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home / 世界杯决赛2022 / industry news / policy & government

alberta will no longer demand nurses take pay cut

as the province gears up for a fourth wave, the government is no longer asking nurses to work for less.

by edmonton journal

sep 8 2021
read time 2 minute read
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alberta will no longer demand nurses take pay cut
heather smith, united nurses of alberta president, is pictured here in march 2021. the union said tuesday that alberta health services’ latest proposal “represents progress.” ian kucerak / postmedia, file
by: lisa johnson
the alberta government has backed away from its demand that nurses take a three per cent wage cut.

in a news release tuesday evening , the united nurses of alberta (una) said alberta health services’ (ahs) latest proposal “represents progress” after ahs contacted the union over the weekend with a new mandate from the government.

ahs has dropped what the union called “offensive rollbacks,” including reductions of shift differentials and other pay premiums, but maintained other demands, including the the elimination of lump-sum payments, costing members two per cent a year in pay.
now on the table is a pay freeze for the first three years of a five-year collective agreement, followed by increases of one per cent in each of the final two years of the contract.
in a statement of his own wednesday morning, finance minister travis toews said the new proposal “acknowledges the hard work and dedication of alberta’s nurses, while respecting the tough fiscal situation the province is in.”
“there are still a number of items that need to be negotiated, including the twice yearly lump sum payments that do not exist in any other nursing contract in canada,” he said.
the union said that while the changes are an improvement “they would do nothing to address the critical problem of attrition and retention now faced by alberta health services throughout the province.”

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the latest offer comes days after the una said it was informed that ahs would immediately begin working with three staffing agencies to hire contract nurses from outside the province to fill staffing gaps.

in august, ahs said it had held preliminary discussions about potentially hiring contract nurses after being approached by agency greenstaff medical.

rising covid-19 case hospitalizations have put pressure on intensive care units, contributed to a staffing shortage, and forced the provincial health authority to cancel some elective surgeries.

both sides have reached an essential services agreement in the event of a strike or lockout, and the una is set to meet with the mediator on friday. if mediation fails, a strike vote could happen following a 14-day “cooling off” period.

toews has previously defended the government’s original proposed three per cent wage cut, which nurses said amounted to an overall five per cent compensation reduction, as necessary to bring alberta’s spending in line with that of other provinces.

in july, toews said on average, alberta nurses make 5.6 per cent more than in other comparator provinces, based on total compensation as of 2020.
“the need to bring wages in line with other large provinces does not diminish our deep respect for the exceptional work and dedication of public sector workers. it is simply reflective of our fiscal reality, and one that many sectors in the province have experienced,” he said in a statement at the time.
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in a tuesday night statement, opposition ndp leader rachel notley demanded the government stop the rollbacks completely, with the healthcare system “in chaos” and frontline workers caring for albertans with covid-19.
“to be clear, the government-led attacks on these professionals cannot continue and this change in bargaining position will not be enough to combat the widespread staff shortages arising from burnout and low morale,” said notley.
both sides are set to be back at the table when formal mediation begins on sept. 21.
lijohnson@postmedia.com
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