The United Nurses of Alberta has made significant progress working with Alberta Health Services toward resolving serious occupational health and safety issues in all urban acute care facilities in the Calgary Zone, President Heather Smith says.
UNA raised concerns about the health and safety implications of understaffing, overcrowding and use of overcapacity beds in Calgary hospitals in 2009 and formally filed OH&S and Professional Responsibility complaints in 2010. When changes satisfactory to the union were not forthcoming, UNA requested a meeting with the Alberta Health Services Board in accordance with the terms of the UNA-AHS Provincial Collective Agreement to present the union's recommendations.
A meeting between UNA and AHS managers took place early this month, and from that came several recommendations by the employer designed to resolve the situation. These include:
- The employer agrees to reissue a memorandum to managers and charge nurses confirming they have authority to call in additional staff at overtime rates when needed to ensure patient safety.
- The employer agrees to provide 24/7 staffing resources during hours staffing offices are not open for a three-month trial period.
- AHS also agrees to provide the equivalent amount of staffing in Calgary to operate 30 overcapacity beds. The employer committed to provide UNA with a plan for the additional staffing by the end of the month.
- AHS agrees to provide UNA site Professional Responsibility Committees with information on where and when overcapacity and surge are occurring, and to provide UNA with a complete list by site of currently designated overcapacity beds.
"We consider this a major step forward to resolving these issues to the satisfaction of UNA members," said President Heather Smith. "We nevertheless are reserving our right to make a presentation to the Board, but we view the decisions made to date as real progress."
Smith noted that AHS also agreed to facilitate tours by UNA's OH&S representatives led by an AHS vice-president of current overcapacity space at Calgary acute-care hospitals if UNA's concerns remain unresolved. The employer also promised to keep UNA up to date on the employer's proposals to address overcapacity issues within addiction and mental health treatment facilities.
"There is still work to do, but we are making progress toward a resolution that UNA members are seeking," Smith concluded.
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