UNA and AHS sign Letter of Understanding protecting UNA bargaining unit members during planned workforce changes

United Nurses of Alberta and Alberta Health Services have signed a Letter of Understanding ensuring there will be no involuntary reduction of full-time equivalency (FTE) of any member of the UNA bargaining unit as a result of implementation of AHS’s “Operational Best Practices” targets.

The Letter of Understanding, which was signed today after several hours of intensive discussions between the union and the employer was the result of discussions over the past two weeks. The LOU is a legal document and now forms part of the current collective bargaining agreement between UNA and AHS.

The letter includes a binding undertaking that the AHS commitment will remain in effect until March 31, 2017, or upon ratification of a new collective agreement, whichever is later. It is expected most of the changes will take place over the next year and a half.

The current Provincial Collective Agreement between UNA and AHS is set to expire on March 31, 2017.

“We have expressed our concerns and will continue to monitor the transformative changes to the workforce, including the implications of Operational Best Practices,” UNA President Heather Smith said today.

The parties committed in the letter “to continue to work together in order to operationalize this Letter of Understanding.”