9th Floor, Park Plaza
10611 - 98 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta ®
1
TSK 2P7
~1

VOLUME 15 NUMBER 3

UNITED NURSES OF ALBERTA

Third Troisiinle
Class clasae
Penn11No. 31100
Edmonton

SEPTEMBERJOCTOBER 1991

November 19, 20, 21
in Calgary

Layoffs a Fine Art; Adnrlnistrator No Picasso
By: Lesley Haag, LRO

FACTS:
A small twenty-five bed acute care hospital
decided to address its budget deficit by closing the
Operating Room and reducing overall nursing
hours by a .59 FTE (full-time equivalent) . To
accomplish these changes, the hospital decided it
was "necessary" to eliminate two emergency
room positions, to layoff four employees (reducing the number of employees from two full-time
and fourteen part-time to four full-time and eight
part-time) and to no longer permit anyone to work
a permanent night shift rotation. Two .75 positions
become one .5 and one full-time position. Two .25
positions became one .5 position. The four nurses
to be laid off received notice of layoff, the two
emergency/OR nurses received notices of
position elimination and everyone else received
a notice of "displacement".
The Employer claimed that approximately
$30,000 in savings was achieved by closing the OR,
reducing RN hours by .59 FTE and reducing the
number of staff (thereby saving on benefits although this was " a small part of it").
The nurses were then asked to select a new position on the new rotation in order of seniority. The
Employer, acting on advice from AHA, believed
it could avoid bumping and expedite the process
by proceeding this way.
The Union grieved the layoff of the four nurses,
the elimination of the two emergency/OR positions, the " displacement" of everyone else, and
the elimination of permanent night shift rotations.
ARGUMENTS:
The Union argued that it was not necessary for
the Employer to layoff four Employees to achieve

a reduction of .59 FfE hours. An Employer cannot
redistribute the total number of remaining hours
among fewer staff through the process of " displacement." It must cut the .59 FfE from the hours
of the most junior Employee. The other three laid
off Employees were laid off unnecessarily.
Any Employee's letter of hire is a guarantee of
hours which cannot be changed by a "displacement" initiated by the Employer. An Employee
can only be " displaced" by another Employee
through the bumping process.
The Union also argued that the elimination of
the emergency room positions was unnecessary .
The hours and duties in the emergency remained
the same. The Employer had simply reallocated
those hours and duties among all the nurses.
Finally, it was the Union 's position that the
Employer's insistence that permanent night shift
rotation would no longer be permitted was a clear
violation of the Collective Agree ment. The concern expressed by the Employer that it would be
difficult to fill a permanent night shift position if
one was vacated was not reasonable since there
had never been a proble m in the past and the
Employer could always change the schedule on
twelve weeks' notice.
Counsel for the hospital argued that the Employer
had the right to unilaterally alter the complement
of full and part-time positions. The Employer faced
a budget problem and the action it took was
reasonable and in good faith. It attempted to
accommodate its Employees by allowing them to
select from the n ew positions in order of seniority
and by permitting Employees to mutually exchange
shifts. The changes made by the Employer were
''necessary'' in order to reduce costs, which were
in fact reduced by approximately $30,000.
The Hospital argued that the permanent night

shift grievance must fail because no one made an
official request for permanent night shift on the
new rotation.
DECISION:
The Board generally agreed with the Union's
submission and upheld all four grievances. In its
decision, the Board emphasized that an Employer
which is down-sizing its work force must first
consider letters of hire of Employees . Employees
are entitled to rely on their letters of hire. The Employer was wrong to ignore the letters of hire in
this case.
Furthermore, it is not a right of the Employer
to " displace" Employees. The right to displace
belongs to an Employee whose position has been
eliminated. The Employer cannot institute a " mass
bumping" process to speed things up.
It was also not necessary for the Employer to
eliminate the emergency room positions. The two
nurses working in the emergency room could have
continued doing so.
Finally, the Employer acted unreasonably by
eliminating permanent night shift rotations. The
Employer had advised Employees that it would not
consider any permanent night shifts so there was
no point in Employees mnaking an official request.
The Board directed the Employer to comply, to
the extent possible, with Employees' letters of hire,
to pay two nurses compensation for their hours
being reduced , and to reasonably consider
requests for permanent night shifts. ~

DidYo K
• While some politicians demand that the number of strikes in Canada must be curbed because
the lost production injures Canada's international competitiveness, more time is lost due
to occupational injuries and illness. In 19881
5 million work days were lost due to strikes
while in each year, on average, over 13 million
work days are lost due to job injury or illness.
• 36.2% of non-agricultural workers in Canada
are unionized. This is above the U .S. (16%1rate

but below those of other industrial nations such
as West Germany 142%1. Great Britian 148%1.
and Sweden (97%).

Hospitals-Ratification Vote-Nov. 5 in each local

Negotiating Committee and LocaJ
Authority to &rgain- (Local signs form which authorizes
UNA to negotiate on its behalf)
Notice to &rgain- (U.N.A. notifies employers of decision
to commence bargaining on behalf of hospital locals)

Health Units
Demand Setting Meeting
October 29 & 30 in Edmonton

Annual
General Meeting
November 19, 20 and 21
at the Westin Hotel
in Calgary

Local- Ratification of Proposal Package !Ratification vote
to be held as per Article 9 of the UNA Constitution)
Province - Demand-Setting Meeting
(Vote on support/non-support of issues; 2/3 majority
required for support)

• elections for vice·president,
secretary-treasurer and district
representatives
• policy resolutions and constitu·
tional amendments

Local
Ratification Vote
November 26, 1991

Locals should be:
• debating issues
• electing delegates
Local - Priority-Setting (Each local submits a list of
priorities for negotiating demands)
2

U.N.A. NEWSIIULLETIN

Secretary-Treasurer Resigns

Healther Molloy
Heather Molloy, SecretaryTreasurer of UNA since
1987, resigned her position
on October 8 due to health
reasons. Heather began her
involvem ent with UNA
during the 1982 hospital
nurses' strike and joined
the Executive Board in November 1983 as a North Central District
Representative. After being active on the provincial finance commit·
tee for four years, she became Secretary-Treasurer-a position she
was re-elected to at 2 consecutive annual meetings. Heather's commitment to the democratic nature of the United Nurses of Alberta
and he r pride in her profession were great assets to UNA members
during her many yea rs of activity with this organization.

Florence Ross, a Labour & Delivery nurse at the Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton,
North Central District Rep and computer whiz, has been elected by the Executive
Board as interim secretary-treasurer. Gail Tymens will replace Florence Ross as
North Central District Representative. An election for the remaining year of
Heather's term will be held at the November 1991 Annual General Meeting in
Calgary. Nominations will be accepted from the floor .
NIG!fT/NGflt..E

President's Message

The rush is on to complete another NewsBulletin.
This one will promote the annual meeting as well as
inform the members of what is going on generally.
This is indeed our busiest time of year.
We are getting more settled into our new Edmon·
ton office. The move on August 1 was carried out
superbly by the staff.
The nurses at Local # 173 Bethany Care
Cochrane remain on strike. The seventeen mem·
bers commenced their strike on July 12, 1991. One
of our newest locals has endured one of the longest strikes in U .N .A. history. They are fighting
for basic compensation and recognition. Their
struggle is our struggle, the fight that nurses have
been forced to endure for the smallest of gains. The
members of Local #173 have valiantly brought
their dispute to the A.A .R.N., the C.N.A. , the
provincial government, the citizens of Cochrane
and Calgary and to the Lutheran Welfare Society ,
which is the decision-maker in this dispute . The
outcome cannot be predicted, but the fact that the
Lutheran Welfare Society is slated to take over yet
another facility (Rosehaven Centre in Camrose)
raises serous questions. Can more workers under
control of private (for profit) operators expect in·
ferior wages and working conditions? Is the
provincial government indirectly supporting the
action of the Lutheran Welfare Society by apparently rewarding them with more business?
Negotiations for the hospitals and health units
are gaining momentum. The Hospital Demand Set·
ting Meeting was held September 24-26 in Edtnonton. On November 5, 1991, a Ratification vofe will
be held across the province to determine if the
membership supports the package adopted at the
Demand Setting Meeting. The Alberta Health Care
Association (A.H.A.) and United Nurses of Alberta

are attempting to set a date to exchange proposals
in early December.
The health units will hold a Demand Setting
Meeting October 29 and 30, 1991. A Ratification
Vote will be held on November 26, w ith a target
exchange
oposals in early JauuaJ)"'lY92.
The Annual General Meeting (November 19-21)
promises to be an exciting meeting. In addition to
the business to be dealt with , two very important
speakers will add an educational component.
Madeline Parent will be the keynote speaker on
Wednesday November 20. Shift work expert, Jon
Shearer will speak to the members during an evening social on November 20th.
Elections will be held for a variety of District
Representative positions. This is also the year to
elect the U .N.A. Vice President. Heather Molloy's
resignation from the position of Secretary·
Treasurer, will necessitate an election for a one
year term until the 1992 Annual General Meeting.

The nurses at Local
# 1 73 Bethany Care
Cochrane remain
on strike. The
seventeen members
commenced their
strike on July 11,1991.
On a more personal note, David Harrigan
became the proud father of his third son, Galvin,
on Tuesday October 16, 1991.
I am working on another video for the Annual
General Meeting. I hope to re-cap the activities of
the past year. I have the great job of reviewing all
the footage from delegate and district meetings,
picketlines and our provincial office move. With
all the excellent material accumulated in the past
year I should be able to produce a better quality
video than my initial attempt last year !! 111111111

T
1...&.1

Health aod Welfare
Canada
Sante et Bien-etre social
Canada

Allergic Reactions
to Latex in
Medical Devices
There has recently been an increase in the
number of reported allergic reactions to medical
devices containing latex (natural rubber).
Reactions to latex range from mild itching of the
s){iu to systemati an;whyla.xi.s. One brand of
barium enema tip with an inflatable latex cuff was
recalled in North America in October 1990 after
several patients experienced severe allergic
reac tions, resulting in the death of some patients
during barium enema procedures.
Latex is a component of many medical devices
including surgical and examination gloves,
catheters, condoms, dental dams, intubation
tubes, anaesthesia masks, enema tips, drug
administration devices and haemodialysis
equipment. The primary source of allergic reaction
appears to be proteins in the latex itself.
Health care professionals and patients as well
as persons involved in the manufacture of these
devices are all at risk. Published reports indicate
that 6% to 7% of surgical personnel and 18% to
40% of spinal bifida patients are sensitive to latex.
Patients at higher risk include those who are
frequently exposed to latex products. They include
haemodialysis patients or children with spina
bifida who may undergo numerous treatments or
surgical procedures and may require frequent
urinary catheterization and intravenous infusion,
as well as those who are sensitized to common
airborne allergens or those with an impairment of
the skin barrier such as eczma. Surgical ,
examination or dental procedures may permit the
allergen(s) to cross rectal, vaginal or buccal
mucosa.
The Health Protection Branch advises that
health care professionals identify latex sensitiye
patients and be prepared to treat allergic reactions
by following the recommendations listed below
to reduce the potential for, or consequences of, an
adverse reaction to latex:
• Acquire information about latex sensitivity
when taking a patient history (potential
symptoms include itching, rash , breathing
difficulties, etc. when wearing rubber gloves to
perform household chores or when inflating a
balloon).
• Use alternative materials such as plastic where
possible whenever latex sensitivity is suspected
or has been confirmed.
• Alert hospital personnel to the potential for latex
reactions and establish procedures to follow for
the various types of potential reactions.
• Encourage latex sensitive patients to advise all
health care professionals of their latex
sensitivity. 111111111
l '.N.A. NEWSI:Jl!LLETlN

3

Bethany Nurses on Strike!
By: Melanie Chapman, C.O.

Be ne fits

Nurses at the Bethany Care Centre in Cochrane walked off the job on July
12, 1991 after 10 months of bargaining with their employer, the Lutheran Welfare Society, proved fruitless. All seventeen of those nurses remain united
on a legal strike today.
The Lutheran Welfare Society owns and operates the 78-bed nursing home
which opened in 1988. UNA organized the Local in September of 1990 when
it became apparent to the nurses that they needed assistance to win satisfactory wages and working conditions. Bargaining for a first contract on behalf
of the Local began in October with the Local looking for a contract similar
to the Provincial Hospitals Agreement which covers nurses at two other
Bethany '
Care Centres in Alberta. Negotiations between the two parties continued
until May of 1991 when an Alberta Department of Labour mediator attempted
unsuccessfully to resolve the matter. The Society and the Union held several
bargaining sessions after the mediation attempt with the last meeting taking
place on July 4, 1991.
After much soul-searching the nurses decided to hold a strike vote. On July
9 the Local members voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action.
In November 1989 nurses working at the Bethany Care Centre in Cochrane
received a letter from Margaret Lepp, then-Chairperson of the Lutheran Welfare Society's Boara of Trustees, which responded to concerns the nurses had
raised about the employer-employee relationship. The letter stated that the
Centre hoped to have a balanced budget by 1991 and went on to say that if
this was achieved , the Board would be "in a position to consider added
expenditures for staff benefits most notably the reinstatement of a pension
plan. In the meantime, we ask for your patience and your support for our
efforts to get Bethany Care Centre Cochrane on solid financial ground.''
Despite achieving a balanced budget for 1991, the LWS refuses to provide the
"benefits" that the nurses have requested. The nursing home has offered the
nurses hospital wages but refuses to recognize any previous nursing experience
which will result in the nurses receiving substantially less pay than their hospital and nursing home counterparts. Outstanding issues are as follows:
U.N.A. (Based on
Provincial Hospitals
Agreement)

Issue
Pensions

Local Authorities Pension
Plan or equivalent
contributions (over 5%)

Shift Differential
Wee kend Premium
Replaceme nt (out-ofscope) pay
Charge Pay
Overtime

$1.50/hour
$1.10/hour
$1.50/hour
$1.25/hour
1112 Times the applicable
basic hourly rate for first
four hours
2 Times the applicable
basic hourly rate for additional hours

Employer
Employer to contribute
amount equivalent to 2%
of earnings into a group
RRSP.
55(/hour
35( /hour
None
None
1112 Tim e s for all hours

United Nurses Message
joyce

Kelly

Named Holidays
Nursing Instructors
Pre vious Experience
Educational Allowances

Sala ries

Employer/Employee share
pre mium cost 75/25
Provision of Extended
Dental Plan and
Orthodontics
Employees granted a
" floater " holiday
Included in Collective
Agreement
Recognize experience for
purposes of adjusting
salary increments
Clinical Course - 35(/hour
Active Reg. in AARN and
Eligible for PNAA Reg. 35(/ hour
Nursing Unit Admin.
Course - 35(/hour
One Year Diploma
- 35(/hour
BScN - 75(/hour
Master's - $1.00/hour
Salary as per Hospitals
Agreement with
adjustments for previous
experience

Starting Nurse
April 1, 1991 - $1 7.99
Nov. 1, 1991 - $18.53

Employer/Employee share
cost 50/50
Basic de ntal plan only
No floater
Excluded from Collective
Agreement
No recognition of any
previous nursing
experience
Clinical Course - 15(/hour
Active AARN Reg. and
eligible for PNAA Reg. 15(/hour
1 Year continuous
geriatric experience
· 15(/hour

BScN - 65e/hour

Equivalent of Hospital
Wages April 1, 1991 to
March 31 , 1992. No
adjustment for nursing
experience
8th Year Nurse
April 1, 1991 - $22.06
Nov. 1, 1991 - $22.73

Members of the Local have picketed outside of the nursing home, as well
as at the LWS bead office in Calgary. Construction of new office space and
a paved parking lot is taking place at the LWS's headquarters while the nurses
are out on strike. Judith McCool, the Cochrane Local President, said "We question the priorities of an employer which can find the funds to build additions
to offices and pave parking lots while claiming it has no money to pay nurses
to provide care for patients.''
UNA calls on the Lutheran Welfare Society to recognize the value of the
work of nurses in caring for the elderly- and to compensate the nurse accordingly . The nurses' contract demands are reasonable- they want what 10,000
other Alberta nurses already have in their contracts. While no new negotiation dates have been set, UNA hopes that the new CEO of the Society will
recognize the concerns of the nurses and attempt to negotiate a fair deal.
What the Bethany nurses ask of their colleagues:
• First and foremost: DO NOT C ROSS O U R PICKET LINE!!!!! Don't knock
·our legs out from under us.
• Join us on the picket line
• Invite us to your local meeting to talk about our struggle to get the contract
that many of you already enjoy.
• Contact us with messages of support:
Judith McCool- Local #173 President 932-6818
Carol Gardner - Local #173 Sec/Treas 337-2161
Dale Fiar- SCD Rep. 425-1025
• Notify the AARN or the Health Facilities Review Board if you hear of any
improper nurs ing care being given our residents.
• Contact The Lutheran Welfare Society and encourage them to return to
the bargaining table . (1001 - 17 St. N.W., Calgary) ~

Sing - Strikers - Sing
(loud & clear)
j oanne

S hirley

The strike has taken us away from you
And for this reason, we are lonely and blue.
We're striking for "Equality of Pay"
For equal professional care
Similar to what the other 11,000
Alberta nurses shareSo we walk daily on the street
Encouraging the Lutheran Society to meet
Surely soon, they will realize the
folly of their ways
And rectify this problem in the next few days.
In the meantime- Dear Friends:
We wish you fond greetings and memories
combined .
Memories-past and present- of the nicest kind.
Our lives have been enriched by you
We wonder , " Do you miss us too?"
If this is so- please let us know
Your devoted friends
- Bethany Striking Nurses

Onward Bethany nurses
Striking for equal pay.
With our banners flying
We're walking every day.
We ask you to negotiate
End this nasty strike.
Be fair with all your nurses.
And treat us all alike.
joyce Cave

Nurse Abuse-It's Not Just Part of the Job
By: M elanie Chapman, C.O.
"The submission ofdefence counsel is that there was
implied consent because of the nature of the employment. My response to that is that it is ludicrous to
suggest that because one works as a psychiatric nurse,
as was the situation here, and/or knows of the risk of
danger of attack from patients, that there is implied
consent to the application of force. [Nurses), like all
people who work in hospitals, and in particular psychiatric wards, are en tit led to the sanctity and security
of their person. There is no known authority, nor
should there be, to suggest that because they do this type
of work they impliedly give consent to be assaulted. "

Judge of Court of Queen's Bench,
Alberta, 1990
INTRODUCTION
Workplace violence is the nursing profession's
equivalent of domestic violence. The victims of the
abuse usually remain in close contact with the
abuser. The abuse is seen as part of the relationship between the abuser and the victim. The incidents are rarely reported to 'the authorities'. When
the abuse is report~d the legal system has not supported those who wish to lay criminal charges
against their abuser. But as society's attitudes have
begun to change towards domestic violence, so
must our attitudes change towards workplace
violence.
DEFINITIONS
Workplace violence: ''An act of aggression-verbal
or physical, assaults or threats-in the workplace .. . The act may involve but is not limited
to name-calling, swearing, hitting, biting, scratching, pinching, use of a weapon, sexual harassment
and assault and or battery" (BCNU)
The result of the violence can range from feeling uncomfortable to 'physical injury and mental
anguish '.
striking, biting, pinching etc
or threatening to do so with
the intent of harming or controlling another person
verbal assault:
"any communication a nurse
perceives to be a harsh, condemnatory attack on herself,
professionally or personally"
(Campbell)
emotional abuse: shunning or emotional isolation
sexual harassment: words or actions of a sexual
nature in a work situation
which make a person uncomfortable on the job
physical assault:

RESEARCH
Research s hows that the problem of w orkplace
violence is not limited to any one pa rticular area
of nursing care. A 1989 study (Rya n and Poster)
indicated that 51% of staff nurses thought that being hit was a regular part of nursing practice. A
BCNU study in 1986 found that 60 out of 147
respondents who worked for the City of Vancouver said that they had been in situations whe re
they felt in danger- 80% more than once . A study
by Cox in 1987 showed that nurses are accepting
of verbal abuse- we see one of our roles as providing an outlet for temper tantrums. The Manitoba
Nurses' Union in conjunction with other Manitoba nursing organizations surveyed 10,000 Manitoba nurses in 1989. Results indicated that all settings
reported abuse and that the patient was identified
most often as the attacker in the hospital and community care areas. Verbal abuse by ·a patient is
reportedly higher in extended Care and Rehab.
Attempts to physical harm, physical attack, verbal threats by a patient and verbal abuse by family
were higher in Acute Care. Sexual harassment by
patients occurred in all settings except Northern
nursing stations. Verbal abuse by physicians and
nursing team members was reported in all work
settings other than ambulatory care/clinics.
A 1981 study estimated that the re are five times
more assaults on nurses than reported. According
to WCB there were only 3 1lost time claims in 1990

from nurses who had been physically assaulted
while at work. Various reasons have been suggested for the lack of reporting of workplace violence
including: fear of reprisal from employer who will
say that the nurse provoked the violence; assumption that the victim will be okay, non-recognition
of latent effects of violence (family and social
problems); amount of time to complete gains;
wanting to forget the abuse took place; fear of lack
of support from colleagues; lack of awareness of
rights; and finally because those who do not wish
to face the abuse leave the profession.
UNA POSITION STATEMENT
ON NURSE ABUSE
Whereas nurse abuse in the Health Care Workplace has a significantly higher profile in recent
years and;
Whereas nurses are the front-line contact in potentially abusive situations.
U .N .A. is taking the following position on nurse
abuse to maximize the potential of a safe and
healthy working environment.
Violence is defined as "exertion of physical or verbal force so as to injure or abuse".
Abuse may be manifested in various forms of aggression, including verbal, physical, psychological and sexual harassment.
Therefore U.N.A. fully supports:

Nurses Right to Know
Nurses have the right to know when potentially
abusive situations and or persons exist in the
workplace.
Knowledge and Awareness
U .N .A. will take a proactive stance in encouraging
members to become more knowledgeable and
educated about up-to-date measures to protect the
nurse from abuse in the workplace.
It is essentialthat nw:ses.document and report all
incidents of abuse. U .N.A. shall promote the development of Nurse Abuse policies in each Health
Care Facility.
Security Measures
It is the responsibility of the Employer to provide
a safe working environment to protect nurses from
abuse.
U .N.A. recognizes the risk of nurses working
alone . Therefore U .N .A. will continue to take the
stance that nor nurse shall work alone.
U .N .A. expects the employer to provide appropriate security personnel and equipment to maximize
the potential for a safe , secure a nd healthy work
environment .
Nurses Rights
Nurses have the right not to be abused. Nurses have
the right to compensation thru Workers Compensation for injuries sustained from abuse. Nurses have
the right to expect the employer to provide a safe,
secure and healthy work enviro nment. Nurses
have the right to contact and require police assistance in abusive or potentially abusive situations.
Nurses have the right to access and file W.C.B.
forms , incident reports and Occupational Health
& Safety Forms. Nurses have the right to access
of adequate support and counselling services.
U .N .A. believes that the Employer should be
responsible and willing to pay for counselling services and U .N .A. will strive to achieve this in all
locals.
Nurses have the right to sick leave as per current
Collective Agreements and follow-up medical examination at Employees request.
Legal assistance, if necessary, will be provided by
U .N.A.
.
(Executive Board M eeting - Feb./March 1991, M ay/91

RECOMMENDATIONS
Organization
The Employer should:

• develop institutional policies and guidelines on
dealing with violent patients (role of nurses and
security , who to contact, how to report the
abuse, and follow-up care of the victim)
• provide education/inservices on conflict resolution and dealing with violent patients
• lobby for education of undergraduate nurses in
this area
• support staff who have been abused-not question their competence
• address safety issues such as short-staffing,
physical layout of wards/units, call systems and
vehicle maintenance for health unit nurses
• provide access to trained psychiatric support for
the victim and her co-workers(many banks
already provide this service for their employees
who have been threatened)
• educate patients, administrators, physicians
and the public that nurse abuse is unacceptable in the institution
• consider flagging charts/kardexes of patients
who have had aggressive outbursts in the past
so that staff(who would otherwise be unaware
of the violence potential) can exercise caution
with their approach to the patient
• research abuse- what is the connection between abuse/harassment and staff turn-over,
how much physician/colleague abuse occurs
• staff wards/units/offices adequately. Mix inexperienced and experienced staff

Individual
Employees should:
• report the incident immediately to your employer
• notify the union if you have been involved in
a violent incident- UNA will advise your of
your rights under the collective agreement as
well as your legal rights
• seek support from a crisis intervention-trained
professional
• DOCUME T. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT even if you don't think you have been injured
seriously! Post-traumatic stress /injuries may
appear several days later
• refuse to work alone
• file professional responsibility and occupational
health & safety forms regarding unsafe patient
care/working conditions
• support colleagues who have been assaulted or
abused
Watch for "It's Not Part of the job- Recognizing
and Defusing the Violent Situation" in your next
UNA Newsbulletin! ~

Dear Ms. Smith:
Assaults on Nurses by MeiQl
Patients occurrlug la boepi181s
The meeting cl September S. 1991, at your
office. was very informative from the~
Police Service's point of view.
As a result of the meetin& the Senior Agent cl
the AHomey General in Bdmonton, fdr. Gary
McCuaig. was contacted 8Dd this matter was discussed. He agrees totally that the IDISital COildition cl a suspect will be determined through the
Courts. A directive has been circuJated to all
Members of the Bdmontoo Police Service, outfining that evidence of an auault will determine if
charges will be laid. The mental condition of the
suspect will not be a factor in laying of charges.
We app-eciate your memberships COOCJemS and
also bringing this matter to the attention of the
Edmonton Police Service. Should you have any
future concerns, -please COQtact myself, or any
Supervisor of the Bdmonlon Police Service.
Sincerely,

Inspector R.B. Bevan
Bdmooton Police Service

l l.N.A. NEWSIH ' I.I.Li'IN
~------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a

Pensions
Dear Heather:
It is with heartfelt thanks that the Public Service
Alliance of Canada Calgary Regional Office
accepts your generous financial support in aid of
o ur current strike.
I have, this date, faxed a copy of our present
picketing locations and any support which your
members could provide would also be appreciated.
Our members who have undertaken to
challenge their employer, the Federal Government, have done so at great personal and financial expense. The kind donation and support from
the United Nurses of Alberta towards their cause
is greatly appreciated. As you are aware, our
struggle with this government is the struggle of all
Canadians and hopefu lly our chant of "enough is
enough'' will finally be heard.

and dying during times for prosperity and war,
were men.
As traditional male and female occupations and
roles are changing in our society, more men
perceive nursing as both a challenging and rewarding career.
In Canada , over 7,000 men are registered nurses
and the numbers are increasing.
Although not everyone is suited for a career in
nursing, someone who might be considering
entry into the profession should write a School of
Nursing for information and plan their career.
Remember, nursing is an alternative career
choice for men in our society.
Thank you so much,
Yours Sincerely,
Gary D. Okrainec, RN

In Solidarity,
Maggie Armstrong,
Regional Representative, PSAC

Dear Editor:
Enclosed is a remark submitted to your paper
for possible publication . Information on Males in
Nursing is very scant and I feel that any support
for their entrance into the profession is greatly
appreciated.
Males in Nursing
Today, unlike in the past decades, more men are
choosing to become professional nurses. The reasons maybe quite obvious - better salaries, job
opportunities, job security and mobility within the
profession . Research on job satisfaction of men in
nursing indicates that male nurses are happy with
their careers.
The social stigma that nursing is only a "female
occupation" is wrong. Centuries ago, the first people to serve, care for and assist the injured, sick

Dear Editor:
I found the article, " Issues Affecting Males in
Nursing" (by Gary Okrainec) to be very interesting and informative. Since my encounters with
" male RN's" are absolutely nil in this area, it's
great to hear the perspective from another RN of
my gender.
I have never found any discrimination among
my fellow RN's, or the attitude, "you can ' t do
that." I have found them to be very accepting of
the fact of my different gender in the realm of nursing duties, activities and procedures .
I work in a geriatric institution (100 beds); I find
geriatric nursing challenging and rewarding. For
myself, I wouldn' t be caught dead in an ER or OR
setting, unless, I was the client. I find it unfortunate that some RN 's find it degrading to be employed in geratrics or regard those RN's that do
so, as " inferior" or ' 1at the bottom of the nursing
totem pole."

Sincerely,
R. Laewen, RN

UNA Changes
Nora Spencer has
been hired as a
Labour Relations
Officer in the
Edmonton Office .
Nora has worked as
a temporary LRO for
UNA on three occasions in addition to representing Central District
members as a District Rep .

Trudy Richardson
w ill be returning to
UNA as the new
Education Officer.
Trudy had been on
UNA's staff as the
Education/Publications Officer and as a Labour Relations Officer
before moving to British Columbia last year.

Melanie Chapman,
UNA's current
Education/Publications Officer, has
been appointed to
the newly-created
position of Communications Officer.
Melanie is a former UNA Local President.

Rick Lampshire has
been appointed to a
temporary Labour
Relations Officer
position in the Calgary office. Rick had
served as a Labour
Relations Officer in the Edmonton office prior to
moving to British Columbia last summer.

Gabrielle H ucker
has been appointed
as the Secretary/
Receptionist in the
Calgary office.
Gabrielle worked in
this capacity for
UNA's sister union
in Ontario for several years.

Melony Stewart
moves into the
newly-created
position of Labour
Relations Secretary
in the Edmonton
office from her
former job as the
Edmonton Receptionist/Secretary .

Shelley Hodgson has been hired as the Edmonton Receptionist/
Secretary. Shelley worked for UNA several years ago in the same
position. (Photo not available)

Pension Position Statement
United Nurses of Alberta takes the position that
pensions are deferred wages and they therefore
belong to us by right. U .N.A. is opposed to changes
which are regressions in our Pension Plan.
U.N.A. Action Plan
U .N .A. has undertaken several actions in response
to the Government and asks you to:
1. Encourage members to send a letter to Hon.
Dick Johnson (see attached sample).
2. Ask Local Executives with Special Pension
Bulletins to distribute to members.
3. Copy the petition (attached) and circulate in
your workplace for all participants in L.A.P.P.
or P.S.P.P. to sign (not jusrt.J.N.A. members).
Return signed petitions to U.N.A. Provinclal Office as soon as possible.
4. PLBASB PARTICIPATB!

SAMPLE LETI'ER
DATE: _ _ __
The Hon. Dick Johnston
Provincial Treasurer
GovenunentofAlbena
224 Legislature Building
EDMONTON, Alberta
T5K286

Dear Sir:
RE: Proposed RevisiOil: Alberta PUbHc
Service Pensions
This is to advise you that the United Nurses of
Alberta is concerned about the effect on our members of many of the revisions to Public Service Pension Plans which you proposed on July 9th. 1991.
We are particularly concerned that these changes
would significantly alter the nature and extent of
pension benefits which have been guaranteed to
this point by the Government of Alberta.
cation for ra ising members ' contribution rates, as
well as cutting back some of the benefits they can
expect. If a shortfall exists in our Pension Fund ,
it is not the fault of out members who have always
paid their fair share in contributions. They should
not, therefore, be asked to bear even a portion of
the burden for a problem not of their making.
We are likewise concerned by other significant
changes which you are proposing; in particular,
proposals that would:
1. Set cost-of-living increases at 60% of Alberta
CPI;
2. Reduce portability by cancelling reciprocal
agreements, and eliminating purchase of prior
service;
3. Increase early retirement reductions to 5% per
year on all service;
4. Place limits on adding or withdrawing employees from the plan;
5. Reduce survivor benefit provisions;
6. Place further limits on the Pension Board's
authority to hear appeals.
We have always taken the position that pensions
are deferred wages; they therefore belong to us by
right. We, therefore, have a right to expect proper
consultation and input, not only into the present
debate, but on an ongoing basis through properlyconstituted Pension Boards.
In light of our concerns, we are hereby requesting that you not proceed with any of your
proposals until we have an adequate opportunity
to fully discuss the issues and alternatives availa·
ble to us. As well, we will require additional
information, especially as it relates to past disposition of pension contributions and investments.
Thanking you for your attention, I remain
Yours truly,
(Name)

(Union Name & Local No.)

(I

l l.N.J\. NI<~WSI:H T I.LETIN

UNA Executive Board Meeting Sunnnary (August 1991)
DISTRICTS
A motion was made.
That the minutes reflect and commend Dale Fior's
{Chairperson of S.C.D.) and Corinne Hingston's
{President, Local #115) support for Local # 173 Bethany Care Cochrane during their strike."
1991 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
AND POLICY RESOLUTIONS
There was much discussion about the Constitutional
Amendments and Policy Resolutions Report.
As a result the following motion was made:
" That the package of Constitutional Amendments
and Policy Resolutions be read and used for discussion purposes only except that all recommendations
of support by the Committee with financial implications shall be voted on by this Executive Board ."
The Executive Board is supporting the following proposed Constitutional Amendments and Policy Resolutions to the Annual General Meeting:
''THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that a new Article
8.11 be added to read: "For the purpose of this article
the two {2) units of UNA Local #1 shall be regarded
as separate Chartered Locals and Local # 1 shall not
be regarded as a Chartered Local."
"THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that U.N.A.
donate $10,000 to the Action Canada Network {formerly Pro-Canada) Alberta organization to support
political action. "
In addition the Executive Board has submitted a Constitutional Amendment to reduce the contributions to
the Emergency Fund from 15% to 12%.
DISCIPLINE ARTICLE IN THE CONSTITUTION
Marta Burns, U.N .A. counsel, drafted a new Disciplinary Article for our constitution. A motion was made
that the Executive Board support in principle the Disciplinary Process as outlined in this document. The
motion was carried; however, Karen Craik wished her
"No" vote be recorded.
The draft Article will appear in the 1991 Annual General Meeting Package as a Constitutional Amendement.
MOTIONS FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION
Relating to U.N.A. Staff
The Director of Labour Relations, the Director of
Finance and Administrative Services and Executive
Officers were directed to draft an outline of the process
to be followed when a member has a concern regarding U.N.A. staff.
Local Contact Forms
The Executive Board directed that Local contact forms
be added to the computer system. Local contact forms
are used by Labour Relations Staff and Executive Board
members to record concerns arising from the Locals.
Local #173 - Bethany Care - Cochrane
The following motion was passed:
That Local #173 Bethany Care - Cochrane be given
$2,500 from the Emergency Fund for strike-related
costs.
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES COMMITTEE
Annual General Meetings
The ·following motions were passed:
That the 1993 Hospital Demand Setting Meeting be
held at the Mayfield Inn, Edmonton, September 21,
22 and 23.
The 1994 Annual General Meeting be held at the
Mayfield Inn, October 18, 19 and 20.
The Standing Rules of Order for Delegates Meetings
be amended by adding:
That seating at delegate meetings shall remain the
same for each day of the meeting. Any dispute regarding the seating shall be settled by the Sergeant-AtArms. The decision of the Sergeant-At-Arms is final:
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
COMMITTEE REPORT
That U.N.A. office write to subscribe to the "Health
Devices Alerts'' FDA Data Bulletin.
FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
New Locals
New Locals that are organized under existing Locals
shall be funded internally as separate Locals.

That all newly organized Locals shall receive a grant of
$100.00 effective the date of certification.
The following Locals receive a $100.00 grant from Program 80, Group 3.
Local #69 - Daysland {Provost)
Local #69 - Hardisty {Provost)
Local #79- Radway {Edmonton General)
Local #24 - Myrnum (St. Paul)
Local #89 - Chinook Health Unit {City of
Lethbridge Health Unit)
Pension Fightback
That $10,000 be donated to the Special Committee on
Public Services Pensions to help fund projects of the
Committee. This is an inter-union committee which has
been formed to challenge proposed changes to the
Provincial Pension legislation.
Calgary Molson Brewery Workers
U.N.A. donate a further $5,000 to the striking Molson
Brewery workers, in accordance with UNA Funding 3 Donations.
UNA Policy Funding- 11.4 was amended
to now read:
"UNA members who work part-time, may apply for
full salary replacement on scheduled days of rest or
blank days, when conducting provincially funded
UNA business on those days. The number of hours
paid {by WCB plus UNA) shall not exceed the number of hours for a regular full-time position, in any
pay period.
And fu rther, that WCB top up payments be based on
10% of the applicable UNA salary replacement rate.
And further, that LTDI top up payments be based on
331!3 of the applicable UNA salary replacement rate. "
And further, that LTDI top up payments be based on
331!3 of the applicable UNA salary replacement rate."
EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT
The following motions arose from the report:
That the President of U .N .A. write a letter of reference
for prospective clients of Crisis Management Resources
contingent upon receipt of Post Seminar Questionnaires
fro

he-.particinoo,,...._ __

That a display from Oxfam Canada relating to global
health care issues will be permitted at the 1991
Annual General Meeting.
STEERING COMMITTEE REPORT
U .N.A. Position/Responses
That the Executive Officers meet with the DLR, and staff
as delegated by the DLR, to formulate a response to the
document "Towards Integrated Medical Resource Policies for Canada".
That the Executive Officers meet with the DLR, and staff
as delegated by the DLR, to formulate a response to the
document " Health Care Goals".
New Locals
That the new Locals organized under existing U.N.A.
Locals achieve separate certification status as soon as
possible.
Evaluation of U.N.A. Services·
A draft evaluation tool shall be developed for the
December Board meeting.
Each District is to identify proposed criteria/ categories
of assessment and submit to the Executive Officers by
October 31, 1991. The Executive Officers, DLR and
DFAS will develop a draft evaluation tool for presentation to the December Executive Board Meeting.
District Reps. shall review the process for dealing with
concerns regarding staff and also review this document
with their Locals at the next District Meeting.
P.N.A.P. (Provincial Nursing Action Planl
Further Executive Board participation in this committee shall be determined at the December Executive
Board.
The DLR is to determine staff assignments to support
Executive Board member participation in the Activity
Teams.
That the document "PNAP Meeting Minutes" be circulated with the Board summary.
Negotiations Policy Changes
Amend Negotiations 4.3 A by adding a new #3 to read:
3. Dissolution of the committee will occur upon the
completion of the negotiating process.
Amend Negotiations 4.3 A by adding a new #5 to read:

5. At the request of the Negotiating Committee,
Negotiating Committee members shall be funded to
attend Executive Board Meetings which occur during negotiations.
Amend Negotiations 4. 3 A by adding a new #6 to read:
6. At the request of the Negotiating Committee,
Negotiating Committee members shall be funded to
attend District Meetings which occur during negotiations.
Amend Negotiations 4.4 by adding a new category
" Proposals " to read:
All proposals not dealt with at the Demand Setting
Meeting shall be referred to the Negotiating Committee and shall be considered approved as recommended by the Negotiating Committee.
Amend Negotiations 4.6 C by adding a new #6 to read:
From the date of exchanging proposals with the Employer until the Collective Agreement is ratified,
UNA will maintain a Fact Line{s), which will be updated as directed by the Negotiating Committee.
Amend Negotiations 4.3 by adding a new category
" Late Proposals" to read:
{a) Only late proposals which are deemed by the
Negotiating Committee to be of an urgent nature shall
be placed before the Demand Setting.
(b) The Negotiating Committee shall have the authority
to develop proposals to address urgent issues that
arise following the Demand Setting Meeting and prior
to the exchange of proposals wi th the Employer.
Inclusion of such proposals {in the package of
proposals to be exchanged with the Employer) is
dependant on approval by the Executive Board.
PENSION COMMITTEE REPORT
The following motions resulted from the Pension Committee Report:
Pension Reform
The following Position Statement on Proposed Pension reform was adopted:
United Nurses of Alberta takes the position that Pensions are deferred wages and they therefore belong
to us by right.
United

tH'8eS of Alberta .;s opposed

to changes

which are regressions in our Pension Plan such as:
COLA set at 60% of Alberta CPI
Surcharges
Early Retirement Reductions
Deletion of buy back provisions
Reduced Portability
Limits on adding or withdrawing Employees in plan.
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
That the President of U.N.A. respond to Verna Korkie's
letter addressing her concerns regarding medicare cutbacks and comments on a "two tiered" system.
That the President of U.N.A. write a letter in support
of Verna Korkie's concerns to Nancy Betkowski with
a c.c. to Verna Korkie, R.N.
Local # 173 Strike
That the District Reps be encouraged to promote emotional and financial support for the striking members
of Local #173 Bethany Care Cochrane.
That if Local #173 is still on strike by the 1991 AGM ,
a rally of support be planned.
PUBLICATIONS AND
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
The following motions resulted:
Answering Machines
If at all possible answering machines be available at
the Demand Setting Meeting in order that they be
placed in the hands of the Local Presidents at that
time.
T-Shirts
The Executive Officers arrange forT-shirts to be purchased and to be sold at the Demand Setting and An·
nual Meetings. These T-shirts will display the U.N.A.
logo and say "United We Bargain, Divided We
Beg" · Negotiations '92. We further recommend
$4,000 be taken from surplus for the purchase of 500
T-shirts.
Pocket Calendars
That we purchase small pocket calendars to distribute at the Annual Meeting. The cover will display the
U.N.A.logo and the slogan "United We Bargain,
Divided We Beg". ~

U.N.A. NEWSBULLI!.'TIN

7

Daysland

Maternity Leave
By: Yessy Byl, LRO

As you may be aware, there has recently been
a Human Rights Inquiry decision saying that
women are entitled to sick leave and/or short
and long term disability benefits for the period
of time before and after delivery for which the
doctor says the woman is medically unable to
work. (Until this decision, sick leave and disability benefits ended on the date of delivery.)
The Alberta Health Care Association (on behalf
of all Alberta hospitals) is appealing this decision. Until the appeal is finished, the A.H.A. has
told us that Alberta hospitals will not pay out
any sick leave or disability benefits after the
delivery date but they will keep track of all women who go on maternity leave between now and
the final court decision. If the final court decision says that the Human Rights Inquiry was
correct, then all women who had children in this
period of time will get retroactive sick pay and/or
benefits pay.
To make sure that you will be entitled to this
payment, you must follow a number of steps.
FIRST: instead of notifying your supervisor of
when you want to start "maternity leave", just
notify her of your expected delivery date and
advise her that you will be booking off work
when your doctor tells you that you are medically unable to continue working. SECOND:
When your doctor says you are no longer able
to continue working, get a doctor's note and give
it to your supervisor (just like other sicknesses!).
We are told that you will be paid your sick leave
at least up to the date of delivery. THIRD: After

the birth, have your doctor determine when you
have medically recovered to the point of being
fit to return to work. GET A DOCTOR'S NOTE
and give it to your supervisor (keep a copy) .
FOURTH: once you are medically fit to return
to work then at that point UNA considers you
to have started your voluntary maternity leave.
You should apply for maternity leave. FIFTH:
don't forget that the collective agreement requires you to give the employer four weeks' notice to return to work after maternity leave.
There is one wrinkle. We've assumed that you
would be working as long as you can. However,
the collective agreement does give you the right
to go on voluntary maternity leave before the
delivery even if you are able to work. In fact,
the Human Rights Inquiry Decision said that
even if you are on voluntary leave, you can go
on sick leave once the doctor says you aren't
medically able to work. Since that part of the
decision is being appealed UNA suggests that
if you do decide to go on an early maternity leave
you should still get the doctor's note with the
date you become medically unable to work before the delivery and the date you are medically
able to work after the delivery.
UNA and AHA have had a number of meetings regarding the development and implementation of a new salary continuance plan for
employees on maternity leave.
Should a new plan be implemented, UNA
members will be contacted ..
In the meantime if you have any concerns or
questions please contc;tct your Labour Relations
Officer or Local Executive. -'~

by Murray Billett
On Friday, October 4, 1991 , United Nurses of
Alberta completed negotiations for a First
agreement for the nurses employed with
Daysland General Hospital. This after the
majority of the nurses voted to join UNA earlier
this summer.
The Unions negotiating committee consisted
of Janet Wolbeck , Caorol Faddum , Marg
Oberg, and Karen Price who were assisted by
their LRO Murray Billett.
Billett said ''The committee was successful in
negotiating the entire provincial agreement
and also included some local conditions, a
package which will be recommended to the
local at a ratification meeting slated for
October 18, 1991 in Daysland." -'~

Executive Board
President
Heather Smith
Home: 437-2477
Work: 425-1025
Vice-President

Sandie Rentz
Home: 346-4412
Work: 343-4422
Secretary-Treasurer

Florence Ross

/Jarlelr! ~
Home: 765-2348
Work: 538-7400

Foc:t

TII"T"

L.O.A .
Foil.

iHE

UNA

MEE.TII\/6-!

Gait 7.jm1ens
Home: 458-0503
Work: 478-9221 (215)

"Education among the
people is the
best security of a
good government and
constitutional liberty.''
{Egerton Ryersonj

Date

District

Workshop

Location

November 18

Provincial
Workshop

1. Grievance
2 . Health & Safety
3. PRC

Calgary

4. Local Administration
8

UN.A. NEWSBULU.'TIN

NORI'H CENTRAL
Jsabelle Burgess•
Home: 462-7961
Work: 425·1025
Gina Kelland
Home: 477-5847
Work: 453-5441
Bell Dick.
Home: 430-7093
Work: 484-88U 1671)
Cannelita Solima.n
Home: 487-3812
Work: 482-8397
Wllerie Holowach
Home: 998-9530
Work: 895-2248

1991 Workshop Schedule

SOUTH
Dio.ne Poynter•
Home: 327-3501
Work: 382-6482
Sharon Dersch
Home: 381-6844
Work: 382-6476

Home: 433-2928
Work: 486-8811{764)
Hazel Paish*
Home: 539-7234
Work: 532-3525

~~l(

Kathy jarnes
Home: 295-2442
Work: 270-1517

CENTRAL
Andrew LeBlanc•
Home: 346-8309
Work: 343-4448
Office: 342-2033
Marilyn Coady
Home: 352-8552
Work: 352-3371 (230)

SOUTH CENTRAL
Dale .Ror*
Home: 238-0810
Work: 228-8155
fbm Liegerot
Home: 230-8101
Work: 284-1141 13151
Karen Craik
Home: 236-5326
Work: 270-1315
Holly He{fernan
Home: 255-0479
Work: 259-7511 (IV)
Donnie Meeht:m
Home: 295-1609
Work: 228·8153

Provincial Office
9th Floor
Park Plaza
9811 - 106 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5K 2P7
425-1025
1-800-252-9394
Fax: 426-2093

David Harrigan
Director of
Labour Relations
Barixua Surdykowski

L.R.O.
I.esleyHaag
L.R.O.
Melahie Chapmm

c.o.

Yessy Byl
L.R.O.
Murray Billell

L.R.O.
. Nora Spencer
L.R.O.
Trudy Richardson
E.O.
Darlene Rathgeber
Director of Finance and
.Administrative Services

Calgary Office
505 Pacific Plaza

700 - 6th Avenue, S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2P OT8
237-2377
1·800-661-1802
Fax: 263-2908

Mldatl MeaT-m
L.R.O.
Marilyn \tM:isau

L.R.O.
LauriB Coates

L.R.O.
Rick. Lampshire

L.R.O.jTempJ.

•oenotes District
Chairperson