May 25 2007
Negotiating Committee calls Reporting Meeting for May 30
With only one day of mediation left, and no settlement imminent, UNA’s provincial Negotiating Committee has called a Reporting Meeting for Wednesday, May 30th.
In a telephone broadcast to the 22,000 nurses whose contracts are up, UNA President Heather Smith announced the meeting. She said the negotiating committee “will be seeking membership input and direction about next steps.”
As of May 22, UNA’s talks with the province’s Health Region employers were far from a settlement. In April, the negotiators called in a mediator, but after eight mediation sessions, no agreement had been reached.
UNA’s provincial reporting meeting has historically been the pivot point in negotiations where the union decides to vote on a contract offer or to vote on possible job action.
Every Local involved in the provincial negotiations round can send delegates to the Reporting Meeting. The meeting is being held in Edmonton, rather than in Calgary as is usual, because no suitable venue for such a large meeting could be booked in Calgary.
Retention and recruitment of nurses is the overriding concern in the talks. The provincial government is forecasting a shortage of at least 5,000 Registered Nurses and estimates are that over 1,500 vacancies are currently available in the province.
Some innovative retention strategies have already been agreed upon, like weekend nurses who work 80% of full-time for full-time pay. There is also a reducing FTE option with full pension contributions, for nurses eligible for retirement. As well, there are pilot projects for new working arrangements including: a flexible part-time position, benefit eligible casual positions and seasonal part-time employees.
But core money issues, including wage increases in the province’s hot economy, remain unresolved.
UNA Locals all around the province will be holding meetings before and or after the provincial Reporting Meeting. The Local meetings will examine the latest offer from the Health Regions and get feedback from members on proposal priorities, and what next steps nurses want to take in negotiations.
CFNU Biennium in St. John’s
It’s only every two years that unionized nurses gather nationally for the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) Biennium and from June 4-8 this year it is in St. John’s. UNA is sending a delegation including local and provincial executive members and 20 members selected by a random draw. The Biennium includes two days of educational sessions on topics ranging from bullying and substance abuse to the next pandemic and aboriginal cultural awareness. The meeting also includes presentations from some of the top Canadian and international experts. Registration to the conference was closed weeks ago when it filled completely up.
IN MEMORIAM
Peggy Tolhurst
Peggy Tolhurst, past President of Local #79 at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton died on Monday May 14. Peggy was President of Local 79 from December 1999 until October 2005 when she had to step down due to illness. Peggy was well remembered with many messages of condolences from UNA members and other Locals. Many UNA members and staff were present for the funeral service on Wednesday, May 23, 2007.
UNA sponsors Rainbow Society stories on Global TV
United Nurses of Alberta is sponsoring short vignette TV spots about the Rainbow Society’s work with Alberta families, on Global TV stations in Alberta. The short one-minute spots and even shorter 30-second spots, quickly tell the story of one child and family that has benefited from the Rainbow Society program.
The Rainbow Society helps make wishes come true for the families of children with chronic or terminal illnesses.
One of the spots features a boy, Corey, who has a problem with extremely high cholesterol and must have his blood filtered every two weeks. His research nurse, Bonnie, referred him to the Rainbow Society. Bonnie is also featured in the vignette. The Rainbow Society sent Corey and his family to Disney World to make his wish come true.
Global TV is co-sponsoring the little TV presentations, which will be going on throughout the year.
Ontario announces 1200 LPN positions in LTC
In National Nursing week the Ontario government announced a plan to add 1,200 new full-time Registered Practical Nurses (the Ontario equivalent to LPN) positions in the long-term care sector.
The government will invest $57.7M in annual funding to create the 1,200 positions. They say it will ensure at least one new LPN position in each of the 628 long-term care homes in Ontario.
UNA seeks determination on LPNs
At the request of several Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), UNA has applied to the Alberta Labour Relations Board for a determination of bargaining unit for LPNs working at Extendicare Holyrood. The LPNs want to join UNA. UNA is asking the LRB to make a determination on whether the LPNs are performing “direct nursing care”. If the LRB finds the LPNs are performing direct nursing care, they should be in the UNA bargaining unit, not in the auxiliary nursing care bargaining unit. The LPNs are currently represented by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), which is opposing the application at the LRB. In its submission to the Board, AUPE has gone so far as to suggest that last year’s UNA advertising, which they said disparaged the role of LPNs is a reason UNA should not represent
LPNs.
Over 75 people protest LTC in Hinton
More than 75 people took to streets May 12th to protest the care offered at the Good Samaritan’s Mountain View Centre in Hinton. The residents and their family members said staffing is inadequate and blamed the fact that the facility went from long-term care to designated assisted living a few years ago. “I think this is the worst disaster to hit this community since the train derailment,” Lynda Jonson told Hinton newspaper.
Some of the concerns the residents expressed included problems with the bed alarm system, a lack of cleaning staff especially on the weekends, a lack of registered nurses on duty, a lack of security system at the front door and a lack of nutritional food.
Public Interest Alberta: advocating for the public interest
Public Interest Alberta is featuring a panel discussion as part of its third Annual General Meeting coming up in Edmonton, Saturday, June 2, 2007. The discussion is on “Opportunities in a changing Alberta: Advocating for the public good” and it features Doreen Barrie Political Science Dept, University of Calgary, Steven Patten Political Science Dept, University of Alberta, Graham Thomson Columnist, Edmonton Journal.
The organization will also be presenting its Public Interest Awards at the meeting. The meeting is runs from 1:30 – 4:00 pm at Auditorium, Barnett House, 11010 - 142 Street Edmonton. Everyone is welcome.
On the Lighter Side
An acquaintance of mine who is a nurse told this story about her 4 year-old daughter.
On the way to preschool, the doctor had left her stethoscope on the car seat, and her little girl picked it up and began playing with it.
‘Be still, my heart,’ thought my friend, ‘my daughter wants to follow in my footsteps!’
Then the child spoke into the instrument: “Welcome to McDonalds. May I take your order?”
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