Frequently Asked Questions about the Tentative Agreement

This list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the Tentative Agreement will be updated as we receive more questions from UNA members about the proposed contract.

1. Is UNA’s Negotiating Committee recommending ratification of the Tentative Agreement?

Yes, this Tentative Agreement was reached with the assistance of a Mediator, and was agreed upon by the Union and Employers. This Tentative Agreement provides significant monetary gains and important language to address safe staffing. We also achieved a commitment stating that a proposal will be taken to the provincial cabinet no later than June 30, 2025 to extend presumptive coverage by the Workers’ Compensation Board to RNs and RPNs for psychological injuries related to post-traumatic stress disorder and other traumatic mental health injuries.

We have achieved a Letter of Commitment that ensures any job transfers of an RN or RPN due to the government’s restructuring of public health care will be to a provincial agency or provincial health corporation, preserving affected members’ seniority, rights to the terms and conditions of the Provincial Collective Agreement, and UNA representation.

The Tentative Agreement includes significant commitments to improve recruitment and retention.

2. What does retroactive pay include?

Retroactivity only applies to paid salary. It begins on the date the Tentative Agreement is ratified and extends back to April 1, 2024. It includes the revised salary grid and salary increases.

When calculating retroactivity hours, it includes vacation, sick time, overtime, and payments from the Workers’ Compensation Board.

Retroactivity does not include Short Term Disability payments and Long Term Disability payments. There is no retroactivity for premiums/differentials, In-Charge Pay, On-Call Pay, or Preceptor Pay. There is no retroactivity for professional fees and liability insurance.

As per Article 1.03, Employees who terminate prior to the signing of the new Collective Agreement are eligible to receive retroactivity and must submit written application to the Employer within 90 calendar days of the signing of the Agreement.

If you have additional questions or unique employment circumstances, please contact your UNA Labour Relations Officer.

3. How do I calculate retroactivity?

Members can calculate their retro pay amounts using the following formula: 

Your new rate of pay as of April 1, 2024 — Your current rate of pay as of March 31, 2024 = [TOTAL] x Hours worked from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 = $ Retro Pay

Examples:

Step 2

Nurse with no Education Allowance and no Long Service Pay

$42.00 - $40.72 = $1.28 x 1,920.75 hours worked = $2,458.56

Step 2

Nurse with Education Allowance and no Long Service Pay

$43.25 - $41.97 = $1.28 x 1,920.75 hours worked = $2,458.56

Step 9

Nurse with no Education Allowance and no Long Service Pay

$55.27 - $51.46 = $3.81 x 1,920.75 hours worked = $7,318.06

Step 9

Nurse with Education Allowance and Long Service Pay

$57.63 - $53.74 = $3.89 x 1,920.75 hours worked = $7,471.72

For more details, visit the Find Your Retro document.

4. How much does pay increase?

Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses will see an immediate increase of up to 15% and an overall increase of approximately 20%.

Visit the Wage Calculator at pay.una.ca to see your increase.

When the Tentative Agreement is ratified, all members will advance to the rate of pay of the next step on the salary grid but the number of the step they are on does not change. This is an automatic increase of 4% (including Step 9) and all steps will see increases of 3% on April 1, 2025. Including a 3% increase retroactive to April 1, 2024, this means that all RNs and RPNs will receive salary increases of at least 10% when the Tentative Agreement is ratified. Pay increases of 3% per year will be added to each step of the revised grid on April 1, 2026, and April 1, 2027.

Other monetary increases include:

• On-Call Pay changes from $3.30 per hour on a regular day and $4.50 on a day of rest or holiday to a single rate of $7.00 per hour.
• Charge Pay will increase from $2.00 to $3.50.
• Preceptor Pay will increase from $0.65 to $2.00 per hour.

These additional increases are not retroactive.

5. Are there any changes to 2% RRSP/TFSA contributions or Education Allowance?

No. There are no changes to 2% RRSP/TFSA contributions or Education Allowance in this Tentative Agreement. They remain the same as the current agreement.

UNA encourages eligible members who currently do not participate in the 2% RRSP/TFSA to contact their Employer to enrol.

6. Does an Assistant Head Nurse designated In-Charge get paid less than a Staff Nurse designated In-Charge?

No. Article 16.02(b)(ii) of the Tentative Agreement states that: “When an Employee who holds a position in a higher rated classification is designated in charge of a unit, such Employee shall be paid an hourly rate which is no less than what a Staff Nurse at the same pay step would be paid when designated in charge."

This maintains the current payment provisions in the Collective Agreement and is expanded to include other classifications.

The increase of In-Charge Pay for a Staff Nurse designated In-Charge in Article 16.02(b)(i) will likely lead to greater utilization of Article 16.02(b)(ii).

7. What are the changes to mileage and vehicle allowance?

Mileage increased from 50.5 cents/per kilometre to 55 cents/per kilometre when the Government of Alberta rate increased in 2023.

Employees required to have vehicles will receive $162.50 per month rather than the current $130.00 per month.

This increase is not retroactive.

8. What are the changes to professional fees reimbursements?

In 2025, Employees who achieve the total 684.6 hours required for reimbursement will be reimbursed the full cost of their professional fees to CRNA or CRPNA, as well as the cost of professional liability protection required by the Health Professions Act.

Starting in 2026, Employees will have the ability to combine hours worked at more than one Employer covered by this Collective Agreement to achieve the total 684.6 hours required for reimbursement.

Because professional fees to CRPNA are due on April 30, 2025, RPNs may only be eligible for this reimbursement if they pay their fees after the date of ratification of the Tentative Agreement. UNA recommends members registered through CRPNA wait until after the date of ratification to pay their professional fees. 

9. Does the Tentative Agreement address safe staffing?

In a new Letter of Understanding (LoU), the Employer has explicitly committed to “providing safe staffing for all patients, residents, and clients.” To achieve this, the Union and Employers have agreed to meet and identify a standardized list of clinical and operational data that will form the basis of a new evidence-based safe staffing review.

The LoU includes a new provision that, in the event of disagreement, the union can take concerns about safe staffing to an expedited review by a Safe Staffing Taskforce, and if necessary, to an outside Independent Assessment Committee.

10. What is the Graduate Nursing Transition Pilot Program?

A new Letter of Understanding called the Graduate Nursing Transition Pilot Program ensures that the Employers are collectively obligated to hire 1,000 new nursing graduates per year. These nursing graduates will be supernumerary during their enhanced orientation (3 to 6 months) and will be assigned a Clinical Guide who will be paid an additional $2.00 per hour.

The Employers will report the number of new graduates hired under the LoU to the Joint Committee on a quarterly basis.

11. What are the changes to presumptive coverage for PTSD?

UNA received a letter signed by Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones stating that a proposal will be taken to the provincial cabinet no later than June 30, 2025 to extend presumptive coverage by the Workers’ Compensation Board to RNs and RPNs for psychological injuries related to post-traumatic stress disorder and other traumatic mental health injuries.

This means that the Workers' Compensation Board will presume that a nurse's PTSD diagnosis was caused by the nurse's work, unless the contrary is proven. It also means that psychological injuries other than PTSD will be presumed to be caused by work when the nurse establishes that a traumatic event in the workplace took place, unless there is proof of a non-work cause. This coverage is already extended to other first responders such as police, firefighters, emergency medical workers, dispatchers, and corrections officers.

Read more about presumptive coverage.

12. Why is rural retention and recruitment funding being expanded to Calgary and Edmonton Zones?

The Letter of Understanding for retention and recruitment of nurses in rural Alberta still applies. The change is that those funds can now be used for rural sites within the Calgary and Edmonton Zones. For example, Banff and Vulcan are in the Calgary Zone, and Evansburg and Thorsby are in the Edmonton Zone but they are rural communities. The amended LoU #27 increases the annual amount from $7.5 million to $22.5 million per year.

13. Does the Letter of Understanding on stabilization apply to current Employees?

No. It does not apply to current Employees. It applies to Employees hired as of the date of ratification. Read the Letter of Understanding for more information.

14. What constitutes a critical incident?

Article 34.12 of the Tentative Agreement states: “A critical incident is an extraordinary event or series of events in the workplace that has the potential to create significant distress and interfere with one’s coping mechanisms. Examples of critical incidents may include violence, threats of violence, death of a colleague or an unusual or unexpected patient death or a series of such incidents.”

15. Is the Letter of Understanding #25 RE: Trial of Modified Posting Provisions renewed?

No. The parties have agreed not to renew the LoU. The LoU remains in place until a new agreement is ratified.

16. Where can I find out more about the Tentative Agreement?

Information about the Tentative Agreement is available on the UNA website and Forums. UNA plans to hold two online town halls for members on Saturday, March 15 at 1300. and Tuesday, March 18 at 1900. Information will be distributed to members about how to join the meetings.

17. When will the Reporting Meeting and ratification vote be held?

A virtual Reporting Meeting of Local representatives will be held on March 25, at which time the UNA Negotiating Committee will recommend that a ratification vote be held on April 2. UNA’s Negotiating Committee recommends ratification of the Tentative Agreement.

18. What is the process for the ratification vote on the Tentative Agreement?

UNA members who have provided a personal or @una.ca email address will receive an email link from Election Buddy. Emails will not be sent to Employer email addresses. Whether or not you receive an email, you can go to vote.una.ca. and select your UNA Local, then enter your Member ID and PIN from your membership card in order to vote.

19. What threshold is required for the Tentative Agreement to be ratified?

The Tentative Agreement must be approved by a majority of UNA members and a majority of UNA Locals voting.

20. When will the results of the ratification vote be known?

If the vote is held on April 2, then the vote would conclude at 23:59 on April 2. The results would be shared on April 3.