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'These health care workers stood strong throughout the last 13 months and they should feel very proud of what they’ve accomplished together.' - HSAA spokesman Scott Pattison.
Edmonton (5 Oct. 2009) - More than 900 DynaLIFE Dx lab employees represented by the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE) have overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year collective agreement.
“This has been a long and difficult bargaining process,” said HSAA spokesman Scott Pattison. “These health care workers stood strong throughout the last 13 months and they should feel very proud of what they’ve accomplished together.”
The agreement includes wage gains of 4% in the first year, 4% in the second year and the wage rate negotiated at the provincial bargaining table in year three.
Other gains include:
- Retroactivity of wage increases to April 1, 2009.
- A Long Service Increment – for all classifications after six years at Step 7.
- No rollbacks for North Group of employees.
- Lump sum payments for North Group of employees equivalent to 4% of wage from April 1 this year to April 1 next year, covering wage increases not received in 2008.
- RSP Plan – date-of-ratification employer contribution increases to 3%; for all employees who qualify for LSI, the employer contribution increases to 3.5%; eligibility no longer restricted to 0.6%.
- $1,000 payment for all regular employees pro-rated to full-time equivalent (FTE) within 60 days of ratification. This can be contributed to DynaLIFE RSP program; second $1,000 payment as above 120 days after ratification.
- Overtime rate to go to 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for first hour and two times the regular rate of pay after one hour of overtime.
DynaLIFE employees received ratification ballots by mail over the past two weeks. Ballots were tabulated at HSAA Headquarters on Oct. 2. The employer has also ratified the agreement.
DynaLIFE Dx employees approached HSAA for union representation in April 2008. HSAA was legally certified as the bargaining unit by the Alberta Labour Relations Board in August 2008. Negotiations with the employer began in January 2009.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE