a significant move, the Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU) has grey listed the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg, following a series of escalating safety concerns, particularly sexual assaults, that have gone unaddressed. This is the sixth time in 45 years that the union has resorted to grey listing, with the last instance occurring at Dauphin Regional Health Centre in 2007.
What is Grey Listing?
Grey listing is a strategy used by the union to advise against working at a specific facility that is deemed unsafe or failing to meet professional safety standards. It does not force current employees to leave but serves as a signal to both current and prospective nurses that the employer is not adequately protecting staff.
The Reasons Behind the Grey Listing
The decision to grey list the HSC was prompted by several sexual assaults reported on or near the hospital in July 2025. These incidents occurred both inside the hospital and in areas such as the parking garage and tunnels. Despite repeated requests from the union for improvements to hospital security, including swipe card access to hospital tunnels, the creation of a security team to staff and monitor these tunnels, and the development of an early alert system to notify staff of security threats, the hospital failed to act.
The Union's Response and HSC's Reaction
The grey listing vote saw a 94% approval by union members at HSC. Union president Darlene Jackson emphasized the hospital's duty to provide a safe working environment and warned that the grey list would remain until reasonable safety demands are met.
In response, Shared Health and HSC leadership took the concerns seriously and initiated discussions involving multiple stakeholders, including hospital unions, government officials, the Winnipeg Police Service, and the University of Manitoba, aiming to collaborate on security improvements and close safety gaps.
Ongoing Measures and Future Actions
Examples of ongoing work and further measures being explored include increased patrols, new cameras, and artificial intelligence weapons scanners. However, the union maintains that action must continue until nurses feel safe at the facility.
The union's action has led to an important meeting between several partners, including justice experts, to enhance security and fill gaps within the Health Sciences Centre's facilities. The police arrested a man last month after a string of random sexual assaults in and around the hospital.
This report was first published on August 8, 2025, by The Canadian Press. Dr. Chris Christodoulou, the interim president and CEO of Shared Health, has stated that a meeting was held with representatives from government, police, the University of Manitoba, and unions to discuss the hospital's security issues.
Nurses will no longer accept empty promises or inaction that puts their safety at risk. The union's action is a call for the employer to meet the reasonable conditions set by nurses and ensure a safe working environment for all healthcare workers.
- The Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU) has grey listed the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg as a strategy to advise against working at a facility deemed unsafe or failing to meet professional safety standards, following multiple instances of sexual assaults.
- The decision to grey list the HSC was triggered by repeat occurrences of sexual assaults reported in July 2025, both within the hospital and in areas like the parking garage and tunnels, in spite of union requests for enhancements in hospital security.
- The grey list remains in effect until the HSC takes reasonable steps to address the safety concerns raised by the union, such as improving hospital security, implementing an early alert system, and creating a dedicated security team.
- In response to the union's action, Shared Health and HSC leadership have convened meetings with multiple stakeholders, including hospital unions, government officials, the Winnipeg Police Service, and the University of Manitoba, to collaborate on security improvements and close safety gaps.
- Ongoing actions being explored to address the security issues at the HSC include increased patrols, new cameras, and artificial intelligence weapons scanners; however, the union continues to stress that action must continue until nurses feel secure at the facility.
