Feb 14, 2003
Negotiations set to continue after LRB ruling
Bargaining dates at the main provincial bargaining table with the Provincial Health Authorities of Alberta (PHAA) are being rescheduled, pending a ruling from the Alberta Labour Relations Board (LRB). UNA challenged PHAA’s decision to bring a court reporter, complete with a stenographer machine, into the negotiations to make a verbatim recording of the sessions.
“We believe that using a court reporter will inhibit the free flow of negotiations,” says UNA Chief Negotiator, David Harrigan. “The LRB has ruled in the past that recording negotiating sessions is not bargaining in good faith. Once we get past this intimidation tactic by the Employers we will be ready to get on with negotiations,” David Harrigan said.
The LRB held a hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 12, but said they could not provide a ruling before the next scheduled bargaining dates, Feb. 18 and 19. New dates have not yet been set, but the next scheduled dates with PHAA are on February 25th, 26th and 27th.
Research shows inadequate staffing puts patients at risk
Information kit provided to MLAs and RHA Boards
UNA provided a package of current research on the critical value of qualified nursing care to Members of the Legislative Assembly and others health policy makers in the province last week. “Care that makes a difference” kit bundled together four important studies that showed, for example:
Adding just one extra patient to the caseload of a registered nurse increases the likelihood of a patient dying by 7 percent, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last October.
An Ontario study of 47,000 patients found that increasing the amount of care by registered nurses by 10% was associated with five fewer deaths for every 1,000 patients.
“This is compelling evidence that cutting corners on staffing by registered nurses is a formula for cheaper health care with poorer results. Patients are sicker, suffer more, require more costly care, and more patients die,” UNA President Heather Smith said when the kit was released to the media.
Heather Smith said it was important that health policy makers be aware of the research because of the Health Regions’ proposals in current contract bargaining. They have proposed, for example, to eliminate the Registered nurse in charge provision, the only requirement that guarantees there is an RN on every ward.
PHAA claims nurses looking for a 22% increase
On February 10 the Provincial Health Authorities of Alberta put out a news release claiming that UNA’s proposals would amount to a 22% increase in nursing costs, or about $237 million more.
Chief Negotiator David Harrigan told the media it was “creative arithmetic” and pointed out that patient care and nursing workloads are the nurses’ priorities in the negotiations.
The PHAA release did grab media attention however, although most news reports also included UNA’s side of the story.
UNA noted that Employers who are serious about reducing costs would bring down the 30,000 hours of overtime worked by nurses each week by creating more full-time positions, something they have no proposals on. Heather Smith told the Calgary Herald that the Employers’ demands would create a cheaper work force and eliminate the need to hire any full-time nurses.
PHAA said their aim in negotiations is to do away with “outdated provisions negotiated over the past 25 years.”
Nurses going with labour delegation to Mexico
Four UNA members leave for Mexico this week as part of an Alberta Federation of Labour delegation. After a competition, a UNA Board committee selected Ann Broughton from Local #1 in Calgary and Linda Roberts from Local #2 in Red Deer for the delegation. Board members Tom Kinney and Alan Besecker are the other UNA delegates. The Mexico Task Force follows up an AFL tour of conditions for Mexican workers that took place nearly ten years ago, before the NAFTA treaty. The delegation will be touring the “maquiladora” zones, meeting with union leaders and examining working conditions in Mexico. The UNA representatives will be particularly interested in health care and conditions for health workers and will be reporting their findings when they return.
UNA awards scholarships to student nurses
UNA has announced the winners of its first-ever scholarships for nursing students. UNA awarded $750 each to T. Nichole Olson (BScN program at Grant McEwan College - Westlock), Heather Deans (BScN program at the University of Calgary), and Kathryn McCartney (BScN program at the University of Alberta).
The three recipients met the criteria for the scholarship: being in their first year of full-time studies and related to a UNA member in good standing. They also wrote a short essay on how UNA impacts nursing worklife
“There were 27 applicants, making the final selection was not easy,” says UNA 2nd Vice-President Jane Sustrik. “The winners are outstanding new students and we are pleased to be able to assist in continuing their program and look forward to welcoming them as new nurses soon.”
First Ministers health accord green light for privatization
The new health financing deal struck by the Prime Minister and Premiers followed some of the Romanow Commission recommendations, but completely dodged the problem of increasing privatization and commercialization of the public health system.
“Unfortunately, the bottom line is that this accord will not protect the future of Medicare in Canada. It is very weak on accountability, standards and targeting. It does nothing to prevent for-profit corporations from taking over the health system,” said the Ontario Health Coalition in its analysis.
“It’s like Romanow never happened,” said Michael McBane, of the Canadian Health Coalition. “The CHC is worried that without real transparency and accountability, the new money will wind up being used on for-profit schemes, despite the fact that Canadians and the Romanow Commission were clear that public money should be spent on public care– not private profits.”
NDP’s Jack Layton boosts Alberta Medicare campaign
New federal NDP Leader Jack Layton was in Edmonton February 9 to lend his support to the Friends of Medicare Romanow Now campaign. “You people are leading the way, putting pressure on to preserve Medicare in Canada,” Layton told a crowd at the campaign office. He criticized the First Ministers Health Accord as inadequate in addressing the threat of privatization. In the House of Commons, Layton said, Alliance Party leader Stephen Harper got a standing ovation from both Liberal and Alliance MPs when he praised the Prime Minister for the accord, saying it opens the door for private enterprise in health.
Jack Layton went on to canvass and put up Romanow Now signs to show support for the campaign.
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