Union angry over appointed disputes board

The union representing 100 nurses and aides at a private Edmonton seniors’ facility is upset that their right to strike was averted when the government appointed a disputes inquiry board to look into the matter.

Licensed practical nurses, nursing and health-care aides were set to walk the picket lines Saturday afternoon to protest the employer’s decision not to pay them wages for which they are funded, said Guy Smith, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.

On Thursday, Human Services Minister Dave Hancock stalled the strike by appointing a disputes inquiry board to solve the issue.

“He’s actually protecting the employer,” Smith said. “He’s making sure the employer’s interests are protected because certainly our members’ interests would have been better served by going on strike and finally force this employer to pay the employees the proper rates which (they’re) funded for.”

Park Place Seniors Living, a familyowned company based in Vancouver, receives funding from Alberta Health Services for salaries based on what the provincial health authority pays its employees.

The company rejected a mediator’s agreement ratified by the workers.

Barrie Harrison, spokesman for the human services department, said the two parties will have more time to continue bargaining while the disputes inquiry board does its work to come up with recommendations.

“We all believe that the government has a responsibility to protect its citizens, especially the elderly, and the threat of a strike or a lockout, anything that means change for elderly people can create adverse health effects,” Harrison said. “We can’t stand by and let that happen.”

But Smith said the government is taking away the rights of workers.

“We’ve gone through all the steps and going on a legal strike is a legitimate step in trying to get this resolved,” Smith said. “The government has to realize that turning over these long-term-care operations to private for-profit companies, they’re getting involved in what is a privatesector dispute.”

Smith said the employer is paying wages that are 20 per cent less than what they are funded for. “It’s not just about pay. It’s about the sustainability and the predictably and the stability in the system,” he said.