October 01, 2001
All but a handful of items in this round of negotiations involve either compensation or security. The PSERC and Union negotiators have met to discuss having the Employer prepare a total compensation package for the negotiating committees to consider. The classification officers from both sides have been asked to prepare recommendations on equivalencies between the Public Service nurses and Health Sector nurses' classification systems, and to see if there is any way around the nine step increment scale the Health Sector nurses had legislated against them.
The Union has also proposed that there be no transfer of Riverview, Forensic Psychiatric Hospital nor the Maple Cottage Detox' to the Health Sector until the classification and pay of the supervisors is determined and acceptable. Under the Health Sector nurses agreement, new people coming into the agreement, even supervisors, are placed at level 1 then have to be reclassified. (Thirteen mental health centre supervisors previously transferred are still classified at level 1.)
The NBA has laid a complaint with the Labour Relations Board that the employers are failing to pay the increase in salary and benefits, and the retroactive pay, in a timely manner.
We are more than hesitant to report on this item, since just about every previous report has been wrong due to HEABC not keeping its promised time lines. As of September 14th, HEABC has agreed on the correct classification of the original nine UPN geriatric outreach nurses and the 13 UPN supervisors.
The letters are in the process being signed off. Agreement has been reached on the correct classification of a number of other nurses UPN members who applied for reclassification. But, the matter of funding is still in dispute. HEABC has not kept its February 6th commitment to apply to the Ministry of Health for funding to pay for the reclassifications.
The Press Council hearing into UPN's complaint against the Vancouver Sun's April 14th article alleging physical and sexual abuse at Woodlands was held Sept. 19th. The BC Press Council is the self regulating group for BC's newspapers, and from the conduct of the hearing it showed it. One observer called it a "Kangaroo Court", which was probably kind. A major disappointment was the Union had asked the Ministry for Children and Family Development to attend and show support for their former employees. They ignored the letter. There has been no ruling as yet.
UPN has donated $2500 each to a fund for the families of the firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty on September 11th in New York City.
The new Entertainment 2002 discount books are available from the UPN office at $46. The Union's commission will be donated to the Alzheimer Society.
Purdy's has advised that the Christmas discount promotion can not be offered this year.
The CLC has declared a consumer boycott of Petro-Canada because of two labour disputes in Ontario where the company is using strikebreakers.
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