EDMONTON – The Alberta government says a revised labour proposal has been offered to the province’s nurses in hopes of reaching a new collective agreement.
Finance Minister Travis Toews says Alberta Health Services has issued a revised proposal with a three-year wage freeze and small increases in the fourth and fifth years of the contract.
“This new proposal acknowledges the hard work and dedication of Alberta’s nurses while respecting the tough fiscal situation the province is in,” Toews said in a release.
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“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.”
Toews says he is hopeful that the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) and AHS will be able to reach an agreement when formal mediation begins later this month.
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Previously, Alberta Health Services asked nurses to take a pay cut with Toews saying in July that the province needs to get its finances “back on track” as it moves beyond the pandemic.
The union said a rollback on top of other demands by AHS — including reduced shift and weekend premiums — would result in an overall wage reduction of five per cent.
The new proposal is one that has raised some concerns with the Director of Labour Relations for UNA.
David Harrigan says Toews has mischaracterized the situation and implying employers have suggested a wage freeze for three years is “absolutely false.”
“What they are proposing is an immediate two per cent reduction for every nurse in the province, and the minister should really be careful about making misstatements like that,” said Harrigan.
Harrigan says this isn’t the first time Toews has mischaracterized what is happening.
“At one point, we asked for an agreement there would be no layoffs until the new contract had been reached. The Minister went public and claimed we had asked for perpetual protection against layoffs.
“It’s difficult to say whether he’s just not aware of what’s going on because of course, he’s not there at the table.”
Harrigan says they have asked for a meeting with Toews to figure out what is really on.
“To suggest that you’re asking for a wage freeze when you’re actually asking for a two per cent decrease is disingenuous at best.”
