Collective Agreements in Alberta Health Services: What You Need to Know
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is a publicly funded organization that provides health care services to the people of Alberta. AHS employs over 100,000 people across the province, including doctors, nurses, support staff, and management. To ensure fair and equitable treatment of its workers, AHS has collective agreements in place.
What is a collective agreement?
A collective agreement is a legal document that outlines the terms and conditions of employment between an employer and a union. It is negotiated between the two parties and sets out the rights and obligations of both the employer and the employees. The collective agreement covers a range of issues, including wages, benefits, hours of work, and working conditions.
Collective agreements in AHS
AHS has several collective agreements for its various employee groups, including:
– Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) – representing support staff and auxiliary nursing care workers.
– United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) – representing registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, and nurse practitioners.
– Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) – representing health care professionals such as paramedics, lab technologists, and therapists.
– Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) – representing employees in administrative, maintenance, and trades positions.
– Management and Excluded – representing AHS managers and excluded employees.
What do collective agreements cover?
Collective agreements in AHS cover a wide range of issues, including:
– Wages: The collective agreement sets out the minimum and maximum wages for each position. It also outlines the process for wage increases, including cost of living increases, merit increases, and step increases.
– Benefits: AHS employees are entitled to a range of benefits, including health and dental insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and pension plans. The collective agreement outlines the details of these benefits and the employee’s contribution to them.
– Hours of work: The collective agreement sets out the standard hours of work for each position and the process for scheduling overtime and shift work. It also outlines the process for requesting time off and vacation time.
– Working conditions: The collective agreement covers issues such as workplace safety, harassment and discrimination policies, and grievance procedures.
Why are collective agreements important?
Collective agreements are important for both employers and employees. For employers, they provide a framework for fair and consistent treatment of workers. For employees, they provide job security, fair wages, and benefits. Collective agreements also provide a mechanism for resolving disputes between the employer and the union.
In conclusion, collective agreements play a crucial role in the relationship between AHS and its employees. They provide a framework for fair and equitable treatment of workers, and ensure that employees are compensated and protected for the work they do. If you are an AHS employee, it is important to familiarize yourself with the collective agreement that applies to your position to ensure that your rights and benefits are protected.