Greetings to all AUNP members and fellow NP colleagues:
The AUNP Bargaining Committee continues to forge ahead with collective bargaining, working aggressively to complete and sign off on numerous articles of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We have made remarkable progress in recent weeks, including ensuring that current NP pension and benefits are protected, and finalizing many other articles concerning vacancies, appointments, transfers, information sharing, and the Northern Incentive Program.
Although much of this progress is the fruit of considerable effort and time working through the issues, the recent participation of the mutually selected mediator has built and maintained considerable momentum. The mediator has clearly shifted the focus away from positional stances and towards solutions that benefit everyone involved. AUNP, the Employers, and the mediator have demonstrated a shared desire to finish the bargaining process quickly, and as a result, discussions between AUNP and the Employers have advanced considerably. And through it all, behind the scenes, AUNP continues to apply pressure through our lobbying efforts in order to reach the best possible deal for Alberta NPs.
Outside of bargaining, the AUNP Board has been addressing NP concerns such as inequitable scheduling practices and the exclusion of NP voices from critical decision making. Whether the issues you face are big or small, individual or systemic, AUNP is here to listen to your concerns and to support you through them. To discuss and address any such concerns, please reach out to your AUNP Site or District Representative. Your stories and feedback have already had a positive impact on many decisions at the bargaining table.
NPs saw various interim changes to our salaries in the month of December, including the 1% lump sum payout for 2021 and the salary band reassignments which went into effect on December 28th. For any NPs who have encountered one or more issues with these changes there is a mechanism set up to address any compensation band discrepancies or missing lump sum payments. Please email [email protected] directly with your concerns so that we can advance them to the employers.
It has been a great pleasure to receive letters of support – 40 so far and counting! – from our physician colleagues, including this wonderful quote from the PICU team at Alberta Children’s Hospital.
“NPs contribute significantly to organizational programs (e.g. pediatric residency program, PICU nursing, Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team, ACH PICU Research Program) through quality improvement, leadership, research and educational contributions. Our NPs currently provide clinical support…that is imperative to the function of the PICU…”.
This letter was signed by ten PICU physicians! And it is only one example of the support you are all receiving because of your professionalism and hard work. We are incredibly proud to be your partner and your voice in collective bargaining.
In closing, the AUNP Board and Bargaining Committee remain incredibly grateful to NPs across the province for your patience and support throughout this long and intricate first-certificate bargaining process. Our sincere thanks to all of you as we enter the final stretch – the end is in sight!
Anne Summach, President
Lesley Lapierre, Vice President and Bargaining Committee Chair