Voluntary Exit Program
September 23, 2010
Almost everyone who applied for the AHS Voluntary Exit Plan before the December 23, 2009 deadline is approved for the plan. UNA LRO Richard West is attempting to resolve cases for nurses who applied for the VEP but later resigned before their application was settled. Many of these people who left before hearing about their VEP application will likely finally be approved, although some of these cases may be going to arbitration.
July 27, 2010
UNA is entering arbitration this week in order to resolve one of the 40 outstanding Voluntary Exit Program applications which were not granted.
UNA had focused on eight denials to arbitrate this week. We believed that these eight would pose the most difficult challenge to resolve and the reamaining VEP applications would then be granted following the resolution. Once hearing preparations commenced, one of the eight was granted, job vacancies were posted for six, and one remained. The members involved were optimistic that the vacancies would result in replacements that would result in the granting of the VEP.
More updates will be posted as information becomes available.
July 8, 2010
UNA met with senior Labour Relations from Alberta Health Services on July 7, 2010. The impending arbitration has clearly been helpful in having AHS focus on the outstanding VEP denials. More previously denied approvals will be approved. In addition the employer will be posting vacancies shortly to seek replacements for the majority of the VEP applicants that are not yet approved. Most VEP applicants should receive contact from their manager within the next week regarding their status.
The arbitration continues to be scheduled for the last week of July but it appears the matters in dispute by that time will be significantly reduced.
June 23, 2010
The AHS Voluntary Exit Program has kept many nurses dangling since November 30, 2009. The March 12, 2010 Settlement Agreement specifies that "AHS will approve Employee applications for the Voluntary Exit Program unless it is not operationally feasible to do so." The onus is on the employer to justify their denial. Saying the "position cannot be eliminated" is not justification for denial.
During the week of June 14 to 18, another 24 nurses were granted the VEP. UNA has requested updated lists but has not received any updates since June 3, 2010. There are still 70 of 400 VEP applicants who have not yet been approved. AHS has provided the "rationale" for most of those nurses not approved for the VEP.
The Union and AHS have agreed to commence VEP arbitrations on the last week of July. Labour Relations Officer, Richard West is continuing to contact nurses to seek information regarding their personal circumstance.
There are many cases where the Employer's version of the operational difficulties used to justify the denial of the VEP do not match the denied nurse's observations. Due to these responses, the Union believes that arbitration is necessary to resolve this situation.
May 28 2010
Meeting May 28, 2010 with AHS
As of today, there are 284 people that have been approved; 72 that have have been denied and 42 that AHS claimed are "in progress" - meaning they believe it has neither been approved or denied.
AHS will, no later than early next week provide UNA with rationale for all those who have not been approved for the Voluntary Exit Program. AHS will provide at least 6 dates where they can have counsel available for arbitrations - the first of these days must be within 6 weeks, the last must be no later than the end of August. UNA will ensure that we have counsel available those dates as well. Once we have the dates, UNA and AHS will jointly contact arbitrators until we find one who can meet on those dates. AHS will continue to try and approve more, but for anyone not approved, we will arbitrate and conclude this matter no later than August.
The Union's sense is that once individual managers understand that they will be required to give oral evidence at an arbitration board they will be more realistic in their analysis of a compelling operational reason to deny the VEP.
Not perfect by any means, but at least there is a deadline.
There was discussion about the possibility of nurses retiring prior to being accepted for the VEP. It seems that option may prevent AHS from paying out the VEP to such individuals. The safest strategy is not to retire prior to approval.
We stressed very strongly how AHS behavior is negatively affecting individuals and the workplace.
If there is less than one week remaining before a declared termination date and no information has been received, please call Richard West, Labour Relations Officer, 1-800- 252-9394
Meeting May 18, 2010 with AHS
It is obvious this initiative was handled poorly. Four hundred and twenty nurses applied and were expect to have received a final answer by April 23, 2010. As of May 18, 2010 three hundred (300) Nurses have received communication that they are approved for the VEP. The approved list had been 227 as of May 6, 2010. Many of the nurses who have now been approved had previously received letters which denied the VEP, with 120 nurses still being considered. AHS now appears to have a greater focus on completing this program.
Another meeting has been scheduled for May 28, 2010 to review each individual that has not been accepted for the VEP by that date. AHS has committed to provide detailed reasons for each denial.
UNA believes that the settlement agreement supports the payment of the VEP for almost all applicants.
Some nurses have been advised of a termination date have not received their VEP Acceptance Letter + Lump Sum Payment Direction.
If there is less than one week remaining before the termination date and no information has been received, please call Richard West, Labour Relations Officer, 1-800- 252-9394
April 26, 2010
UPDATE on Voluntary Exit Plan
The deadline for the Employer to respond to applications for the Voluntary Exit Plan was April 23, 2010.
Some managers have indicated that there was agreement with the Union to extend this deadline. This is not correct and UNA has not agreed to any extensions.
UNA has agreed to consider that a group grievance has been filed on behalf of everyone who has not been approved (AHS has agreed that if members have not yet been approved and the member no longer wants the package, the member can revoke her application.)
UNA has a list of those who were approved as of April 19, 2010.
Voluntary Exit
November 30, 2009 is the deadline to submit an Expression of Interest
The open period for submitting an Expression of Interest for the Voluntary Exit plan runs ONLY until November 30. Submitting an Expression of Interest does NOT bind an employee to accept an exit.
Nurses interested can get the Expression of Interest forms from their Employer.
Remember, UNA suggests that ONLY employees who were planning to leave anyway would benefit from the Voluntary Exit program.
UNA also points out that the Voluntary Exit application forms contain an error and suggest that the money for a voluntary exit is "inclusive" of all other payments from the Employer. This is NOT the case, in fact, it is exclusive of other payments which nurses should still receive for all unused vacation, or overtime still owed to them.
You can see the The Voluntary Exit Letter of Understanding Here.
AHS Memo Voluntary Exit Plan Clarifications
Alberta Health Services has issued a memo to clarify, at UNA's request, a number of questions that come up around the Exit Plan. See the PDF here.
AHS Guidelines on the Voluntary Exit Program PDF here...
AHS Questions and Answers on the Voluntary Exit Program PDF here...
"Voluntary exit" ratified by UNA members
Nurses voted in favour of the "voluntary exit" agreement with Alberta Health Services in a province-wide ratification vote held on Monday, November 9th.
"Although it was approved by a majority of members who voted, it wasn't a huge turnout," said UNA President Heather Smith. "We recommended acceptance of the exit agreement because it could mean money to a few nurses, but it's not a good deal for any but those nurses who were leaving anyway."
UNA ratification votes have to be approved by a majority of members and by a majority of Locals. In Monday's vote, seventy-seven per cent of the members voting and eighty per cent of the Locals voted in favour.
"We still believe Alberta Health Services is wrong when they claim we have an oversupply of nurses," Heather Smith says. "It's wrong to encourage staff to leave and diminish the number of nurses we have, particularly in light of the public health and safety issues we have now with H1N1.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
UNA reaches tentative agreement on “Voluntary Exit”
United Nurses of Alberta Transitional Negotiating Committee today announced it had reached a tenative agreement on Alberta Health Services “Voluntary Exit Program”.
If approved by the members, the Voluntary Exit Program will provide one-and-a-half weeks per full year of continuous service to a maximum of 52 weeks.
The Committee is recommending members vote in favour of ratification. The Committee does say however that the Program would have very limited value except for Employees already intending to retire or leave.
Union members province-wide will vote on whether to ratify this Letter of Understanding on Monday, November 9, 2009.
Copy of the Letter of Understanding Here.
Friday October 16, 2009
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