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April 28, 1999
Prison nurses achieve major goals in new contract
Nurses employed by Jill Schmidt Health Services Inc. overwhelmingly ratify agreement that achieves most of their bargaining objectives
Nurses employed by Jill Schmidt Health Services Inc. have voted 91 per cent in favour of a new contract that achieves most of the objectives they were seeking in bargaining. Their last contract had expired in October 1997. The provisions bring them as close as possible to the same conditions covering nurses directly employed by the Provincial Public Service. Here are the features of the new agreement:
Pensions: Effective the first pay period after ratification, the employer shall provide for an RRSP retirement scheme matching the employees' choice of contributions from two percent to four per cent.
Sick leave: As of October 1, 1999, a short term illness and injury plan (STIIP) will be implemented commencing day three in the case of illness, and day one in the case of accident.
The plan will pay the employee two-thirds of wages. Sick leave banks as of October 1, 1999 will be frozen and the employee can elect to utilize time from the bank to receive wages for days one and two.
The STIIP plan is effective until the waiting period for LTD is over.
The employer will pay 100 per cent of premiums.
Health and Welfare benefits: Effective the first pay period after ratification, the employer will pay 100% of benefits.
Wages: The contract provides that any wage increases Public Service nurses receive shall be applicable to employees of this collective agreement upon receipt of the funds by the employer from the government.
The employer has also agreed to reimburse nurses for their professional dues, effective March 1, 2000. There were also contract breakthroughs affecting the rights of casual employees, statutory holidays, the provision of violence policy training as part of orientation, vacation scheduling, and pay for occupational first aid training.
The 30 nurses and one X-ray technician work at Surrey Pretrial, and at the Fraser and Alouette Regional Correctional Centres in Maple Ridge.
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