May 27, 2005
UNA Local #232 and AGAPE ratify their first collective agreement
UNA’s first all-Employee bargaining unit, at the Salvation Army Agape Hospice in Calgary, has ratified its first collective agreement. The bargaining unit includes Registered nurses, dietary aides, maintenance staff, cooks, clerical assistants, personal care attendants, business manager and other categories. All the position classifications get salary parity with Health Region Employees. UNA also negotiated several significant improvements from their previous terms, including recognition of previous experience, overtime at 2 times and provincial parity on shift differential and weekend premiums. Vacation, sick leave and health benefits also all had important increases. In addition, the parity is protected with a “me too” clause that guarantees them increases if Health Region bargaining unit contracts are improved. Congratulations
to the Agape UNA members!
Canadian Blood Services getting back pay to 2003
UNA Local #155, Canadian Blood Services (Edmonton and Red Deer) voted to ratify a new contract this month as well. The previous agreement had expired on March 31, 2003, and retroactivity to that date was included in the new agreement. It also includes parity with the provincial rates. Past employees will have 90 days from the date of signing to submit to the Employer for their retroactive pay. The Local will be voting soon on the one-year extension to take the agreement through to March 31, 2007.
Other UNA bargaining news
The Victorian Order of Nurses has been in talks for a renewed contract for nearly two months and more negotiation dates are coming up.
Talks continue for new Local #234, Hardisty Long-Term Care in Edmonton where the nurses are looking for a first contract. The Employer has come forward with an in-going proposal and further negotiations are slated for June.
Two new Central Park Lodge Locals, Mckenzie Towne Care Centre, Local #401 in Calgary, and South Terrace Care Centre in Edmonton, Local #235, are also in talks for a first agreement. After several days of negotiations some non-monetary items have been signed off and agreed to. More talks are scheduled for June as well.
Nurses in a new Local at Bethany Collegeside Long-Term Care facility in Red Deer are just beginning the negotiation process and have served notice to bargain.
LPN bargaining continues after a year
Contract talks are continuing May 31 and June 1 for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), nursing attendants and operating room technicians represented by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE).
The talks, which began over a year ago, include Bill 27 discussions for amalgamating previous community, facility and mental health board bargaining units. Moving all units to a single health benefits program has been a major topic to date. Salary discussions have apparently not begun yet.
Health Boards of Alberta Services is representing the Health Regions in the talks, with the exception of Calgary, which has opted to negotiate separately.
The bargaining covers about 9,000 Employees, with LPNs being the largest group. Current rates for LPNs range from $15.60 start rate to $18.89 end rate.
Health Canada announces new on-line drug adverse reaction database
Health Canada has made a major database of reports of adverse drug reactions publicly available on-line. With a web browser query users can access information concerning suspected adverse reactions to Canadian marketed health products of pharmaceuticals, biologics (including blood products and therapeutic and diagnostic vaccines), natural health products, and radiopharmaceuticals.
Unauthorized computer use causes problems
Some Employees continue to run into trouble for unauthorized use of Employer computer systems. A rash of recent disciplines highlights the fact that the Employers computer systems and IT department can track everything on every computer. In some cases Employees are reported to have accessed certain pages for only seconds, but faced discipline for it.
Any personal use of the computer, browsing the internet, or checking personal email can be tracked. The Employer systems can also track inappropriate access to health records, even one’s own records.
Everyone now takes computer use for granted but inappropriately accessing the Employers’ computers at work can open up problems.
| 
