For Immediate Release
October 2, 2003
Health Regions breaking the law by refusing to negotiate
UNA files charge with provincial Labour Relations Board
United Nurses of Alberta has filed a complaint with the Alberta Labour Relations Board charging the province’s Health Regions with breaking the province’s Labour Code by refusing to negotiate in good faith.
“Continuing negotiations to work out a contract agreement that is acceptable to nurses, and to the Health Regions, is vitally important to our public health system,” says UNA President Heather Smith. “By refusing to negotiate in good faith the Health Regions are breaking the law.”
“They should not be trying to force a dangerous agreement on nurses through arbitration. They have a legal responsibility to negotiate fairly. These negotiations have an important impact on our health system. The Health Regions must take their legal responsibility seriously,” Heather Smith said.
Alberta Labour Relations law stipulates that an application for arbitration does not remove the legal duty to continue negotiations. Parties have a duty to continue to bargain in good faith.
“The Health Regions cannot rely on a stacked arbitration process to force a bad agreement on nurses,” Heather Smith said. “It would be devastating for morale and for the recruitment and retention of nurses. They need to negotiate a contract nurses can agree to.”
The Employers’ contract plan is a dangerous one for health care. The Employers propose to juggle nurses around from site to site to cover staffing requirements. This would be an unsafe nursing practice that would endanger patients. Other Employer proposals, including forcing individual nurses to work permanent evening or night shifts, would drive nurses away from working in the province or into retirement. That in itself would be disastrous as the health system needs thousands more nurses, not fewer nurses. The Canadian Institute for Health Information released a study this summer showing the province could lose 6,000 nurses over the next three years.
The United Nurses of Alberta is holding the provincial annual general meeting of over 600 nurses in Edmonton, October 7, 8 and 9th. The provincial negotiating committee will be seeking further direction from the members at the meeting.
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For more information: Heather Smith 425-1025 • (780) 940-9974
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