Nurses slam UCP for delayed arbitration

The union that represents Alberta nurses said the new UCP government is meddling in contract negotiations by forcing Alberta Health Services to delay wage talks.

The three-year agreement nurses signed with AHS during the NDP government’s tenure contained a two-year pay freeze with wage negotiations to reopen in the third year on Feb. 15, 2019.

If there was no agreement by March 31, those negotiations were to go to arbitration with a hearing no later than June 30.

That hearing was set for Monday. But just before it began, AHS contacted the arbitrator and asked for a postponement citing the wish of government to consult with stakeholders first.

David Harrigan, United Nurses of Alberta labour relations director, said Tuesday he’s worried what it means for nurses across the province.

Finance Minister Travis Toews countered that his government is taking a “responsible approach” by ordering the delay.

“We think it’s the responsible thing to do as we understand our economic realities in this province,” Toews said on his way into cabinet.

Harrigan is convinced the delay has nothing to do with consultations and is instead a tactic to implement public sector pay cuts recommended last year by Janice MacKinnon, who was appointed chair of the UCP government’s blue-ribbon panel on finances last week.

In a research paper MacKinnon co-authored with economist Jack Mintz, she argued the Alberta government should reduce public sector compensation to “help to trim the deficit.

“Provinces, like Nova Scotia and Manitoba, have shown fiscal leadership by establishing processes limiting the compensation of all public sector employees,” she wrote.

That’s what the union thinks this is all about.

“We think the roadmap has already been written,” Harrigan said.

“Clearly their plan is to have these sham consultations and then say, ‘We decided we need to legislate,’ when they’ve already made that decision prior to any consultations.”

But Toews said his government has made no decisions about public sector pay cuts.

“We’re committed to maintaining funding for health care and front-line services in health care,” he said. “We just really believe it’s vitally important right now to ensure we have all the information in front of us and keep all of our options open, so we can make responsible decisions on behalf of Albertans.”

Opposition labour critic Christina Gray said the government was playing a “dangerous game.

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” she said, to see her former government’s approach to good-faith bargaining thrown under the bus when it led to zero pay increases and a good deal for taxpayers during a recession.

“That approach is immediately being rejected and these workers are being disrespected through the actions of the government,” she said.

Harrigan said by delaying the arbitration hearings, the new government is thumbing its nose at labour laws.

MacKinnon’s finance panel is due to release its recommendations in mid-August with a budget set for this fall.