HSAA members to vote on mediator-recommended agreement this week

Health workers including paramedics, laboratory technologists, pharmacists and others will vote on Thursday to ratify or not a new collective agreement.

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The deal was recommended by a mediator on Friday after three days of talks.

The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) endorsed the deal, saying in an update on its website that “the Board and Bargaining Committee are confident that this is the best collective agreement that can be achieved.”

The mediator made recommendations on items HSAA and Alberta Health Services (AHS) had not been able to agree on, including additional market wage adjustments, long-service pay, and an agreement to review the classification structure for occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, kinesiologists, and exercise specialists, with a promise that no salary would be be negatively impacted.

Previously, the parties had tentatively agreed on a 12-per cent general wage increase over the duration of the agreement, portability of seniority and other union rights when moving between provincial health agencies and corporations, enhanced benefits, a workload appeal process, and other market wage adjustments.

“The recommendations demonstrate a clear commitment by the parties to work collaboratively to arrive at reasonable outcomes,” Finance Minister and Treasury Board President Nate Horner said in a statement Friday.

The ratification vote will close Nov. 25 at 4 p.m.

The union expects the results to be announced that same day.

The last collective agreement expired in March 2024.

Nursing care negotiations update

AHS was also scheduled to meet with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees – which represents nursing care workers like licensed practical nurses, health-care and psychiatric aides, rehabilitation centre workers and more – on Saturday to present a counteroffer.

If a deal was not reached by Monday, the workers were ready to take job action and the union had begun work on an essential services agreement, the union president said last week.

CTV News Edmonton has reached out to AUPE for an update.