~~-------~~~----------- UNITED NURSES OF ALBERTA VOLUME 8 NUMBER 5 OCTOBER 1984 ~· ~~ En,..,.... Aftlmta: lulle71D Pltnclpel PlaD 10303·.1aapeack the results to the next district meeting. At Three Hills a P.R.C. Workshop is ·being set up and t heir membership has increased. Good Going! Bashaw reports better at· tendance at t heir meetings after a new Executive took over. Lacombe made a $500.00 donation to the Lacombe Ambulance for an electronic blood pressure machine. Innisfail reports less apathy. Their letters of hire were all incorrect and have been grieved. In Stettler even though there seems to be some apa t hy, they are having administrative and staff problems and their P.R.C. is being used regularly. Ponoka has a new hospital under construction. They have one grievance going to arbitra· t ion. Wetaskiwin has been having some problems with t h e s cheduling options. Three of their areas have shifts. e a ey of:" hire and were encouraged to get right on it. Red Deer just finished an arbitration regarding charge . pay · vs · out of scope pay. They are waiting for the award any time now. They also have two grievances outstanding, one on recogni· tion of previous experience and one on charge pay. Even though most Locals report some apathy Central District remains quite active in enforcing the new contract. See you at the Annual Meeting. NORTH DISTRICT By Hazel Paish Our summer North Dis· trict meeting was held on June 11, 1984 in Grar~ Prairie with a fairly goou turnout. We also had a two day workshop at this time on local administration and grievance by Dave Thornson. Margaret Etier was present a s a guest. At the meeting Wes Ra· dulski announced his resig· nation citing personal con· flict.s as reasons. November, 1984. Hazel Paish will take over as chairperson of the district. Hazel is in the middle of a move at present, so has no phone, therefore if you wish to contact her, please leave a message at Provincial Office. Grande Prairie finally has a new executive! Debra Kuper · President, Dorothy Leslie · Vice-President, Betty Gerrits · Treasurer, and Nancy Garner· Secretary. The Queeen Elizabeth 11 hospital in Grande Prairie is now open and in use. Ber· wyn Hospital was moved on May 15, 1984 to Grimshaw and has settled in quite well. Also, Fairview has a new president · Diane Burlock. We would like to welcome you all as local executive members. Karin Pederson (Stoop) is replacing W es Radulsky on the North District Executive. Welcome Karin and congratulations on your recent wedding. We are trying to avoid winter workshops in the North because of the necessity to travel long distances. U p·coming North District Workshops: October 24 & 25, 1984 P .R.C. & Grievance Level 11 Workshops, followed by District meeting. Contact people for further information: Hazel Paish · please leave a message at Provincial Office. Karin Stoop · 338-3866 (H) 3 32-I I 55 (W) Kari • was elected to fill the position of North District representative until the annual general meeting in . suspected of causing a number of problems but until there is conclu sive p r oof, benefits to harmed workers are not available. Chemicals are potentially an even greater problem. There are now over a hundred new chemicals of all types developed everyday. Many find their way to the work place. Few of them are tested for adverse affects and even then the results may be kept from those who come in con· tact with the chemical. The recent agent orange chemical defoliant case in the United States is a very good example of this problem. The chemical was around and in use for several years before the hazards associated with it were recognized. The same danger exists with many of the new chemicals being introduced today but until a hazard or danger is proven, there are no workers' compen· sation benefits available to workers who suffer as a result of using these products. DEFINITION: When is a nurse a Inaster This was the question put lowed the grievance as being before an arbitration board timely. The issue as to whether considering a grievance that Master's Degree means in arose at the Edmonton Gen· Nursing only has not yet eral Hospital. The nurse who been resolved. The Arbitrafiled the grievance holds a tion Board has taken the Master's Degree in Education and was denied the position that the language of hourly allowance provided in the collective agreement was Article 26 of the Collective ambiguous and has called for the introduction of Agreement. At the hearing, the Hos· evidence of the intent of the pital's lawyer argued that parties in bargaining. A sec· the grievance was filed out ond hearing date is being set of the time limits, that the for this. What do you think? employee should have Is a "Master's Degree, Uni· grieved this when she was versi ty" limited to a hired four years previously. "Master's Degree in Nurs· The Arbitration Board, how· ing from a University"? Watch this column for the ever, adopted the U.N.A.'s · argument, saying this was a answer to this question. continuing grievance, an issue that arose each time the employee received her pay cheque, and therefore al· 3 Continued from page 1 grams. Union representatives, like managers, started by denying employees' personal problems. The union would typically shelter a troubled member in the name of protecting a job while the alcohol problem itself would be left untouched. However, during the 70's many union members have acknowledged the need for Employee Recovery Programs and have even included them in their bargaining demands. At its 1978 conventiOJ1, the Canadian Labour Congress announced formal efforts to combat alcoholism among its members and to work alongside management towards those ends. The goal of the E.R.P. is to provide a process whereby a distressed worker can access appropriate help in dealing with a specific problem which affects her work. It is founded upon a basic assumption that any human problem can be successfully treated provided that it is identified in its early stages and referred through an E.R.P. to an apcommunity . propriate re~ource. It is now evident that be' tween 10 - 15% of the work ' force at any one time experiences personal problems as a poignant example of the shoemaker's shoeless children. Providers of health care frequently fail to provide self-care. Health care workers have a "high risk potential." U.N.A. members have frequent access to drugs, experience high stress, and often work in isolated settings and/or independent si tua tions. And yet there are many fewer E.R.P. programs in the health care industry than in other comparably-large industries. Why is this? To answer this question requires a thesis. In general, however, professional workers display a double layer of denial. Not only must they acknowledge to themselves that they have a problem; they must also overcome a thick layer of training which tells them that they are the helper not the recipient in need of help. Helpers, they have been taught, should be above personal problems. The massive denial process further increases the stress level making further denial necessary. Nurses who perceive themselves as above personal problems are frequently judgmental of other nurses who display emotional and behavioural problems. Peer pressure thus further consolidates and strengthens the refusal to It is now evident ·that between 10-15% of the work force at any one time experiences personal problems which affect their efficiency as employees, and disintegrate their personal relationships. which affect their efficiency as employees, and disintegrate their personal relationships. Employee Recovery And the Health Professional While U .N .A. fights strongly to include itself in the working class, it also struggles with the "profes· sional" title. And this label is more than surface-deep. It carries with it major implications for U.N.A. as it addresses the question of E.R.P.'s. There is a definitive lag in development of E.R.P.'s in the health care industry. Thi~ lag has been described 4 ' acknowledge problems. Adult chldren of alcoholics, and especially female adult children of alcoholics, surface as even higher-risk members of this high-risk professional workforce. Often childhood ''nurturing'' skills gained them recognition and approval. Their selfseen caretaker role often leads women in this group to marry dependent men, to establish relationships in which they are the strength, and to choose to work in a " helping profession. " A . massive force is, therefore, at work within this person never to admit she needs help. U.N.A. must therefore structure its E.R.P. pro- grams with this issue very clearly in mind. U.S. health caie workers have initiated peer group intervention models. Along with the formal E.R.P. model based upon industrial worksites, a much more informal peer group is also set up in which "recovered" nurses support the "distressed professional" colleague/eo-worker. This " professional" issue must be addressed throughout the E.R.P. programdesign. It affects such decisions as location, referral process, confrontation method, treatment programs. The informal peer group aims at assisting eoworkers and at educating colleagues and family members. It also acts as a consultant group to the formal labour-management E.R.P. Employee Recovery and Women Recent studies by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare show that women are twice as likely as men to suffer from such stress symptoms as headaches, insomnia, nervousness, and heart palpitations. Australian and New Zealand studies indicate that women are more than twice as likely as men to suffer from psychiatric disorders. Physiological changes, employment competition and stress, and domestic responsibilities combine to pressure women in both traditional and new ways. An old Russian proverb says that " the brain is capable of holding a conversation with the body that ends in death." In addition to being super-nurses, women also often feel a demand to be super-wives, super-mothers, super-lovers, super-cooks and knock-outs. Such brain conversations often result in exhaustion, sickness, and even death. While an individual woman can make some choices to alleviate stress and pressure, (exercise, non-smoking, diet, hobbies, etc.) - much of the stress is institutional and systemic. Thus the need for institutional programs which reduce stress in the workplace. But the individual women must also be helped and supported on an immediate basis. E.R.P.'s must take the unique situation of women into their program design. To be approached by a male and told you need help; to be assessed by a male who is ignorant of the realities of your life; to be treated by a male who down-plays the stressors you experience -these are counter-productive to the aim of problem-solving. In fact they may increase the sense of frustration, powerlessness, and rage. U.N.A. supported E.R.P.'s must seriously address the fact that the membership is almost entirely made up of women whose "triple days" need to be understood and responded to at every stage of the program. lsses to be addressed Joint LabourManagement E.R.P.'s Because E .R.P:s are not AFL- ERP Seminar Fall, 1983 Employee Recovery Programs are designed to assist employees at aJJlevels after they have begun to develop problems which may lead to or be causing a deterioration of their work performance. The E.R.P. is designed to: 1. Identify distressed employees at the earliest possible stage. 2. Motivate the empwyee to seek help in handling their problem. 3. Direct.the empwyee to the best professional assi8tance available. 4. Follow-up on the intervention program to assure positive results. It is important to oote tlwt E.R.P. is not seen as a cured~ but is simply set-up to provide a way of helping those people whose personal concerns cause problems at work. The workshop I attended explained what is needed to start an E.R.P. including the kinds of resource people necessary and how to negotiate these programs in the union contract. I haue several ideas which came to me while attending this workshop: 1. As health care professionals we should become very in· uolued in initiating these programs for our members. 2. As trade unionists it is our responsibility to ensure a better quality of life for our members. 3. E.R.P. programs need resource people to refer their people to and our members could be part of this resource team, therefore. creating jobs for some ofour interested members. I recommend that U.N:A. participate again in sending members of the Executive Board to these workshops and that we place on our Further Education List a program dealing with E .R.P. I wish to thank the Executive Board for .sending me to this worthwhile workshop. Laurie Coates, District Rep, S.C.D. just personal problemsolving arrangements, but rather are designed to address employees' problems as they affect both the worker and the work place, joint labour-management programs are the favoured model. In situations where the occupational settings are mobile or where a number of small companies collectively form the worksite, some unions have opted to set up union-based E.R.P.'s. The major difference in this model is that the supervisor's role in monitoring job performance and in referring is transferred to the union representative. The role of the Local expands to encompass both the management and labour responsibilities as described in the joint program. trolled by both the union and the management. When appropriately set up to safeguard this joint ownership and control, this type of committee commits both parties to an attitude of assistance towards distressed workers. This commitment, when exercised through an E.R.P., results in the interests of both parties being met - increased worker efficiency and productivity on management's side; selfesteem, job-satisfaction and reduced-stress on labour's side. The traditional response of management to the distressed employee is the speedy, so-called rational one of termination. Grievance procedures may prolong the employee's job tenure several weeks or even months. However, the ac- UNA supported ERPs must seriously address the fact tlwt their membership is almost entirely made up of women wlwse "triple days'' need to be understood and responded to at every stage of the program For U.N.A. purposes, the union-based model does not seem to be appropriate. A joint labour-management program js. Qwp,ed and con- cumulation of further unexplained absences, latenesses, missed deadlines, errors, and accidents almost inevitably. supports manage- . ..•, , ments' position and the employee is again terminated. The worker loses her employment, management and union spend money in grievance handling, the employer is faced with training a n e w employee - everyone, especially the worker, loses. The joint labour-management E.R.P. commits guarantees equal participation. This means that the union must be prepared to commit time and money to research E.R.P.'s, to document work situations, to write up proposals, to critique existing programs, to train union counsellors and ward representatives, to research data, to explore community resources and to be very clear about all phases and stages of an E.R.P. UNA must write in to the program, unambiguous agreements about confidentiality. Authority The union and management form a joint E.R.P. This agreement however, CHOICFS '84 CONFERENCE · No joint union-management committee will remain equal unless the party with least institutional power watchdogs every aspect of the program both parties to early identification of workers' problems and to concrete support for these workers. A union-based E.R.P. does not have management's committment to assistance. A management E.R.P. contains none of the safeguards needed to ensure the jobsecurity and well-being, not the termination, of an employee. The question facing U.N.A. is less whether it should endorse a joint labour-management model of E.R.P.'s, and more how to ensure the joint ownership and control of E.R.P.'s. Ensuring Joint Ownership and Control Agreements between management and labour form the solid base for joint ownership and control. The Union that wants to ensure this type of ownership and control must do a tremendous amount of initial work to make absolutely sure that every part of the E.R.P. communicate with members. Once implemented, an E.R.P. must be maintained, monitored, and evaluated. No joint union-management committee will remain equal unless the party with least institutional power watchdogs every aspect of the program. Confidentiality and Employee Rights Confidentiality is the key issue to address. It forms the cornerstone of an effective and productive E.R.P. Without it, no program can succeed. Without it, employee rights are at best endangered, and at worst. nonexistent. Personal and social problems will not be acknowledged, even to oneself, if the cost of such an acknowledgement is peer disapproval and scorn, job insecurity, marital endings, financial suffering, social stigma, etc., etc. Thus, the worker must be guaranteed that in the E.R.P. confidentiality is an absolute. The task for U.N.A. is to Employee Recovery Program AFL&CLC Spring School The workshop showed there is a lot of time, effort and just plain hard work in setting up a program of this magnitude. A lot of clumnels have to be covered to protect the rights of the employee, so that their problem doesn't become used as a tool for severe discipline and a black mark on their record. This has been the case in the past I wish to thank the Executive Board for sending me to a very worthwhile and informative workshop. It gave me a lot of insight and enthusiasm that this could be a way of giving assistance to a lot ofhealth professionals, ie. nurses, as ourselves, who don't know where to turn. RECOMMEND: That UNA continue to take an active--interest in the ERP by sending members to these a;{fe1"'1!nt workshops and schools. to further investigate the benefits and drawbacks of the ERP. RATIONALE: 1. 1b create a better quality of life for our members, ie. to assist our own members who are being left out on the limb because of their status. 2. Resource people are needed for referrals· therefore with the wide variety of people we have in our profession, this could creatt! jobs for interested members and thus could be part of the referral group. 1hnis Bakke NCD Chairperson must acknowledge that it does not constitute a waiver of management's right to take disciplinary measures, (within the frame work and provisions of the contract) nor the union's right to grieve. All the specific safeguards contained in collective agreements remain in force. In fact, these safeguards in the collective agreement should be reinforced in a labour-management agreement by stating that should the employee participate in the E.R.P., it shall in no way jeopar dize job secu rity and/or create discrimination in promotional opportunities. The labour-management agreement should further state that employees participating in the program shall be entitled to all the benefits given under current arrangements to employees who are sick, as well as any I attended the ''Choices '84" Conference that was being held in Edmonton on May 16 ·18, 1984. I enjoyed this conference very muck but found the majority of sessions were zeroing in on Alcohol and Drog abuse problems and yet it was recognized that Stress, in many cases, is the problem that causes those two. The one session I found most pertirumt to District 1124's problems was titled, "Stress in the Workplace" given by Dr. Arthur Balle, Employee Assistance Service Consul· tant. City of Edmonton. Among other things, Dr. BoUe stated that the 20th Cen· tury is the "Age of Anxiety." Emotional distres is the cause of 61% of absenteeism and 80% of dismissals. He s~ted that 20% of the workforce is affected by migraine headaches and that in excess of85% ofall known diseases, are caused by STRESS. I was extrem ely impressed with his presentation which / included two video tapes and one film. As a resuJ.t, I talked to Dr. Balle and he stated that he would give this session as an Inservice (if the City would give him time offl at our workplace. Lena Clarke, R.N., President, Local 11118 that members understand the program and give indica · tion that it is needed and will be used. Other Unions E.R.P. 's a re often established for all workers at a worksite. U.N.A.'Locals will therefore be involved with other Unions in setting up working committees for an E.R.P. While this adds complexity and complications, it with the registration body for nurse!" ll'USt be carefully set up so ,s to protect distressed professionals vis a vis their registration. A group presently exists in Calgary which is an offshoot of an A.A.R.N. convention. This group is struggling at the moment with this issue but has had only one meeting to date. U.N.A. must address the relationship of E.R.P.'s to Professional workers display a layer of denial. They must overcome a thick layer of training which tells them they are the helper not the recipient in need of help. - . ' .. specific services as agreed by labour and management, to be offered by the E.R.P. Third party insurance coverage and simi lar benefits should be mentioned in this clause of the labour-management agreement. Union Involvement U.N.A. Members It is of critical importance that all Locals, all parts of a Local, and all workplace settings have access to the discussion about E.R.P.'s and have in-put into the program design and decisionmaking. This not only ensures that decisions are not in conflict with other union committees or policies, but more importantly, it ensures .. I~-,. . ... • . also provides for greater strength on the union's side of the agreement. A.A.R.N. Some suggestions have been made to work with the A.A.R.N. in the setting up of the peer groups of E.R.P.'s. Just as the joint work with management in implementing an E.R.P. must be carefully monitored so as to protect job security and promotion potential, so, too, programs which work the A.A.R.N. e.g. What is the legal responsibility of a nurse who, through her work in a peer group, discovers a serious professional misconduct in a colleague? This issue of E.R.P. interface with the nurses' registration body has had little written about it. The U.N.A. probably faces the task of initiating discussion and of formulating a position. Calling UNA Office From outside Edmonton Ca/1 1;800;252;9394 5 u eetin BOARD REPORTS FINANCE COMMinEE One of the biggest items on the agenda of the Finance Committee this year, was to follow the direction of last year's Annual Meeting and provide funding to Presidents of small locals. We made every effort to find the funding and distribute it fairly among all locals. The Finance Committee followed further direction by making money available for District Representatives to visit each of their locals once each year. This was done at the agreed with the Executive Director's recommendation. Arising from this event were policies regarding the actual procedure of the hearing. 2. Ratification Vote Regarding Affiliation with NFNU The Legislative Committee was responsible for developing the procedural outline and reporting of the results of this ratification vote. The vote resulted in an overwhelming decision not to affiliate with the NFNU at this time. WHERE THE DUES DOLLAR GOES MEMBERSHIP 39% STAFF 22% EMERG.FUND 15% OFFICE 9% LOCAL&DIST 8% LEGAL 4% OTHER 1% SURPLUS 1% GCLEF 1% 0 200000 400000 December 1983 Board meeting and from my discussions with the Reps in August more t han half of the locals had been visited and there·were a lot of plans being made for visits in the fall. Accident Insurance and Local Authorities Pensions were other topics which came before the Finance Committee. As a result of discussion and investigation of these issues by the Finance Committee the Executive Board adopted two new policies: 1) Accident Insurance Policy UNA take out an accident insurance policy to protect Board members and delegates while on authorized union business. This policy shall provide "topping up" to members ' basic rate of pay while on leave for such accident. 2) Local Authorities Pension Any member, within five years of anticipated retirement, may apply to UNA for payback contributions to Local Authorities Pension, within the limits of the Local Authorities Pension Guidelines. During the course of the year there were other revisions to various policies suggested by the Finance Committee. Most notably the policy Local Presidents, Part-Time Funding. This policy was completely revised at the August Board meeting with the intention of making it easier to read, stating more clearly what is expected of the Presidents and the Locals. LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE The following is a summary of the activities of the Legislative Committee, since the last Annual Meeting of UNA. 1. Appeal Hearing A member of UN A appealed the decision of the Executive Director not to proceed to arbitration on a grievance she had filed. Any UNA member has the right to such an appeal where there is a recommendation to withdraw a grievance from arbitration, or not to proceed with a grievance, to arbitration. In this case, the Legislative Committee 6 600000 800000 1000000 1200000 3. Catholic Industrial Relations Conference The Legislative Committee recommended to the Board that UNA participate actively on the Planning Committee for this conference. The conference was to be held as labour's commemoration of the Pope's visit to Alberta and relating directly to the Pope's position paper on roles and responsibilities of Unions, management and society in the lives of workers. The conference was to be nonsectarian in nature. UN A withdrew its participation in this conference once the Planning Committee decided to invite the Minister of Labour in Alberta to be a presentator in the conference. This decision was made despite knowledge of UN A 's policy regarding the Alberta Labour Department.and in the absence of UNA's representative on the Committee. 4. AFL Occupational Health Centre The Legislative Committee endorsed UN A involvement in this centre based on three (3) points: a) there is so little research and documentation on health and safety risks in the nursing profession, and b) the knowledge that government studies have little credibility (ie. Suncor and Lodgepole. c) this centre will be providing work site assessment and health care intervention in the best interest of the workers. A centre run with the workers' interests as a focus would be beneficial to our members. 5. Grievance Newsletter The Legislative and Editorial Committees have developed a grievance newsletter that will be sent to local presidents. The aim of this publication is contract interpretation education. Arbitration summaries and "contract alerts" outlining provincial trends in contract abuse will be the focus of this newsletter. 6. Services to Members The Legislative Committee prepared submissions for the procedural kits on grievance and arbitration. In addition, a procedure for maintaining contact with members who have been laid-off, and educating these members to their rights while laid-off was planned and implemented. Currently a procedure and information package similar to this, for members on Workers' Compensation is being developed. MEMBERSHIPCOMMinEE The following items were dealL wit.h by the membership services committee: 1. An application was made to the Alberta Nursing Research Foundation for $22,000 to develop a computer assisted shift scheduling program. Our application was subsequently turned down. 2. An ongoing review of Observer's Protocol for Executive Board meetings was done to help observers become more familiar with the proceedings at Board meetings. 3. Guidelines for Locals' UNA orientation was developed, with input from the Negotiating Committee. 4. Local Procedure Kits have been developed to enable local executives and committee chairpersons to be familiar with their responsibilities. 5. Policies were drafted regarding Membership Lists and how often they are being sent out to locals. 6. A supplemental Dental Plan to cover "extensive dentistry and orthodontic services" was investigated. Seventeen (17) insurance companies, including Blue Cross, were contacted, but none were willing to take over this type of coverage. 7. Publications from the National Action Committee on the Status of Women were reviewed by the Committee and sent out to the locals. The Committee also reviewed and distributed when appropriate, materials from AFL on Health & Safety and also women's selfdefence. LIAISON COMMinEE The Liaison Committee met at each Board Meeting and items regarding UNA/AARN were also discussed at Executive Officers' Meetings as necessary. Items dealt with by the Committee during this past year were: Liability Insurance A request was made to the AARN to obtain a copy of the AARN Liability Insurance Plan. The highlights of the Liability Plan were received with the explanation that it was the policy of AARN to only release the highlights of the AARN Malpractice Liability Insurance Plan as underwritten by the Mutual of Omaha. At the present time, the above Plan is under review by AARN Provincial Council and it was decided to await the results of the review before further discussion and recommendations take place. CNA Code of Ethics The draft section of the CNA Code of Ethics dealing with "Th e Social Content of Nursing" was reviewed a nd discussed thoroughly. Concerns were raised regarding interpretation of the clause referring to " planning and implementing job action. " NFNU informed UNA of the collective concerns of their member Nursing Unions. A letter was sent to the Ad-Hoc Committee of CNA dealing with the proposed Code of Ethics, voicing UNA's concerns. Arbitration Proceedings A letter was sent to AARN on February 14, 1984 stating UNA's position regarding compulsory arbitration and requesting that AARN not participate if requested to do so. The AARN response received March 12, 1984 was that the AARN would not respond to a request from the Government to be involved in arbitration proceedings in recognition that services are provided to the members in the Labour Relations area by United Nurses of Alberta. EDITORIAL COMMITTEE It has been a busy year for the Editorial Committee. Members worked hard developing the new "Getting It Together" and by the time you read this report I hope all Locals have received a copy. We have been busy reviewing and advising regarding UNA's Newsbulletin. We are still hoping to hear from you. We want to print your story and publish what interests you. A Grievance Newsletter is now being prepared. It is a one (1) page gray paper and is intended to be an " alert" plus show " trends. " Watch for it. Thanks to all members of the Editorial Committee we have updated the Terms of Reference and Goals and formulated guidelines to assist the Editorial Committee in the future. Look for information in UNA's Policy Manual under the heading "Publications." UNION MAIDS ''There's a job to be done and a fight to be won. 11 STEERING COMMITTEE The Secretary-Treasurer attended the Ontario Nurses Association Annual Meeting and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses Annual Meeting. The President plans to attend the Nova Scotia Nurses Annual Meeting in October. The Steering Committee recommended to and it was adopted by the Board that U.N.A. obtain new office space in Edmonton with an additional cost not to exceed $40,000 per year. This arose because of continuing maintenance problems with our previous office space and lack of sufficient space for: meeting rooms for Board Committees; offices for the Executive Secretary, Bookkeeper, the President, the Secretary-Treasurer; and a need for additional space for a library and additional storage space. We had considered reconstruction of the previous office, however, due to the high vacancy rate in office buildings we decided that it would be more economical to move. Issues discussed and adopted by the Board as a policy related to: Policy re: Vice-President and SecretaryTreasurer's ability to have 70 days per year allotted for Union business to use at their discretion, in addition to Board Meetings and Delegate Meetings. . _ Policy Re: Criteria for Reinstatement to Membership for Disciplined Members. Policy Re: Membership Cards, Membership Records. Policy Re: Legal Representation that U.N.A. provides. In addition the Steering Committee did a general review of the policies, revising and adding new ones where necessary. We also decided to revise the format of the Policy Book so that there would be indexing, numbering of policies, and cross-referencing, etc., for easier access by members. The Committee has begun a review of the job descriptions for Executive Director, E.R.O.'s and E.P.O. The Steering Committee reviewed and revised the long and short term goals for U.N.A. at the June 1983 Board Meeting. The Steering Committee is presently reviewing these long and short terms goals and will be meeting for a day in order to present a report of our recommendations to the next Board Meeting in December. In 1985 the Steering Committee will meet for one day prior to the August Board Meeting to review and revise these goals and make recommendations regarding the goals to present to the Annual Meeting delegates. EDUCATION COMMinEE It has been our pleasure to introduce to you our new one day educationals: Who's Who; Local Administration Level I; PRC Level I; Grievance Level I and Media. In the fall we began to offer you our most recently developed programmes: Health & Safety Level I and Assertiveness. Late next spring we will also be adding Contract Interpretation to aid you in getting ready for negotiations. In addition we have added to our course list three new two-day educationals: Local Administration Level II, PRC Level II, and Grievance Level II. The Fall '85 Labour School (3 days) will offer Local Administration Level Ill; PRC Level Ill; and Grievance Level Ill. You may be asking yourself: What do Level I, II and Ill mean? As we have designed our education program, Level I is an introduction to UNA ANNUAL MEETING ruesday to Thursday November 6-8, 1984 at the Four seasons Hotel in Edmonton There will elections for: UNA President UNA Secretary·'freasurer ( the subject. Level II will give you more advanced skills and Level Ill will therefore give you advanced concepts and skills as a union leader. As an Education Committee we have also examined recommendations from the Minority Bargaining Groups comrillttee regarding educational needs of bargaining groups other than hospitals. We concluded that the same system would indeed meet these special groups' needs and that all our educationals are more or less appropriate for all of our members. The Education Committee would like to encourage minority bargaining units to plan pro- Board members in all districts. of time. (ie., Collective Bargaining for Negotiating Committee members before negotiations.) 3) Applicants are judged on their commitment to U.N.A. and their level of activity and participation in Union activities. 4) Where all factors are equal the length of membership and any previous funding will be a deciding factor. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Education Committee for all their hard work this year. HEALTH & SAFETY vincial workshops if they feel this would better meet their needs. Gurty Chinell Labour Ecuation Fund The G.C.L.E.F. has been completely utilized this year, therefore our 1985 budget will reflect an increase of funding to $15,000 annually to provide an opportunity for our members to attend educations that will further their union education and attend courses we do not offer at present. The fund is to assist U.N.A. members to enhance their competence in the field of labour relations. ,.. Eligibility: 1) A tpember in good standing of United Nurses of Alberta. 2) Must be enrolled in a program for which U.N.A. has no equivalent or for which U.N.A. can not provide within a reasonable amount The Health and Safety Committee was formed at the December, 1983 Board Meeting. The Committee developed two questionnaires that were sent out to our locals to gather information regarding the needs of members related to Health and Safety for nurses. We reviewed films and researched articles and pamphlets to be used in the resource file and for workshops. Members of this Committee attended t he NFNU seminar in Ottawa in February and the AFL/CLC Spring School in April. The Level I Health and Safety workshop was developed and presentation commenced in September. A member of the Health and Safety Committee sits on the AFL Health Centre Board of Directors. We found that the concept of this Health Centre could be very worthwhile and provide a valuable service to the workers of Alberta. We feel that we as nurses can provide valuable input to this centre as well as benefit from its services. The video-tape describing the centre will be shown at the annual meeting. 7 Health Report from Nicaragua Dear Ms. Dalgleish: I recently visited Nicaragua on a study tour with Oxfam-Canada and thought you might be interested in an article on their health system for the UNA NewsBulletin. I met with the National Executive of the health care workers union and visited a women's hospitaL Yours truly, Roxanne M urrell The union of health care workers in Nicaragua is called FETSALUD. It began in 1968 and went through various stages of development until it took its present form in 1981. FETSALUD represents a unification of 2 tendencies among health care workers: a concern for economic gains and a concern for improved health care. Under Somoza (before July 19, 1979), health care clinics in the cities and countryside. They provide pri· mary health care and are usually staffed by women. Nurses in the country near the Honduran border are working there with the knowledge that if the counter-revolutionaries attack, they will be among the first ones killed. Providing health care is deemed to be subversive. FETSALUD represents everyone in the health care system: those working in the Ministry, doctors, nurses, laundry workers, etc. There are about 18,000 people working in healthcare, including students. About 14,000 belong to FETSALUD. 80% of the health care workers are women. 50% of the union executive are women. There are still relatively few women doctors. Since the revolution, they have signed 4 contracts Before the revolution there was one medical school with 50 graduates a year (enough for the upper classes). Now there are 2 schools with 500 graduates. After graduation, doctors are required to do 2 years ' service where the country needs them most. Other than that, they are free to work in the public sector, the private sector, or both. This last year, a regular hospital has been converted to a women's hospital. It is a referral centre for women from all over Nicaragua. There are now about 70 births a day in the hospital. They would like to provide 24-48 hours care after birth but because of demand, women can stay only 8-12 hours. It is also a teaching hospital and women are receiving training in midwifery. This hospital, as well as others, suffers chronic scarcity of instruments and medicine because of the American economic block· ade. Canadians have supported FETSALUD and health care by sending supplies and medicine through the boat project from Van· Arbitrator cancels outrageous bill An Ontario arbitrator who initially charged $1,607.40 for a few hours work on a case, has changed his mind and cancelled the bill instead. Arbitrator Richard Me· Laren had sent the outrageous bill to the Cana· dian Textile and Chemical Union for an arbitration case the union won, which took all of an hour and a half to present and involved only the most straight-forward of Issues. In a May 17 letter to McLaren, CTCU officers said the union flatly refused to pay the bill, and sent instead a cheque covering the union 's share of his expenses and $200 as its share of a generous fee for services per· formed. On June 11, the CTCU re· ceived a letter from McLaren, who returned the union's cheque and said he was waiving his fees and ex· penses and cancelling the bill. The same day, provincial NDP labour critic Bob Mac· kenzie raised the question of high arbitration fees in the Ontario legislature, making specific reference to the CTCU case and asking for limits on arbitrator's fees. Labour minister Russell Ramsay answered that the issue is under "active study within the ministry." CTCU executive vice-president Laurell Ritchie said McLaren's decision to cancel his fees is a victory for the union. "Even the arbitrators themselves know there is no defence for the ridiculous fees they are charging," she said. Ritchie encouraged other unions to challenge ar· bitrators over fees they are charging, and to press government to set reasonable limits on arbitrator's fees. ''These sky-rocketing fees exploit workers, and make a mockery of the arbitration process by making it so ex· pensive that it is not accessible," she said. "Ultimately, we need to have the right to strike in mid-contract. That would be the surest and fairest way to resolve disputes." South Africa blacks strike every day Canadian incubator donated to Nicaragua saves the lives of new babies. workers were among the most exploited in Nicaraguan society. The issues of health care quality were never addressed. In 1978 they went on a hunger strike for improved conditions' and one female worker died. Since the revolution, there have been major improvements in health care. This is due partly to national vaccination campaigns. There have been no cases of polio in the last 2 years. The rate of malaria has dropped from 14% to 4%. There are rehydration centres to corn· bat one of the major causes of infant mortality -dehydration caused by diarrhea. The Sandinista govern· ment recognizes the impor· tance of accessible health care and does more than just talk about it. In spite of incredible economic hardships, the Sandinista government has increased funding for medical care by 600%. Today 70% of the population receive medical care, as corn· pared to 28% before the revolution. Part of this accessibility has been achieved through the establishment of health satisfactory to the workers without striking. The minimum salary is 1,700 cor· dobas a month ($1 is worth about 22 cordobas) and the maximum salary is 10,000 cordobas a month. There is a push within the union to reduce the gap between the minimum and maximum. couver in December, 1983. Continued American destabilization tactics jeopar· dize the advances made in health care and indeed, in all sectors of Nicaraguan society. . Executive Board PRESIDENT Ms. Margaret Ethier H • 467-4475 w. 425·1025 VICE-PRESIDENT Ms. Barbara Diepold H • 826-6276 w. 826-3311 SECRETARY-TREASURER Ms. M.T. Caughlin H · 262-3455 •w . 268-9625 CENTRAL DISTRICT Me. Cindy Forster H • :W&-7~7. 347·851)9 w. 343-4945 Ma. Jane Zinken* H · 342-6802 343-4930 w. w. 471·2262 Ms. Heather Molloy H • 466·3082 w. 477-4897 Ma. Joan Jenkins• H • 269-4862 w . 268·9482 Me. Geny Cook H • 487-4228 W • 484·8811 (E. 301) NORTH CENTRAL H - 46~00 H • 458-7869 ' W · 484·8811 (E. 242, Ma. Bamara Surdykowski H • 41:19-7284 w. 482-8411) SOUTH CENTRA_,L DISTRICT Ma, Wendy Brigham ll • 246-1864 w. 259-7655 Ms. Laurie Coates H • 251·3565 w. 228-8135 I "Mr. Glen Fruer H • 262-4322 w . 228-8123 NORTH DISTRICT Ma. Hazel Patsb• H • 539-7234 Ms. Karin Pedet'80n H • 338·3866 w . 338·3926 DISTRICT Ms. Tanla Bakke Johannesburg, South Africa (Labour News) - There has been a strike a day by black workers' union in South Africa over t he past three years. Unions representing black workers, who are generally prevented by law from joining white unions, "are showing great skill in negotia· tions and industrial confron· tation," says the general secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation. Black unions are strong foes of the racist apartheid policies of the ruling govern· ment. Some 15% of the country's population - the white minority rules South Africa. Ms. Kri&tiDe Gaw:reluk H - 483-8512 477-4512 Me. Thelma Lorilotz w. Herman Rubhan released a report on the state of black unions at the IMF head· quarters in Geneva, Switzer· land. The IMF represents unions of about 13 million members around the globe. He said unions outside South Africa that represent employees in firms with s ub· sidiaries here should or· ganize "factory-to-factory links and exchange visits between s hop stewards" with the black unions. In the past decade black union member s hip ha s grown steadily, from about 40,000 in 1973 to half a million today. - Canadian Association of Labour Media. Me. V.Jerie Neish H - S78-4712 w · 762·2222 Ms. Pat RicbardBOD H • 230-7456 W • 284-1141 (E. 18) SOUTH DISTRICT Mr. Erwin Epp• H • 381-6938 W • 327·4531 (E. 282} Me. Darlene Wallace H · 627·3499 w . 627·3333 Chrls L. Rawaon Employment Relations Officer Wendy Dansen Employment Relations Officer Trudy RICbardaoD Employment. Relations Of&er Gall Daigleiah Education/ Publications Officer OHice ca•e•ry OHce Suite 760 Principal Plaza 10303 Jasper Ave. Edmonton, Alta. 206, 609·14 St. N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2N 2Al 283-4777 Prov. T5J 3N7 Simms Renouf Executive DJ.reCtor Micbael J. M'~s Employment Relations Officer David F . Thomeot. Employment Relations Officer Marilyu Vavaaour Employment Relations Officer