UNA members voted to accept a new Collective Agreement that includes a 6% salary increase over three years, prevents overall nursing reduction in nursing hours, increases regular nursing hours and provides commitment to hire new grads. Read the media release.
June 23, 2010
UNA Phone Broadcast
Starting at around 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm today, UNA members included in provincial negotiations will be contacted with an automated phone message from President Heather Smith.
The message is to alert members to the coming Ratification Vote on June 30th on the Mediator's Recommendations.
- Nurses net 6% increase over a three year agreement
- Prevents overall nursing reduction in nursing hours
- Increases regular nursing hours and provides
commitment to hire new grads
“All RNs will receive a special 2% increase in their salary in 2011”
–UNA’s chief negotiator David Harrigan.
The formal salary increase in the recent settlement is structured as 0% in both year one and two, but the mediator’s recommendations give all nurses a 2% boost on the salary grid in year two as a “productivity increase allocation”, and a 4% increase in the third year. This equates to a 6% increase over 3 years. The deal also continues the payment of the lump sums which were established with the 2007 agreement.
“Regularization” initiative on staffing crises
Alberta has, over the years, drifted into a "just in time" scheduling process for nurses. This became even more of an issue with the 2009 "vacancy management" plan which resulted in many vacancies not posted. Casual nurses are being worked to the bone, part-timers work many additional shifts, and there is too much costly overtime. Health employers have entire scheduling offices dedicated to coping with inadequate nurse staffing.
“Regularization” will turn these extra hours into regular positions, helping stabilize the workforce and providing more certainty for our members and for patients. Increased regular hours has the potential to enhance continuity of care and reduce costs related to overtime and staff turnover.
“We have constant staffing crises every day which are costing our system money, and negatively impacting nursing care,” notes Heather Smith. “We are looking forward to working with Alberta Health Services on this ‘regularization’ initiative.”
No reduction in overall nursing hours, hiring grad nurses
Employers are also committing to maintaining RN staffing levels and to hiring 70% of the province’s new graduating RNs. Two Letters of Understanding in the agreement will help improve nurse staffing in the province. The Employer has committed to “no overall reduction in nursing hours” maintaining at least the same number of total nursing hours worked as there were in 2009-2010. A second letter guarantees hiring the grads each year: On an annual basis, the Employers will have a sufficient number of either regular positions or temporary positions of six months or greater, to be able to hire at least 70% of the Alberta nursing student graduates.
Notice of layoff goes from 14 to 28 days
While the new agreement will prevent any overall reduction of nursing hours, the Employer may still make local position eliminations (layoffs) for operational reasons. But the employers must now give four weeks notice of layoff rather than the former two weeks. The change gives nurses much more time to make the important decisions on what they will do and which position they might choose.
Facilitating retirees enrolment in benefit plan
The Employer agrees to take all necessary steps to facilitate the enrolment of retiring Employees in the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association (ARTA) Benefit Plan for post-employment Supplemental Health Care and Dental coverage effective January 1, 2011. The retirees will be responsible for the fees for the plan, but AHS will ensure every employee is provided with the information they would need to join the plan. This will facilitate employees transferring from the current benefit plan to the ARTA plan without, most importantly, the need for a medical check.
Original documents on contract settlement for June 30 vote.
Nurses’ meeting recommends acceptance of new contract
UNA President Heather Smith speaks to the media after today's Reporting Meeting.
Over 500 United Nurses of Alberta members voted today to take a settlement in their contract negotiations to a province-wide vote of UNA members. The delegates voted to recommend members approve the proposed contract.
The mediator’s recommendations from Tom Hodges include salary increases of 0%, 0% and 4% in each of three years of a new contract. In the second year there would also be a “two percent productivity increase allocation to wage rates in recognition of efficiency gains flowing from the Regularization of Hours project”.
“Our nurses big concern in these negotiations was to increase nurse staffing for our patients,” says UNA President Heather Smith. “This agreement would prevent Alberta nurse salaries from falling behind, which is important in attracting nurses to Alberta jobs, but even more importantly there are provisions to maintain and enhance nurse staffing.”
The recommendations contain no rollbacks to any current provisions in the nurses’ agreement. They also include an increase in notice of layoff from 14 to 28 days
Three additional Letters of Understanding will contribute to workforce stabilization:
• Joint Workforce Regularization Process
• Commitment to Hire Alberta Nursing Graduates
• No Overall Reduction in (RN/RPN) Nursing Hours
A fourth Letter contemplates: "Facilitation of Retiree Enrollment into the Alberta Retired Teachers Association Benefit Plan"
The “workforce regulation” is a plan to convert casual and some part-time jobs to regular positions and reduce overtime and costs.
Nurses will be voting province-wide on the proposed agreement on June 30th, 2010.
The collective agreements cover over 24,000 Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and some other allied employees of Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, the Alberta Cancer Board and other smaller employers.
June 14, 2010
Nurses taking mediator’s recommendations to provincial meeting
A mediator has provided formal recommendations for a settlement in collective bargaining with the province’s Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses. Mediator Tom Hodges has presented his recommendations to both United Nurses of Alberta and to Alberta Health Services and other health employers.
UNA is taking the recommendations to a provincial Reporting Meeting of delegates tomorrow, Tuesday, June 15th. Over 600 nurses from across the province will be at the meeting in Edmonton. They will decide whether to take the mediator’s recommendations to a general membership ratification vote.
UNA will comment on the recommendations and the nurses’ decisions following the Reporting Meeting later tomorrow.
June 13, 2010
Negotiations Update
• Negotiations have continued since Thursday, we will report/fanout when we have specific information to share. Your patience is appreciated.
• The Negotiating Committee is requesting a meeting with Covenant Locals over lunch during the Reporting Meeting on Tuesday.
May 31, 2010
Big negotiation decisions coming at Reporting Meeting
UNA’s Reporting Meeting for provincial negotiations is coming up Tuesday, June 15. Delegates from Locals all over the province will be there to make important decisions on UNA negotiations.
Four more days of negotiations with informal mediation have been scheduled for June 10, 11, 12 and 13.
“At this time, we do not have an agreement,” says UNA’s Director of Labour Relations and Chief Negotiator David Harrigan.
“We are hoping that one will be achieved by the June Reporting meeting, but it is possible that it may not,” he says.
“If there is no agreement by June 15, we believe that it is unlikely that further informal mediation will result in an agreement, and decisions will have to made about next steps.”
The UNA Negotiating Committee normally calls the Reporting Meeting at the critical juncture in bargaining. Delegates usually vote on a tentative collective agreement, or if there is an impasse, on what action to take to get an acceptable agreement.
May 7, 2010
Fanout #6 to UNA members
• UNA and AHS were scheduled to meet May 6, 7 and 8.
• The parties completed negotiations regarding Transitional Issues. The Mediator will recommend resolutions for the outstanding issues (Layoff and Recall and Vacation for the former Alberta Cancer Board employees).
• On May 6, UNA tabled a "Settlement Document" on Priority Issues.
• On May 7, the Mediator indicated AHS requires additional time to consider UNA Settlement Document. Details regarding the Settlement Document remain confidential to the Negotiating Committee until AHS has an opportunity to respond.
• Next bargaining dates are June 10-13, 2010.
• A Reporting Meeting has been scheduled for June 15, 2010. Meeting details will follow.
May 4, 2010
UNA President Heather Smith spoke about negotiations with Bruce Kenyon on QR77's The Morning News.
• Discussions again primarily centered on issues related to the merging of the nine Regional Health Authorities and Alberta Cancer Board (province wide bargaining unit).
• Negotiating Committee's assessment is "good progress was made".
• Some discussion of priority items.
• Next Mediation dates are May 6, 7 and 8.
April 27, 2010
UNA President Heather Smith spoke about negotiations on the CBC Radio program the Calgary Eyeopener on the morning of April 27.
A number of UNA members have asked for more information about the mediator assigned to the current UNA and AHS negotiations.
The mediator is Tom Hodges. He was the Senior Vice-President, LabourRelations for the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) from 2005 until 2008. Prior to joining HEABC he was a Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for 15 years,mediating over 300 labour disputes across Canada. He has also served as a court mediator for the Ontario Court General Division in Ottawa. Tom was General Chairman of the United Transportation Union's Central Region while employed as a terminal supervisor and train conductor with CN Rail for over 14 years. He has a Master's degree in Conflict Management and has taught negotiations to managers and union representatives across Canada.
UNA is pleased that he was appointed as mediator for these talks. Hodges has a good grasp on the issues and a solid reputation as an honest and reasonable mediator.
April 16, 2010
Fanout #4 to UNA members
• First three days of Mediation April 14, 15 and 16.
• Discussion of changes related to the province-wide bargaining unit.
• Next bargaining/Mediation dates are April 26, 27 and
28.
• Parties expected to focus on priority issues during the next Mediation dates.
April 12, 2010
UNA talks resume with mediation
Provincial negs slated for April 14, 15, 16
Three more days of provincial negotiations for the UNA provincial agreement are slated for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week.
But the talks are now moving on to informal mediation. UNA requested mediation after the last round of talks produced no significant progress. Alberta Labour has appointed Tom Hodges to assist with the negotiations.
"It's very early to be applying for mediation, but we thought we had to," says UNA President Heather Smith. "We were not getting down to the real core issues, and we want the employers to focus on getting closer to where we can reach agreement. We hope mediation can produce results."
Watch for more information about the talks at the end of the week.
March 29, 2010
Fanout #3 to UNA members
• Negotiations resumed March 29, 2010
• UNA had enouraged AHS to focus on real priority issues, but AHS continues to maintain multiple monetary and language regressions.
• In an effort to advance open and sincere discussions UNA has applied for mediation.
• We will advise when mediation dates are established.
March 19, 2010
Fanout #2 to UNA members
• Initial discussions with AHS March 17, 18 and 19, 2010.
• Discussions centered on bargaining processes and clarifying priorities.
• Next bargaining dates are March 29, 30 and 31, 2010.
March 10, 2010
AHS says unprecedented rollbacks "very fair"
"To date there has been only one negotiating session. UNA was very surprised and disappointed at the proposals put forward by AHS. We were even more surprised to read the following statements in a news release from AHS: "We value RNs and the important skills they provide in caring for Albertans every day. We want to continue to enhance their role in the health care system to improve patient care." "We believe we are offering a very fair and competitive proposal that will support our nursing workforce."
The following link is a summary of the rollbacks the employer has proposed. We encourage everyone to read the proposals and determine for themselves if AHS truly values its nurses, or if their proposal is "very fair and competitive."
President Heather Smith spoke to TV reporters about the extensive rollbacks proposed by Alberta Health Services in Negotiations. Clips from March 9th.
March 8, 2010
UNA opened negotiations March 8 with a one page, short list of proposals addressing key issues for nursing in Alberta. Alberta Health Services responded with a full proposal document that included an unprecedented number and scale of rollbacks.
The key proposals from nurses focused on improving nursing care and safety. Health care in Alberta continues to struggle with a nursing shortage, and with too few beds and nurses. UNA wants these negotiations to make progress in dealing with the core problems that are hurting health care for Albertans.
UNA's key issues proposal appears below.
UNA Shortlist of Proposals to Renew the Collective Agreement
The United Nurses of Alberta is desirous of achieving a new labour agreement that is both fair and affordable. Because of past turmoil and the mutual desire for stability, we believe it is important this happen in a timely manner. To this end, UNA brings the following key issues forward, and we propose that all other provisions of the collective agreement be renewed, with appropriate date changes where applicable.
If we do not reach agreement on these matters, UNA will provide a complete list of proposed amendments.
1. Patient Safety and Quality of Care
• Constraints on the level and quality of care that professional nurses have been able to provide is a great concern for UNA members. Registered Nurses (RN) and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPN) have professional standards that must be met. Nurses express fear that changes have reduced and eroded the care they are able to deliver. Research repeatedly demonstrates that care by RN’s and RPN’s shortens stays, reduces infections and complications, and helps control costs.
• For these reasons, UNA proposes there shall be a RN or RPN in charge of each unit. For “at or out of” (community) areas there shall be an RN/RPN in charge of each office. Where there is more than one program or service in an office there shall be an RN/RPN in charge of each program. (Note - this need not be a UNA member, the RN/RPN could be a management nurse, nursing unit manager, Nurse Practitioner, etc.)
• To ensure patient safety, UNA proposes the RN/RPN in charge shall have the duty and authority to augment staff and/or to limit or stop the admission of patients/residents/clients to the unit or program, when in her professional judgment it is necessary to do so. No disciplinary action will be taken against the charge nurse for exercising this responsibility to protect safe patient/resident/client care.
2. Employee Occupational Health and Safety and RN/RPN Professional Responsibility
• UNA proposes there be clear guidelines and processes to fully resolve all issues and concerns relating to Employee health and safety and to RN/RPN responsibility for safe quality patient care.
3. Layoff and Recall
• UNA proposes the Employer provide 28 day notice of layoff (to equal the 28 day notice of resignation an Employee must provide). UNA proposes Employees with less than 24 months of seniority also have displacement rights. UNA proposes cost-shared benefits continue during a period of layoff.
4. Length of Contract and Salary
• UNA proposes a two-year term, with increases of 4% in each year.
5. Prepaid Health Benefits
• UNA proposes dental benefits be: 100% of basic coverage; cleanings twice per year; 80% coverage for extensive and orthodontic treatment with an annual cap of $5,000 for extensive and a lifetime cap of $5,000 for orthodontic.
• UNA proposes Casual Employees and Employees who are retiring have the option to participate in the group benefit plan, provided they pay both the Employer and the Employee share of the premiums.
February 19, 2010
Provincial Negotiations underway
UNA's province-wide contract negotiations will get underway with the exchange of proposals on March 8th. Representatives for Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health and other smaller employers will be meeting with UNA's elected Negotiating Committee for several dates of bargaining that have been scheduled through March and April.
"We're just waiting to see what the Employers are proposing," says UNA President Heather Smith. "The proposals they come in with could give a signal of how long this bargaining round is going to take."
The UNA team has a clear mandate from members coming out of the Demand Setting Meeting of over 600 UNA local representatives held last November. In the province-wide ratification vote by members on January 20th, 100% of Locals and 98.4% of members voting, approved the ingoing proposal package.
Twelve further dates set for talks
An extensive schedule of negotation meetings has already been set.
Regular updates will be posted on the website. These will be public messages, that cannot contain confidential details.
On your email: UNA's e-UPDATE
UNA Members can also send in their email address to go on the list for UNA's e-UPDATE which will go out when important news and information needs to be sent to members.
UNANet: The Inside Info
The quickest and most thorough information distribution and discussion on Provincial Negotiations all takes place on UNA's own email and conferencing system, UNANet. All members can sign up for free on UNANet.
Through your Local
All Local Executive members get regular updates on Negotiations too. If electronic information is not for you, contact one of the members of your Local Executive to find out where Negotiations are at.
