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NEWS BULLETIN
SEPTEMBER 1979

VOLUME 3, NO . 3

Negotiations to Commence in Fall

-

--E.vc n?Cn?bcrs o f U. N . A . 's hospital negotiating team discuss proposed contract

amendments. Left to right are Gurty Chine//, President; A1leen McKerness;
Dallas Szarko; Donna C/ark, Vice-President and team chairman; and Marilyn
Balantyne.

Negotiations towards a hospital
collective agreement for 1980 could
begin as early as mid October under a
plan drawn up by U.N .A .'s negotiating committee.
The comprehensive plan, approved
in principle at the June executive
committee meeting, provides that
each hospital local hold a meeting in
early September, to discuss negotiations proposals. Proposals adopted at
the local level are to be forwarded to
provincial office no later than September 14.
Provincial office staff and the
negotiating committee will then sift
through all pro posals and make
recommendations concerning contract
demands to a meeting of delegates on
Friday, September 28.
The September 28 meeting will be
attended by one voting delegate from
each local. lt will take place the day
following U.N.A.'s annual meeting, at
the same location , the Convention Inn
South Hotel in Edmonton.
The negotiating committee's plan
provides that provincial office staff will
immediately mail out the minutes of
the September 28 meeting to each
local. Hospital locals will be asked to
hold meetings to endorse the package
of demands in the first two weeks of
October.
" The negotiating committee's original plan called for negotiations to
commence in November," commented negotiating committee chairman , Donna Clark . " However, in
discussions with the Alberta Hospital

Association, the bargaining agent for
most hospitals, we found that they
were eager to begin negotiations in
October. Our committee felt that this
was too good an opportunity to pass
up. Accordingly, we moved our plans
forward ."
Simon Renouf, Chief Executive
Officer, wrote to all presidents and
secreta ries of hospital locals in J uly,
informing them of the negotiating
committee's plan. He has urged all
locals to hold meetings to discuss
contract proposals before September
14, and to be prepared to meet again
in the first two weeks of October to
consider the package to be worked
out by the delegates to the September
28 meeting .
The negotiating committee has
recognized that there may be some
items of concern to the members of
certain locals which may not have
province-wide implications . If there
are such issues at a particular local ,
they should be made known to
provincial office in writing prior to
September 14, so that U.N.A. can
attempt to resolve them before the
province-wide negotiations begin .
The negotiating committee is comprised of Chief Executive Officer,
Simon Renouf, U.N.A. Vice-President , Donna Clark as Chairman ,
U.N .A . President, Gurty Chinell, and
executive committee members, Margaret Ethier of Edmonton, Marilyn
Ballantyne of Red Deer, Dallas Szarko
of Lethbridge, and Aileen McKerness
of Calgary.

IS THERE A NURSING SHORTAGE?
Press reports earlier this summer
indicated that there may be a severe
nu rsing shortage in Alberta , with
hospitals throughout the province
being forced to close beds.
Perversely, the nursing shortage has
been blamed on nurses themselves.
The Edmonton Journal quoted Collin
Carter, the assistant executive director
of the Edmonton General Hospital as
saying " a lot of women just quit for
the summer, knowing they can get
back on in the fall."
U.N .A . responded to these charges
in a press release carried by most
newspapers and radio stations in the
province, blaming the reported nursing shortage on provincial government
polic ies . " There is a climate of
spending restraint in the hospital
industry which is making nursing a
less attractive job" the union release
stated.
"In many hospitals, nurses are told
they must cope with under-staffed
units because the funds do not exist
to hire sufficient nurses. This is a
resu lt of provincial spending restraint
policies. The under-staffing puts a
great pressure on nurses, particularly

in areas such as intensive care. Nurses
are responsibile for the well-being of
patients, yet they are given no control
over staffing levels, " the union release
said .
The release added, " another facto r
contributing to the reported shortage
is the low salary level for nurses in
Alberta as compared with British
Columbia. The cost of living is high in
Alberta yet the salaries are too low to
attract sufficient numbers of trained
nurses from other parts of Canada ."
(Nursing salaries in British Columbia
are about $1 ,000 .00 per year higher
than those in Alberta.)
In addition , the union responded to
the charge that nurses themselves are
the cause of the shortage. Union
spokesmen interviewed by the press
stressed that to blame the problem on
nurses taking the summer off is to
perpetuate the myth that women are a
secondary work force who somehow
do not really need the income derived
from their work. The union's response
stressed that most women work for
precisely the same reason that men
do, in order to support themselves
and their families.

Ontario Nurses Break $20,000 Barrier
Maximum salaries for staff nurses
will pass the $20,000 mark this year in
Ontario . The first arbitration award
affecting nurses i n Ontario was
released in June. The award applies to
nurses at Kingston General Hospital
but is expected to have a trend-setting
effect on the other 132 hospitals
where the Ontario Nurses' Association
represents nursing staff. Under the
terms of the award, issued under
Ontario's compulsory arbitration law
for hospital workers, a staff nurse with
se v en years ' experience will earn
$1,676.00 per month on October 1st,
1979. While the new maximum can be
considered a break-through, t he overall award will not be applauded by
Ontario nurses.
The Arbitration Board, which is
charged with merely applying the
" going rate" in contract settlements,
awarded the nurses an increase of
approximately 7% in each of the two
years of the new contract.
A disturbing aspect of the compulsory arbitration award is that the
Arbitration Board apparently recognized that the increase in salaries
would result in a decrease in real
income for the nurses. According to
reports, the Board " concluded with
considerable regret that the present
economic circumstances, and the
reaction of the private sector to those

circumstances, do not permit us to
insulate the nurses to be covered by
this awa rd entirely from the effects of
inflation over the period of the ir
contract. Unless there are considerable changes in the economic factors
influencing the cost of living in this
country, our award will result in a
decrease in real income for the
employees covered by it. ... In
short, real wages are declining everywhere, and the standard of living in
our society is thereby being reduced,
at least for persons whose main
income is from employment."
The Ontario nurses can not be
happy with such an award being a
precedent for their contract settlements for 1979 and 1980.
U.N .A. Chief Executive Off icer,
Simon Renouf, commenting on the
award said " we can see from this
award the enormous drawback of
compulsory arbitration legislation such
as that which applies to nurses in
Ontario and provincial employees here
in Alberta. "
He added " while we applaud the
Ontario nurses for breaking through
the $20,000 barrier, we must make it
clear to Alberta hospitals that increases of less than the rate of
inflation are simply unacceptable to
our members. "

$10 USER FEE -THE HIGH COST
OF STAVING ALIVE IN ALBERTA

CEO REPORT

By Nancy Steward, Member, U.N .A . Loca/179
Canadians have much to be proud of. As a young country, Canada has the
ability to adopt the good features of several philosophies ranging from socialism
to free enterprise. Among the benefits of this ability to choose is our nation-wide
hospitalization and medicare program. lt is the envy of the U.S.A. At a time
when health care costs are so high, why are we underm ining our own system?
If the basic problem is spiralling health care costs, it has been created and
expanded by all of us, by con~umers, doctors, nurs~s, and governments.
.
The consumer has contnbuted through poor lifestyle patterns, over-eatmg,
over-drinking, smoking, speeding, and also through longevity and the loss of the
family's acceptance of responsibility to its aged members. Doctors have
contributed through overuse of laboratory tests and elaborate equipment.
Doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel have contributed through their
demands for adequate incomes to attract high quality practitioners. The
government has contributed through its inability to forsee the numbers of beds
needed for each category of care (nursing home, auxiliary, and acute).
At present Alberta has a premium that many other provinces do not have.
Alberta has a $5 admission fee. Now, hospitals minister Dave Russell is asking
for public response on a $10 per day user's fee. lt is incredible that the richest
province in Canada is introducing such a plan . If Nova Scotia or Newfoundland,
already overburdened with high employment and welfare costs, were doing it, it
would be understandable. The $10 fee is defended by saying that only those who
can afford it would pay; the aged and welfare recipients would be exempt. Once
again that ever decreasing working segment of the popu lace that alrea~y is
paying through tax for our many social services would be asked to pay aga1n or
be subjected to a means t est .
Whenever nationalized health care plans are debated the constant fear
seems to be over-utilization. At a time when prevention and early diagnosis are
encouraged this fear seems unjustified. Sure, there are those who abuse the
system, but our system has many safeguards. Only doctors can admit patients to
hospitals. Any abuse of our acut e care beds is due more to their inability to
discharge many patients, because of " no place to go" or inadequate home care
facilities .
State medicine has been accused of being a causal factor in rising costs, due
to typical government inefficiency and waste. Facts, however, do not support
this statement:
( i) Average cost per patient per day in acute care hospitals.
In A lberta $114.
In U.S.A. $203.
( ii) Physician' s salaries after taxes in 1976.
In Ontario $32,887 .
In U.S.A. $43, 152.
(iii) Percentage of Gross National Product spent on Health Care.
In Canada 7%.
In U.S.A. 8.8%.
If we see illness as something that can befall anyone, that is frequently n_gt
antlclpmcr'Or revent1itm!, tmTittre-uniVersltV"'f 1'18artn care Oeeom~s a Valued
principle. Why tax the sick? Why deplete people's savings and hopes because of
health misfortunes? When you look at the added administrative costs, the
numbers of excluded people, and the past history which indicates that such fees
rarely deter abuses, how great is the benefit?
A user fee, no matter how small, erodes the principle of universal health care
by adopting the premise that the consumer is accountable fo~ _his health care
costs. This premise can then be used as an argument by phys1c1ans to endorse
extra billing , for once the government accepts patient participation in one part of
the medical delivery system then it has to accept patient participation for any
area of the health care system. To the consumer suffering chronic or catastrophic
illness this would be an unfortunate precedent .
Nurses, as the major group involved in the delivery of health care service,
must use their collective voice to promote the concept of universal uninhibited
access to health care. The United Nurses of Alberta are asking for your opinions
to formulate a stand on the user fee issue. Don' t complain about the
inaccessibility of government unless you have made an honest attempt to be
heard through appropriate channels such as U.N.A.

By Simon Renouf,

Chief Executive Officer

In the three mont hs since I became t he Chief Executive Officer of U.N.A., I
have given a great deal of thought to the future of our union. What are our goals
for both the long and the short-term? What should those goals be? How can we
achieve them 7
Inevitably, short-term goals claim our attention because of their very
urgency: preparation for this fall's negotiations( completion of the successor
rights process, and responding to the Alberta Hospital Association's attempt to
force an inferior benefits package on our members.
Yet responses have been developed to these urgent matters, and to the
many day to day challenges that face our union such as grievance arbitrations,
board hearings and on-going negotiations with health unit and nursing home
boards.
From these daily " emergencies" we should periodically pause and try to
consider our long-term goals. How do we want our union to develop in the
months and years ahead? Our annual meeting on September 26th and 27th, will
provide one opportunity for nurses from all parts of Alberta to meet and consider
such questions.
Some long-term goals are, I believe, fundamental to the role of our union :
we should strive to organize all working nurses in Alberta , we should seek greater
co-operation with our sisters and brothers in the labour movement, and we
should increase the level of awareness and activity of our membel"$hip
e-last
goal is paramount. How can we, over t he next year, involve more nurses in their
local?
To get members involved in their local, the local must be active. lt is a
truism of human society to say that organization follows the necessity for
organization . Organization is only needed when we are trying to accomplish
something.
What is your local trying to accomplish 7 Are there issues at your hospital or
health unit which could benefit from the involvement of the union? Certainly, the
most obvious areas of concern are violations of the collective agreement. An
example of this, is the failure to pay part-time nurses for short notice changes to
their schedule, a situation which is being pursued through the grievance
procedure at Bonnyville, Cold Lake and several other hospitals.
But there are other concerns which are not so obvious, but which also can
be addressed through the grievance procedure by your local. For example, is the
requirement that .all nurses must wear white uniforms a legitimate one? The
nurses at Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary feel that it is not . They are grieving that
such a ru le is an unreasonable and arbitrary use of management's rights .
When you and your local decide that everything that affects the nurses at
your work place is of concern to the union, then you will find growing
involvement by your members. Your local's certificate issued by the Board of
Industrial Relations gives the union the right to be involved in determining all
terms and conditions of employment pertaining to nurses.
Another area of concern may be health and safety . With the growing
interest in industrial safety, more and more unions are asserting their right to
help protect their members; surely we, as a union of health care workers,
should not be left behind. As a local, you should be involved in all aspects of
health and safety planning ranging from the control of infection and emergency
procedures to such mundane matters as snow removal and parking lot lighting.
You have the right to protect the interests of your members.
As we utilize our rights as a union more, both in the areas discussed above
and at the negotiating table, we are sure to come into conflict with the
management of the hospital or health unit. Is this conflict a bad thing? I believe
that it is good. Although many of us have been taught, through both our families
and our schools, that we should avoid conflict, we must recognize that conflict
can be constructive and legitimate. Certainly we would all prefer a world of
harmony in which hospital administrators' and nurses' goals were identical. But
such is not the case. Our members have many legitimate goals which find
opposition among administrators. Sometimes such opposition is understa ndable,
but is simply contrary to what we know to be our own interests.
Other times, the opposition we face seems to lack even a shred of logic. An
example would be rules about white uniforms, or, more seriously, deliberate
understaffing. To avoid conflict in either circumstance would be the same as to
give up. Nurse shouldn't have to work for nothing, or even for the present
salaries for much longer. Nurses shouldn't be treated as school children in their
manner of dress. Nurses should have some say in staffing decisions. Yet, all of
these stands will bring us into conflict with hospital administrators and boards.
The nurses should not be the ones to shy away from such conflict. Through
their union, both local and provincial, they should be able to find the support
that their convictions demand .

Executive Committee Establishes
Strike Pay Guidelines
U.N . A. members on authorized
strike would receive up to $50 .00 per
day in strike pay under guidelines
adopted at the executive committee
meeting of June 27 and 28, 1979.
The strike pay policy presented by
the membership services committee
would allow every U.N.A. member on
authorized legal strike to receive
$50.00 per day for the first five
working days of the strike and $25.00
fo r each working day following,
subject to the availability of funds.
In order to receive strike pay a
U.N .A . member would have to actively participate in the strike. Such
participation could include picketing,
assisting with strike organization,
helping to distribute materials and
other duties approved by the strike
organizers.
Commenting on the new strike pay

2

policy U.N.A. President Gurty Chinell
said: "it's not our intention to
encourage strikes which are not
necessary; however, we have to be
prepared to defend our rights and to
attempt to obtain a just settlement of
our contract demands. lt would be
naive to assume that we could do
those things without ever having to go
on strike. Nevertheless we are prepared, as always, to bargain seriously
with all of the employers of our
members . We hope that through
colle$:tive bargaining we can avoid
the necessity of having to go on
strike."
Funds to support strike pay will be
drawn from U .N. A .'s Emergen cy
Fund which was established at a
special general meeting last February.

Annual Meeting Guide
Over the years, the key to union success has been "solidarity."
" Solidarity Forever," " All for one and one for all," " United we stand,
divided we fall," are not hollow mottos; they are the basis on which the labour
movement has grown and flourished.
When unions and union members have displayed solidarity we have
advanced our aims and made considerable gains.
At times when we have lacked solidarity, because of internal disputes or
external pressures, we have lost ground.
Solidarity should be evident in many aspects of the labour movementwhen we sit across the bargaining table from the employer, when we lobby
governments, when we stand together against social and economic injustice.
One area where it is particularly important is in our large policy-making
sessions-our general meetings, annual meetings and conventions.
This f eature page has been prepared for you as a voting delegate to help you
represent your members and "arrive at policies that will be in the best interests of
everyone in the United Nurses of Alberta.
As a voting delegate you can help build solidarity by making sure the people
you represent understand the important issues that face U. N .A., and the
reasoning behind the stands we take on these issues as a result of Annual
Meeting decisions.

DELEGATE PREPARATION
A great dela of time can be wasted at Conventions if those who attend have
not prepared adequately.
Ideally, voting delegates will come to Convention well informed on all the
major issues to be dealt with. They will have discussed these issues fully with the
members they represent, and with other delegates from their local, and will thus
have formed opinions on the issues.
There are some exceptions to this ru le :
1. In the event of "startling new evidence" turning up on a particular issue, a
delegate may change her mind;
2. If emergency resolutions are introduced, delegates will have to make a decision at the Convention, without reference back to their constituents.
POLICY POSITIONS
One of the main differences between parliament and a union convention is
that in parliament there are at least two sides-the government and the
opposition - whereas in a union we are all on the same side.
In parliament the opposition is not usually expected to support ~aovernment
policy, but in the labour movement we try to adopt policy positions that we can
all support.
When we are trying to arrive at policy decisions we are not interested in
simply adopting a position that the majority want, rather, we want to adopt
policy positions that we can all live with.
We have to very careful about adopting a position which is supported by the
majority but which some minority cannot live with. If they truly cannot live with
it, they will attempt to leave the union. If this happens, we will all be the weaker
for it and therefore worse off in the long run.
For this reason in the labour movement we attempt to compromise and
accommodate so that we can all continue to support one another and our
common policies. This is one aspect of union solidarity and basic commonsense.

WHY WE HOLD CONVENTIONS
Union Conventions are held to deal with business.
The business may include any or all of the following :
1. Election of Officers;
2. Adoption of policy decisions;
3. Adoption of resolutions on external matters;
4. Changing the organization - this includes everything from minor housekeeping
adjustments to major constitutional overhauls.
Conventions also enable union members to meet with one another
informally, to discuss common problems, to exchange views, to share
experiences and to socialize.

CHAIRMAN
The chairman at union convention is a combined speaker and prime
minister. In U.N.A. , the President is the chairman.
The chairman is responsible for the orderly conduct of the business sessions
(speaker), but also, as the chief elected officer, has a responsibility to show
leadership (prime minister) .
A chairman may at times show leadership by speaking to a motion, if it
seems a decision may be taken that is not in the best interests of the
organization.
If the chairman is to make a speech, it is customary for the chair to be
handed over to another union officer but this need not be done if the chairman is

Annual Meeting Will Be Largest Ever

g oing t o mal-.c only a few brief e<:>mmsnts.

RULES OF ORDER
Large meetings such as union conventions must be run according to
agreed-upon rules .
These ru les of order are designed to ensure that the business of the meeting
is dealt with in as just and efficient a manner as possible.
Delegates should not abuse the rules. They should not use them to force
minorities into untenable positions, force issues through too quickly, slow down
the business unnecessarily, or to sabotage the union or the solidarity of the
delegates.
The constitution and by-laws of U.N.A. outline the main rules of order, and
in the Canadian labour movement these are usually based on Bourinot's rules of
order.
Some organizations use Robert's rules of order, but the differences are
minimal.
Usually the rules of order used at convention differ slightly from the rules of
order used at other meetings -to make allowances for the extra numbers
present.

Delegates to the 1978 U.N.A. Annual Meeting vote on a policy resolution. The
1979 annual meeting will take place on September 26 and 27.
U.N .A.'s annual meeting in September will be attended by more
delegates than any previous U.N.A.
meeting.
Under the terms of U.N.A.'s constitution, a local is entitled to one
delegate for its first 50 members or
part thereof, one delegate for the
second 50 members or part thereof,
and one delegate for each additional
100 members or part thereof. lt is
expected that approximately 200 delegates will attend.
The meeting, which will be held at
the Convention Inn South in Edmonton, on September 26 and 27, will
have a full agenda for its two days of
sessions. The meeting will consider
the reports of the President, Secretary-Treasurer, Membership Services
Committee, U.N.A./A .A . R.N. Liaison
Committee, and Steering Committee.
In addition, the meeting will examine
the financial statements and auditor's
reports to the members for the years
1977 and 1978, consider constitutional
amendments, and consider resolutions
concerning policies to be adopted by
U.N.A. Finally, there will be elections
for District Representatives and for
the office of Vice-President. (Elections
for the offices of President and
Secretary-Treasurer do not occur until
1980).

In addition to a number of housekeeping changes, the legislative committee is proposing several substantive
changes to the constitution for the
consideration of the delegates.
Among the committee's proposals are
a provision which would prevent
discrimination in the membership of
the union on the grounds of nationality, race, colour, origin, sex or sexual
preference, or religious or political
belief; a revised method of electing
district respresentatives which would
allow a district one representative (a
position on the executive committee)
for every 600 members or part thereof
in the district; a provision which
would empower the executive committee or its designate to negotiate
and enter into collective agreements
on behalf of locals without the
necessity for written authorizations;
and a provision setting out the rights
of members with respect to contract
ratification votes.
U.N.A.'s provincial office will be
assuming the majority of convention
expenses including meeting rooms,
two lunches, and a dinner on the
evening of September 26. There will
be no registration fee; however, locals
or districts will be responsible for
delegates' travel and accommodation
costs.

CONVENTION RULES OF ORDER
The person in the chair is responsible for the orderly conduct of the
convention. This is not an easy job and it is necessary for delegates to show the
chair every consideration.
Meetings follow rules of order but sometimes the chairman sees fit to ignore
the rules of order or to short-cut them. The chairman may feel this is necessary
under a variety of circumstances, e.g., if the session is getting out of hand, or if
delegates are confused about a particular amendment.
The fact that the chair has not strictly adhered to the rules of order should
not automatically be a reason for delegates all over the hall to jump up with
points of order, points of privilege or questions on the rules of the chair.
Normally, the chair should be questioned only if the chairman breaks the
rules of order and creates a situation that will be against the best interests of the
organization.
AGENDA
The agenda is adopted at the beginning of convention. lt establishes the
order of business and the time to be spent on each item.
You should check the agenda carefully to ensure that time has been allowed
for the discussion of all items which you consider important.
A carefully prepared agenda can help expedite the business of convention,
e.g., when major constitutional changes are proposed there is a danger delegates
will argue back and forth for hours, and possibly days. If time limits on debate
are set in the agenda:
1. delegates will be encouraged to discuss the matter thoroughly before they
ever arrive at the convention and thus resolve as many problems as possible
in advance;
2. delegates who speak will be less likely to stray from the point or waste time on
matters of little or no consequence.

3

(Continued on Page 4 )

(Continued from Page 3)

RESOLUTIONS - PREAMBLE AND MOTION
Resolutions usually consist of two parts-a preamble and a motion.
The preamble is the "why" part of the resolution. lt consists of a paragraph
or a series of paragraphs beginning with the word "whereas." These paragraphs
give the justification for, or explanation of, the resolution.
The motion is the "action" part of the resolution. lt consists of a paragraph
or paragraphs beginning with the words "Be it resolved." lt is the proposal part
of the resolution.
The preamble is optional, but all resolutions must include a motion, a
commitment to action of some kind.
EXAMPLE:
Preamble: Whereas smoking is a habit which many find offensive, and
Whereas a positive connection has been established between
smoking and lung cancer, and
Whereas many people who smoke would like to stop, but find it
difficult to break the habit.
Motion:
Be it resolved that U. N .A. allot from general funds $150.00 to the
Smokers Anonymous Club to help U.N .A. members to stop smoking.

CONVENTION COMM ITTEES
(e .g. Legislative Committee, Finance Committee, etc.)
The purpose of the various committees is to speed up the business of the
convention. They do this in some or all the following ways :
1. They correct spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in the resolutions
submitted.
2. They combine similar resolutions to eliminate repetitive debate.
3. They determine the order in which the resolutions are to be considered, giving
priority to the most important resolutions.
4. They recommend concurrence or non-concurrence as a pilot group which has
discussed the implications of t he proposed resolution.
5. They help the convention at large to a proper focus on the resolution before
convention .

CONCURR ENCE, NON-CO NC URREN CE
One of the helpful functions of the Legislative Committee is to recommend
concurrence or non-concurrence on resolutions concerning the constitution .
When people at our convention vote, they vote on the resolution itself,
bearing the committee's recommendation and remarks in mind.

REPORTS
At convention, reports are tabled by the President, Secretary-Treasurer,
other union officers, and by standing committees such as the Membership
Services Committee.
After each report has been presented the chairman of the committee will
move its adoption, seconded by the secretary of the committee.
If the delegates vote in favour of adoption, they are accepting all policy
proposals and recommendations made in the report just as if they had been
contained in individual resolutions.
If the delegates are not prepared to accept the policy proposals outlined in
the report, they will usually refer the report back to the committee for further
consideration.
Under normal circumstances, a report is not amended on the convention
floor unless the change is simply a minor one with which the committee agrees,
e.g ., correcting a grammatical error.

V OT ING
Voting on resolutions or reports is done by a show of hands unless
otherwise provided.
The show of hands is a speedy, efficient way of voting. Usually it is not even
necessary to count the hands, since the will of the majority can be judged at a
glance.
Delegates have usually committed themselves one way or the other before
the vote, and have been lobbying for their position on the particular issue in
question, so it does not matter that the vote is not secret.
U.N .A. CONVENTIONS
You as a delegate come to convention as a concerned individual elected to
cast your vote on issues and in elections as someone who has done everything
possible to appreciate all that is concerned.
You should obviously be aware of the needs and desires of the membership
in your local. lt is your responsibility to make these known to the best of your
ability. However, your part in convention is very serious in that your contribution
to the collective wisdom of convention is to cast the most informed vote possible
in view of all that you have managed to learn at convention.
You are here as the most informed individual voice in the union to play your
full part in convention working as the supreme governing body of this union .
You must make up your mind and you must decide what you believe is best
for this union to do. The collective votes of all delegates will make known the
collective will of convention.
Whether you voted for that or not, you are then bound to support that
decision.

HIGHLIGHTS OF JUNE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE MEETING
A regular meeting of U . N.A.'s
Executive Committee was held on
June 27 and 28, 1979. This meeting
was characterized by a great deal of
activity. A large number of resolutions
were passed.
In the provincial office report, Chief
Executive Officer, Simon Renouf
stressed that the Alberta Hospital
Association's employment benefits
plan is perhaps the most serious issue
facing U.N.A. at this . time. The
reason for this is not simply the
inadequacy of the plan itself, but the
fact that the hospital association,
acting on behalf of individual hospitals, is failing to take seriously
U.N.A.'s right to bargain the terms
and conditions of employment on
behalf of our members. He stressed
that it is important to maintain our
position that none of our members
should voluntarily agree to participate
in the A.H.A .'s plan and that any
change in the area of employment
benefits must be bargained with
U.N.A. and not introduced unilaterally
by a hospital or by the A.H.A.
Mr. Renouf noted that the A.H.A .'s
proposed plan has significant defects
and falls well below what U.N.A.
would requ ire for our members in
bargaining. In the area of life insurance, the amount proposed of only
one times annual salary is far too low
to provide on-going protection for the
survivor of one of our members.
More importantly, there are serious
inadequacies in the long-term disability income section of the A. H .A.'s
proposal. The greatest concern here is
the failure to provide a full bridge
between the expiry of an individual 's
accumulative sick leave credits and
long- term disability protection. 11
would be possible for an employee
under this proposal to go up to six
months with no salary protection
other than that which she might
receive from Unemployment Insurance.
Mr. Renouf reported to the Execut ive Committee that in order to
develop a common strategy in response to th is attack by the A.H .A.
on our bargaining rights he had met
on several occasions with representatives of other unions involved in the
hospital industry. The unions, U.N.A. ,
C.U. P.E., t he Alberta Association of
Reg istered Nursing Assistants, the
Health Sciences Association of Albe rta , and th e Alberta Union of

Provincial Employees, unanimously
came to a decision to demand that the
A.H.A . bargain the contents of their
proposed plan jointly with the unions
involved . This has been a demand of
U.N.A . for almost a year; however, it
has still not been met by the A.H.A.
In order to support action in this
direction, the executive committee
adopted the proposal that the negotiating committee be given the
power to participate in joint bargaining committees or in co-ordinating
committees with representatives of
other unions in the hospital industry.
In passing this resolution, the executive committee endorsed the principle
of co-operation with other unions in
attempting to arrive at a just settlement of the employment benefits
issue .
In other action , the executive
committee adopted a proposal of the
Membership Services Committee that
an information booklet for all U.N.A .
members be produced . This booklet
would include information on grievance procedures, local executive and
ward representative functions and
guidelines, basic parliamentary procedures, a glossary of labour terms
and background information on the
structure and origins of U.N.A . lt is
anticipated that a large portion of the
cost of this project will be provided
through our 1979 Labour Canada
education grant.
The executive committee meeting
concluded with a comprehensive report by North Central District Chairman, Margaret Ethier on the issue of
paramedic emergency care systems
and the potential role of nurses in t his
area . The executive committee
adopted a motion establishing it as the
policy of the U.N .A. that "while we
recognize the need for the services
provided by the paramedical workers
in the emergency health care field , we
strongly recommend that nurses be
considered the logical and obvious
choice for this role. The union sees
the use of non-nurses in this role as a
threat to the j o b security of it s
members."
The next regula r executive committee meeting will be held on
October 16, 17 and 18, 1979. As in t he
past, observers are welcome, provided
they state their desire to attend t o a
member of the executive committee
in advance.

Negotiate d Settlement At Edson
In May, over a period of several
days, UNA members employed by the
Alberta West Central Health Unit met
to negotiate with their employer a new
contract to cover them from April 1,
1979 to March 31, 1980.
The settlement provi des for an
increase in the on-call duty premium
from $4.00 to $7.00 and a bonus week
of vacation in the twentieth year of
employment.
In addition to a salary increase of
7.5%, a special leave clause allows
the nurse time off at her basic rate of
pay for moving and illness within the
immediate family.
The Employer has agreed to share

ELECTIONS
While a show of hands is usually the best method of voting this is not the
case when officers are to be elected.
'
. _On a policy_ question a compromise can be rea ched , but in voting for officers
th1s IS not poss1ble. If two people are running for the position of President, for
example, the delegate must vote for one and not vote for the other.
.
Once the election is over and the successful candidate known, it is the best
Interests of the organization for everyone to give him/ her their full support
regard less of how they voted in the election. The secret ballot makes it much
easier for this to happen .

4

equally the cost of Alberta Health
Care Insurance and Blue Cross premiums, either family o r single.
Time off for dental, medical or
physiotherapy appointments without
deductions from pay or sick leave
has also been provided .
Under the contract, the new maximum salary f o r an R . N. w ith a
bachelor of science degree will be
$1 ,959.00 per month ($23,508.00 per
year). Starting salary for an R.N.
without a degree or diploma in public
health nursing will be $1,299.00 per
month ($15,588.00 per year) .
The contract was ratified by the
members on June 4, 1979.

DEFENDING YOUR RIGHTS
The U.N .A. representative submits all particulars to the local at this stage
and indicates whether or not the problem is resolved to the satisfaction of both
parties.
If the complaint is not resolved, it becomes a grievance pursuant to article
34.03 of the current hospital collective agreement.

Grievance arbitration is a process for resolving disputes which arise
out of the administration of the collective agreement. lt starts out as a
discussion between you and your supervisor and if it is not resolved at
that level , your complaint must be put in writing and given to the director
of the department (usually the director of nursing) . If not satisfactorily
resolved at that level. you advance your grievance, again in writing , to
the administrator. If again there is no satisfactory resolution to the
dispute, the whole matter may be sent to arbitration where either a three
member board or a single chairman hear the case and make a decision on
the matter which is final and binding.
You should attempt to arrange a discussion about the matter in
dispute , with either the director of the department or the hospital
administrator at which the griever, a representative from her or his UNA
local and , if possible, your employment relations officer, are present.
Often, a meaningful discussion at this level will resolve the dispute. At the
very least it should clarify what the points of difference are so that each
side will be prepared at arbitration and not be taken by surprise as to the
other's position on the matter.
The grievance procedure is your tool for enforcing the collective
agreement. Unless you are able to recognize when the terms of your
collective agreement are not being lived up to and prepared to challenge
an action by grieving, you will only have words on a piece of paper- not
any real protection .

Grievance Report
Send a copy of all correspondence to the U . N.A. provincial office .
Step 1
The grievance must be put in writing by the griever to the director of the
department within seven (7) days of the incident.
This means that both the informal discussions and the written
grievance must be submitted within seven (7) days of the act causing the
grievance. When in doubt, grieve.
Failure to observe all time limits will disqualify the grievance.
The local or the grievor contacts an employment relations officer at the
U.N.A. provincial office (425-1025) for the correct wording of the grievance in
order to meet legal requirements.
If a reply to the written grievance is received, the griever and the U.N .A.
representative meet to decide whether or not it offers a satisfactory settlement of
the dispute. Has the redress or remedy requested been granted? If you are in
doubt, check with the U.N.A. provincial office.
If there is no reply within seven (7) days of the submission to the
administrator, or if the reply is unsatisfactory, advance to step 2.
Step 2
The local submits the grievance in writing to the administrator under the
guidance of an employment relations officer.
If no reply is received within seven (7) days of the submission to the
administrator, or if the reply is unsatisfactory, the grievance is advanced to step

HOW TO PROCESS THE GRIEVANCE
Incident Report
An incident occurs which gives rise to a complaint.
The nurse makes careful notes in her own words of all circumstances
pertaining to the incident. These notes should be made as soon as possible
following the incident, and should be signed by the nurse but not passed on to
management .
The nurse contacts the U.N .A. representative (ward representative, local
president or member of grievance committee) and together they record the
following information:
a) Who is involved? (The nurse's full name, ward or unit, classification, and the
name, ward, unit and classification of each participant or
yvitne~s involved.)
b) What has happened? (What is the nature of the complaint?)
c) Where did it happen? (Unit, floor, department.)
d) When did it happen? (The exact time and date.)
e) Why? (What gave rise to the problem? Was the collective agreement violated , misinterpreted or administered incorrectly and, if so, what
section or sections?)
f) What? (Remedy or redress required; what will correct the situation? What
does the griever want done?)
If the representative feels the nurse has a valid complaint and would be
supported by the local, then she immediately assists tha.ourse to present it orally
to the nurse's immediate supervisor.

3.
Step 3
The employment relations officer is notified and, with the local executive,
advances the grievance to arbitration . Arbitration arrangements will be handled
by the U.N .A . provincial office.
HOW TO WORD GRIEVANCES
The purpose of a grievance form is to set in motion the grievance machinery
that is outlined in the collective agreement.
lt should contain:
1. A simple, clear, concise statement of the grievance.
2. The correct article that has been violated without ruling out other articles
which might be involved .
3. The exact redress required which will place the griever in exactly the same
position she would have been in had the incident never taken place.
Keep it simple, the more you write the bigger the chance that you will
prejudice your position or provide technical arguments for your opposition.
4. You have to name the correct parties to the collective agreement so it is
important to know inhe agreement IS signed m the name of the Staff Nurse
Division or the U.N.A. Local.

GRIEVANCE UPDATE
The United Nurses of Alberta have filed two grievances alleging violation of
article 15, temporary assignments (responsibility pay I relief pay). Both have
proceeded to arbitration and the results are summarized below.
The first grievance was filed by U . N .A. Local #1 against the Calgary General
Hospital board. At issue was whether the general staff nurse classification is
entitled to be paid under 15.01 (a) or 15.02(a) when they are providing scheduled
relief during the scheduled days off of a head nurse.
The relevant provisions of the collective agreement which are in issue are as
follows:
15.01 (a) When an employee who holds the position of general staff nurse is
designated in charge of a ward or unit on an afternoon (evening) or
night shift in circumstances which place upon the employee responsibilities greater than those ordinarily assumed by a general staff nurse,
such employee shall be paid a special allowance in respect of such
added responsibilities at the rate of twenty-five (25) cents per hour.
(b) When no Head Nurse has been appointed and when an employee who
holds the position of general staff nurse is designated in charge of a
ward or unit on the day shift in circumstances which place upon the
employee responsibilities greater than those ordinarily assumed by a
general staff nurse, such employee shall be paid a special allowance in
respect of such added responsibilities at the rate of twenty-five (25)
cent s per hour.
15.02(a) When an employee temporarily replaces another employee in a position
of greater responsibility, for one (1) full shift or longer, she shall be paid
the amount provided in 15.02(b) below in addition to her regular salary.
The union stated that those general staff nurses scheduled and designated
as in charge of the ward or unit on the head nurse's day off are filling the position
of head nurse and therefore 15.02(a) applies.
The hospital took the position: (a) that the nurse in charge during the head
nurse's scheduled days off does not fulfill the functions of a head nurse, (b)
there is no position of head nurse to fill at these times since there never has been
a head nurse position appointed for these days. They argued that 15.01 (a) and
(b) contemplate a "positional appointment" in that the designation is to a
"position" of being in charge of the ward or unit as, for example, with 15.01 (a)
which comes into effect on evening and night shifts when there is no scheduled
head nurse appointment made. Section 15.02, they then said, comes into place
when an incumbent fails to show up and the relief replacement is there to
perform the specific duties of a head nurse when the schedule calls for the
functioning of the classification and the incumbent is not present .
The chairman of the board added that unless 15.01 (b) were meant to apply
to day shifts where a head nurse was not regularly scheduled, it would have no
meaning and therefore found the clause to be meant to apply specificially to the
weekend situation in question .
Since the hospital already was paying according to 15.01(b), the grievance
was lost and there was no back pay.

The second grievance was filed by U.N.A. Local #91 against the Bethany
Care Centre, Calgary, as both policy and individual grievances which claimed
responsibility allowance pay for work on the evening or night shift.
Here the board took a different point of view.
The nurses claimed that a member, by virture of working a regular evening
or night shift as the sole nurse on duty, is acting as the nurse in charge on that
level and that by this staffing policy and work practice, the hospital has in effect
designated her as the nurse in charge. Further, because she is the only nurse on
duty during these shifts, she automatically assumes responsibilities greater than
those ordinarily assumed by a staff nurse working on day shift.
Discussion centred on the relative duties of a head nurse vs a staff nurse
and a comparison of the duties of a general staff nurse on day and evening or
night shifts. The nurses testified as to added responsibilities on the evening and
night shifts while the board seemed to use the terms responsibilities and duties
interchangeably and to want evidence that the nurses were assuming a level of
responsibility equivalent to that of the head nurses on day shift. The discussion
appears to have been complicated by the fact that in the Bethany Care Centre,
head nurses are not part of the bargaining unit and the board seemed to be
looking for evidence that nurses in charge on the afternon and night shifts
performed certain managerial functions (such as evaluations). At any rate, the
nurses were not claiming that they were doing a head nurse's job, only that they
were "in charge" and therefore had a responsibility to act as head nurse if it
became necessary, and that this was in addition to their regular duties.
This whole approach is a sharp contrast to the management position in the
Calgary General arbitration where the evening and night shift situation was
described as pertaining to a limited supervisary position characterized by the
assumption of responsibility without necessarily involving a performance of all
the head nurse duties.
The rest of the decision turned on the meaning of designated which the
board felt would have to mean "the conferring or clothing with authority of a
general staff nurse in some appropriate way which would clearly establish her in
charge of a ward or unit. "
The board also held that the article would only apply in a temporary or
isolated instance, not on an on-going basis and that to·be considered to be in
"circumstances which impose responsibilities greater than those ordinarily
assumed by a general staff nurse," comparison would have to be made only with
other nurses in an afternoon or night shift.
For the above reasons, the grievance failed .
At this point we have two other responsibil ity pay grievances filed and a
third about to be. Each has slightly differing circumstances from the other.
These widely differing interpretations of the same clauses point out the
limitations of this method of resolving differences and the need to renegotiate
this whole issue .

5

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
SEMINAR SUCCESS
Union members have a responsibility to use the grievance procedure
to enforce their collective agreements.
That was the message given to 75
U.N .A . members who attended the
Calgary collective bargaining seminar
in June.
The two-day session featured three
guest speakers.
Bonnie and Robert Castrey, a
husband and wife team with the U.S.
Federal Mediation Service led the
sessions on collective bargaining.
Bonnie Castrey, a registered nurse,
had been instrumental in. unionizing
nurses in the Los Angeles area in the
1960s. She appeared at U.N.A .'s
October, 1978 seminar and was back
by popular demand.
Robert Castrey, an engineer, also
has experience in organizing unions
for professionals . The Castreys drew
on their considerable negotiating and
mediating experience in their presentation.
The Castreys wasted no time in
involving all participants in the realities
of negotiations, with a number of
"management" teams negotiating
with their union opponents. The
negotiating role-playing sessions were
video-taped and each participant was
able to view herself as the opposition
saw her.
The second day of the seminar
featured Larry Robbins, a grievance
arbitration specialist with the Ontario
Nurses Association. Before going into
detail on the correct method of
handling a grievance Larry Robbins
posed, and then answered, the
question " why should you file a

Professional
Responsibility
For Students

grievance when you feel the employer
has violated the collective agreement?"
He felt that the answer had five
parts :
1. the grievance procedure is the
recognized means of solving all disputes over the interpretation of
your collective agreement;
2. if you allow management to violate
the collective agreement, what you
are doing it giving up your hardwon rights which have been
achieved in collective bargaining;
3 . if management is allowed repeatedly to deny you your rights in
the collective agreement, those
rights may be lost forever; management's incorrect interpretation of
the agreement may gain acceptance;
4. the employer will realize that they
more or less have the upper hand
to do whatever they please; they
will be aware of the fact that employees are unwilling to grieve;
5. a collective agreement is only a
piece of paper; it must be carefully
and intelligently enforced if it is to
provide you with the protection
you need in your employment relationship.
Over the two days of the seminar,
lunch and coffee breaks were characterized by a good deal of discussion
concerning potential grievances at the
various hospitals and health units
represented . All seminar participants
should feel confident in enforcing their
members' rights after having attended
this session.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF THE UNITED NURSES
OF A LBERTA
President

Gurty Chinell

Vice-President

Donna Clark

Secretary-Treasurer

Miriam Copeland

District Representatives:
North District

Gayle Halliday

North Central District

Margaret Ethier
Sharron Roberts

Central District

Linda Roberts
Marilyn Ballantyne

South Central District

Aileen McKerness

South District

Dallas Szarko
Anne Soucie

Registered nurses are responsibile
for the actions of students under their
supervision, according to the Alberta
Association of Registered Nurses
(A.A .R.N.). Yvonne Chapman, Executive Director of the A .A . R.N., writing
recently to the President of U.N .A.
Local #96, stated that "the usual
procedure followed by ou r employers,
is to hire these students either in the
capacity of an aide, or in the category
of senior student."
However, she added, " in the event
that medications are administered,
such medication administration would
be under the supervision of a registered nurse . . . . (This) would certainly designate the registered nurse
who is supervising the proceedings as
responsible."
This opinion supplied by the
A.A.R.N. contradicts that supplied by
the hospital concerned. The hospital
had assured the nurses that students
are accountable for their own actions
and that provision for legal coverage
had been provided by the insurance of
the hospital.
All nurses should be aware that
they may be held responsible for
nursing activ ities administered by
students under their supervision.

A Local Newsletter
- Why Not?
In order to facilitate the communication of local and provincial union
news, larger U .N.A. locals may find it
appropriate to publish a local news
bulletin. This ca n be done at a modest
expense by utilizing t he w ritin g abilities of interested local members and
the ward representative system for
distribution. The format need not be
fancy; clear and concise, type-written
sheets stapled together will suffice. If
you can, in order to provide personalized service, why not mail the
bulletin to your members using your
up -to-da te membership lists? Suggested items for inclusion are:
1. A summary of local meetings.
Date, time , place , attendance,
topics discussed, motions or resolutions passed and guests present .
2. Dates of future local and provincial
meetings (eg. Annual and Special)
including registration information
and funding available from either
the local or district.
3. News of local or community interest; and ,
4. A list of current grievances either
local or provincial.
eg. discipline - whether for ju st
cause
12 hour shifts- changes to the
approved rotation.
Excerpts from the provincial agreement , with interpretations of the
same, may prove very useful to the
members. By furthering their awareness of the agreement and their rights
under it, local executives may be
surprised to find an increase in
membership interest, as well, perhaps,
as an influx of grievances.
Don't despair, this is precisely the
intent of a news bulletin, to provide
valuable information, and, to facilitate
the proper policing of the collective
agreement so that it works for all.

PROVINCIAL OFFICE
10571 - 109 Street

Edmonton, AB
T5H 3B1
Phone: 425- 1025
Simon Renouf
Chief Executive Officer
David F. Thomson
Employment Relations
Officer
Chris L. Rawson
Employment Relations
Officer
Joanne Monro
Employment Relations
Officer
Calgary Office
Michael J . Mearns
Employment Relations
Officer
98 Harcourt Road SW
Calgary, AB
T2V 3E1
Phone: 253-2272

C HANG E OF AD DRESS

Breakthrough At
Fort Macleod
Members of United Nurses of
Alberta, Local #82, employed at
Macleod Municipal Hospital, Fort
Macleod, have reason to feel satisfied.
In April 1979, they were frustrated and
angry and turned to U.N .A. for help.
Their problem stemmed from the fact
that the Director of Nursing at Fort
Macleod was not registered by the
Alberta Association of Reg istered
Nurses. Since the Director was not
registered, the nurses were unable to
regulate her nursing activity by the
route of the A.A.R.N.'s Professional
Conduct Committee. The members
had expressed several concerns with
the hospital's organizational structure.
U.N.A . took the matter up with the
Health Facilities Review Committee,
citing what appeared to be violations
of the Regulations under the Alberta
Hospitals Act. The Committee replied
that the director of nursing was not
only not registered, but also not
eligible for registration. it also gave
the opinion that there was no
statutory requirement for a director of
nursing in an active treatment hospital
to be a registered nurse. This opinion
will cause some uneasiness among
nurses employed throughout the
province.
U.N .A. disputed the opinion of the
Committee and again cited the A lberta
Hospitals Act Regulations. Meanwhile
the nurses continued working in an
extremely stressfu l environment. The
media became involved and followed
the story. The Fort Macleod Gazette
published a letter from the board of
Macleod Municipal Hospital giving its
side of the story, but declined to
publish a letter from the nurses in
reply.
Seizing the initiat ive, the nurses
came up with a creative solution to
this lack of public inf ormation. They
printed over 1,000 copies of their letter
and delivered them throughout the
town. Within a week, the director of
nursing had left the employ of the
hospital.
Local #82 has grown from being a
dispirited band of individuals to a
cohesive group that acts with energy
and initiative . During their threemonth fight, the members learned
some valuable lessons: a group acting
in concert exercises more influence
than an individual; effecting change in
the status quo takes longer than
expected; and lobbying can be effective in promoting change.
Above all Local #82 learned that the
U. N . A. responds to the wishes of its
members .

DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that all U.N.A.
members who are registered nurses
are eligible to run for elected positions
with the Alberta Association of
Registered Nurses?
U.N . A .'s Membership Services
Committee, at the last Executive
Committee meeting, requested that all
U .N.A . members be made aware of
their rights with respect to A.A .R.N .
elections .
The next A .A. R.N . district elections
will take place in February, 1980.

Name:

U.N.A. members are asked to complete the form below to advise the Union of any
change of address or employment. This will enable us to continue to send you
information as quickly as possible.

Address:
Hospital and Local#: - - - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - - -- - - - -

6

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