January 28, 2002
No UPN Members should lose employment as a result of the Governments restructuring program announced January 17thVancouver Pre-Trial will close in October but the Employer will place the nurses in positions in the Vancouver Jail, Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women (BCCW), or in one of McFam' s Bumaby facilities. UPN has seven members impacted. BCCW will close in 2004, but its' functions will be transferred to a renovated Alouette River Unit. All Corrections forestry camps in the Chilliwack region with the exception of Ford Mountain will be closed.
Still under a cloud are nursing positions outside the Public Service. The Regional Boards have had their budgets frozen for three years, and at least one Board (Interior) threatens it will have to lay off staff in order to come in on budget.
Negotiations will resume January 29th & 30th in Coquitlam. The parties will attempt to resolve the remaining non-salary issues at that time. Salaries will not be dealt with at this session.
UPN will pay part of the registration fee for UPN members attending the World Congress for Psychiatric Nurses being held May 10 & 11 in Coquitlam. This is in place of a UPN Education Day normally held in conjunction with the UPN Convention. UPN will pay $50 of the registration fee for one day, and $100 for two days. The CRPNBC will bill UPN for this portion. Members should deduct $50 (one day) or $100 (two days) off their registration fee when submitting it to the College. Members should identify themselves as a UPN member. CRPNBC will bill UPN directly. If a member has already submitted the full fee, the Union will reimburse the member directly.
UPN and HEABC have agreed on the reclassification of 39 members (supervisors, geriatric outreach nurses, and HSCL nurses), nine are still under review, and there is disagreement on six. (Those on which there is disagreement will be referred to a classification hearing.) Although 39 members have been reclassified, the Employer is still inconsistent in the application of pay. Some are paying the correct higher rate, while HEABC is saying there is no authorization to do so. Most Employers are not paying retroactivity. The matter of the correct salary for these 39 members has been referred to arbitration and the parties are attempting to agree on an arbitrator.
A statement by a senior Ministry of Health official on the transfer of Riverview and FPH to the health sector in April is "...it is up in the air. There is no definitive answer one way or the other." PSERC has taken the position it will not negotiate transfer agreements until the transfer date is set. Maple Cottage Detox' is, however, still on track for an April transfer.
UPN has received confirmation that, although nurses have the right to make application under the Public Service Early Retirement Incentive Plan and/or the Voluntary Departure Package, no applications are being approved for nurses because no nurses are in redundant positions.
The BC Federation of Labour is planning a large rally in Victoria on Saturday, February 23rd to protest the cuts to the Public Service and to protest the Provincial budget. UPN is supporting the rally. Please watch for details.
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