Arbitrator’s ruling resolves UNA grievance over pay-rate differences affecting long-service public health care employees
Grievances filed by United Nurses of Alberta that arose from differences between rates of pay for some employees in their new multi-employer collective agreement and the rates actually paid by major Alberta public health care employers have been resolved by an arbitrator.
The decision issued Thursday by Arbitrator David Jones formalizes an employer proposal to adjust a discrepancy in the calculation of pay rates for long-service employees of Alberta Health Services, Primary Care Alberta, Recovery Alberta: Mental Health and Addictions Services, and other employers.
While both parties acted in good faith, the discrepancy arose when a because different rounding formulae were used. The discrepancy resulted in a difference of plus or minus 1 cent per hour since the new agreement came into effect with ratification of UNA’s multiple-employer Provincial Collective Agreement on April 3 this year. The annual dollar amount of overpayment or underpayment was about $20 for an affected full-time nurse.
As a result of the arbitrator’s decision, the employers will issue a pay adjustment to employees who were underpaid for all hours between April 3, 2025, and March 31, 2026. The employers will inform UNA in advance of their plans for issuing the pay adjustment.
The employers will not require repayment by those employees who were overpaid.
The Long Service Pay Adjustment in the employers’ version of the agreement’s salary appendix calculated by the employers’ payroll system will be the rates of pay effective as of April 1, 2026, and April 1, 2027.
UNA Multi-Employer Provincial Collective Agreement Employers
Alberta Health Services
Covenant Health
Lamont Health Care Centre
The Bethany Group (Camrose)
Recovery Alberta: Mental Health and Addiction Services
Primary Care Alberta
Assisted Living Alberta
Cancer Care Alberta
Give Life Alberta
Emergency Health Services
Health Shared Services
