June 30, 2009

HPD Bargaining Update: Where We Stand

Our interest arbitration hearing was held on June 22, 23, and 29.  Your bargaining team took a short list of issues forward designed to bring about normative improvements and to keep pace with what ONA achieved.  The Hospitals put forward a list of concessions that are largely unheard of in our sector.

Our wage position seeks a three per cent increase in each of the two years of the term.  We tabled this on a without prejudice basis to our goal of achieving RT/RN parity.  With three per cent increases we would at least be assured that the wage gap between our professions and the nurses would not increase.  The Hospitals’ position is 1.75 per cent in each year.

We proposed a telephone consultation premium.  The Hospitals agreed, but at a reduced rate. 

On Standby, our position was an increase to the premium as well as additional language to provide for standby for telephone consultation.  The Hospitals were opposed to these positions.

We also sought improvements to shift and weekend premiums.  The Hospitals were opposed.

Our proposed improvements to vacation and health and welfare benefits were also opposed by the Hospitals

On the job security front, our proposals to strengthen our contracting-out and work of the bargaining unit provisions were opposed by the Hospitals.  They believe our job security is extremely good.

The Hospitals proposed a redesign of the sick leave plan which would reduce the benefit levels for the vast majority of people who use the plan and increase benefit levels for the few who go on EI and LTD.  The Hospitals’ proposed changes do not exist anywhere else in the sector.  They were proposed to “fix” a sick leave utilization problem that doesn’t exist, given that sick leave utilization rates for paramedical professions is the lowest in the hospitals.

The Hospitals also proposed 80/20 co-payments in all our health and welfare benefits, where a co-payment does not already exist.  Their rationale was to save money.  Again, their proposal does not exist anywhere else in the sector.

The Hospitals proposed a reduction in the percentage in lieu paid to part-time employees, from 14 per cent and 12 per cent to 13 per cent and nine per cent for those employees who participate in the pension plan.  They ignored the fact that ONA agreed to this in 1991, in exchange for a 29 per cent increase in wages.  The Hospitals suggested at the hearing that the “savings” that this would result in could help to pay for the wage increase they proposed. 

The Hospitals’ proposed amendment to our hours of work language to allow them to unilaterally schedule part-time employees for short shifts.  This is in spite of the fact that we have agreed that at the local issues tables, the Hospitals could propose short shifts through the Article 29.02 template agreement on innovative and flexible scheduling.

The Hospitals also proposed an amendment to our call back language to limit entitlement to a single occurrence within a four-hour period and pointed to SEIU and CAW agreements as justification.

The agreed issues, which include improvements in areas of health and safety, definitions, job security, as well as retroactivity, will be included in the award.

You will be informed as soon as we have our award.

"Hospital Professionals At the Table" Index