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Negotiating team supports Mediator's recommendations on new nursing contract

By United Nurses of Alberta January 8, 2018 10:23 (Last updated January 8, 2018 13:43)

The Mediator working with United Nurses of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, the Lamont Health Care and Bethany Group (Camrose) has recommended terms and conditions for a new Collective Agreement. During negotiations, the parties agreed to voluntary intensive mediation led by mediator Lyle Kanee.

The UNA Negotiating Committee met on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 to review the Mediator’s report and it is the assessment of the Negotiating Committee that the recommended terms, in addition to changes already agreed to during bargaining, are acceptable to form a new Collective Agreement.

The Negotiating Committee is recommending ratification of the Mediator’s recommendations and agreed changes. The recommendations will be presented to a Reporting Meeting of representatives of UNA Locals on Jan. 25, 2018 in Calgary.

If ratified, the new agreement would include: 

• 3 year term (April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020).

  • Wages:
    • Year 1 (April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018)  No increase
    • Year 2 (April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019) No increase
    • Year 3 (April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020)  Wage Re-opener (negotiations to commence February 15, 2019)

• New Letter of Understanding providing Job Security (no involuntary reduction of FTE). It is not limited to Operational Best Practices

• Change to the Professional Responsibility process to include an external Independent Assessment Committee (not binding)

• Ability to proceed to arbitration if agreed-upon recommendations are rescinded or not implemented at any stage in the process.

• Union leaves of absence include time in lieu for Union or Local business.

• Maternity/Adoption/Parental leave can extend to 18 months.

• Additional leaves for critical illness (of a child or adult), death or disappearance of a child, domestic violence, citizenship ceremony.

• Payment in lieu of Named Holidays for part-time and causal Employees will increase from 4.8% to 5%.

• Provisions for casual Employees to work on-call (only with their agreement).

• Clarification of the line selection process for new schedules.

• Definitions of "evening" and "night shift".

• A cycle of new shift schedules that shall not exceed 12 weeks unless the Local agrees or it is impossible.

• A request to transfer to casual status shall not be unreasonably denied.

• The 2% matching of RRSP can be contributed to a TFSA instead.

Complete details will be provided to UNA delegates at the Reporting Meeting on Jan. 25, 2018.

More information about the Reporting Meeting will be posted early next week.

United Nurses of Alberta represents more than 30,000 Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and allied health workers. The employer group is made up of Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, Lamont Health Centre and Bethany Group (Camrose).

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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