Nurses picket outside Sturgeon Community Hospital: 'Looking for a fair contract'
Alberta's nurses union is drawing attention to the province's proposal to roll back nurses' wages by three per cent with an information picket at a St. Albert hospital.
By 6:30 a.m. Monday, about a dozen picketers had gathered outside the Sturgeon Community Hospital.
Among them was registered nurse and union local president Orissa Shima, whose sign around her neck read, "Willing to strike for a fair contract."
She said she and her colleagues wanted to let the public know they aren't prepared to take a wage cut after the pandemic, and are equal to a five per cent rollback when other proposed changes are factored in.
"We're being fed a narrative that it is us, the frontline heroes, that need to pay for bad government policy and government debt, like we haven't paid already with time away from our families, fear of catching COVID, and spreading COVID in the early months, moral injury, and burning out," Shima told CTV News Edmonton.
"What is a thank you when you're telling us we're worth less?" she asked. "It's a slap in the face, it's a punch in the gut, after all we've been through and given during this pandemic."
A week earlier, Alberta's finance minister said the proposal was part of work to get the province's finances "back on track" and that nurses there make 5.6 per cent more than their counterparts across the country.
According to Statistics Canada, nursing wages averaged $44.12 in June, the highest rate of the provinces but near B.C. and Saskatchewan's roughly $43 wages and Manitoba's $41.46 wages. Across Canada, the median was $39.72.
"That's part of the Alberta advantage," Shima said, noting Alberta workers see larger pay cheques in multiple sectors.
The government's proposal also includes eliminating semi-annual lump sum payments, reducing shift and weekend premiums, and removing charge nurse positions.
Both Shima and a nurse of 35 years called that last change dangerous.
"Things we were fighting for then," Sharon Lloyd commented, referencing the 1998 nurses strike she was a part of, "we are still fighting for now: patient safety, patient ratios, a nurse in charge on a unit. Yes, compensation is important. We don't want to be rolled back; we were rolled back in the 90s and we were rolled back for job security -- that's what they're saying now. That they'll roll us back for job security. And we don't believe them. We don't trust them anymore."
The government returns to the bargaining table with United Nurses of Alberta on Aug. 4 and 5.
Official Opposition and Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley has characterized the negotiations as "bad faith bargaining" that is driving workers to quit or find work outside Alberta.
The Alberta government has also proposed a four per cent rollback for hospital staff and, in 2020, announced a plan to lay off up to 11,000 Alberta Health Services jobs as a cost-savings measure.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nahreman Issa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Quebec woman buys lotto ticket from daughter's store, wins $1 million
A woman from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Que. won $1 million in a Lotto 6/49 draw and she bought the ticket from her daughter's convenience store.