The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is praising the Alberta government for its demand for nurses to roll back their salaries..Finance Minister Travis Toews announced Tuesday the UCP would be asking for a 3% wage rollback. The United Nurses of Alberta says the amount is closer to 5% when you add in the benefits they are set to also lose..More than 600 Alberta nurses have made it onto the province’s sunshine list – a list of government workers who make more than $129,809 in annual pay, the CTF reported last year..In fact, one nurse took home more than $240,000 a year, according to documents .“Good on the provincial government to reign in out of control spending. For too long the Alberta government has spent too much, and now as we move on from the pandemic, it’s time the government gets its fiscal house in order,” CTF Alberta Director Kevin Lacey told the Western Standard..“Union bosses are using nurses as pawns. They know the public is more likely to support those working on the front line during the pandemic..“But these negotiations set the bar for what every other government bureaucrat, who worked from home during the pandemic, will get in upcoming contract talks. That’s why this is important..“It’s time government fights for a fair deal for all those taxpayers and business people who pay for the salaries and benefits of government employees. They’ve struggled through this pandemic and they don’t have any more to give to already well-compensated government employees.” .The CTF had previously said n addition to receiving a defined benefit pension plan, which is described as “quite generous” by the pension plan, UNA nurses are also receiving matching RRSP or TFSA contributions from taxpayers up to2 % of a nurse’s earnings. The second pension could add more than $1,850 every year to the compensation of top registered nurses..The basic hourly pay rate for a top registered nurse in Alberta is $48.37/hour, which translates to about $92,900 per year and is the highest hourly rate in Canada. .CTF said 614 nurses made more than the sunshine list barrier of $129,809..Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said the government’s stated ‘hope’ for good faith bargaining is interesting, given their record so far..“Negotiations with the UNA have been complicated in part because the government would not commit to postponing planned cuts to 750 nursing jobs during the negotiation process. This despite an election promise not to cut front-line healthcare jobs,” she told the Standard..“Combine this with the government scrapping the master agreement with doctors and announcing cuts to 11,000 healthcare workers, and the reality is that trust has become a central issue. This is why most physicians voted against the tentative agreement in March. News of physician shortages in rural Alberta will add to concerns about the government’s approach..“Support for healthcare workers is higher than for the government, particularly on anything that may affect the quality of medical care. This is about far more than money, despite the government’s claims to the contrary. Albertans will be looking for more than words of appreciation or phrases of support for public healthcare.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694.This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is praising the Alberta government for its demand for nurses to roll back their salaries..Finance Minister Travis Toews announced Tuesday the UCP would be asking for a 3% wage rollback. The United Nurses of Alberta says the amount is closer to 5% when you add in the benefits they are set to also lose..More than 600 Alberta nurses have made it onto the province’s sunshine list – a list of government workers who make more than $129,809 in annual pay, the CTF reported last year..In fact, one nurse took home more than $240,000 a year, according to documents .“Good on the provincial government to reign in out of control spending. For too long the Alberta government has spent too much, and now as we move on from the pandemic, it’s time the government gets its fiscal house in order,” CTF Alberta Director Kevin Lacey told the Western Standard..“Union bosses are using nurses as pawns. They know the public is more likely to support those working on the front line during the pandemic..“But these negotiations set the bar for what every other government bureaucrat, who worked from home during the pandemic, will get in upcoming contract talks. That’s why this is important..“It’s time government fights for a fair deal for all those taxpayers and business people who pay for the salaries and benefits of government employees. They’ve struggled through this pandemic and they don’t have any more to give to already well-compensated government employees.” .The CTF had previously said n addition to receiving a defined benefit pension plan, which is described as “quite generous” by the pension plan, UNA nurses are also receiving matching RRSP or TFSA contributions from taxpayers up to2 % of a nurse’s earnings. The second pension could add more than $1,850 every year to the compensation of top registered nurses..The basic hourly pay rate for a top registered nurse in Alberta is $48.37/hour, which translates to about $92,900 per year and is the highest hourly rate in Canada. .CTF said 614 nurses made more than the sunshine list barrier of $129,809..Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said the government’s stated ‘hope’ for good faith bargaining is interesting, given their record so far..“Negotiations with the UNA have been complicated in part because the government would not commit to postponing planned cuts to 750 nursing jobs during the negotiation process. This despite an election promise not to cut front-line healthcare jobs,” she told the Standard..“Combine this with the government scrapping the master agreement with doctors and announcing cuts to 11,000 healthcare workers, and the reality is that trust has become a central issue. This is why most physicians voted against the tentative agreement in March. News of physician shortages in rural Alberta will add to concerns about the government’s approach..“Support for healthcare workers is higher than for the government, particularly on anything that may affect the quality of medical care. This is about far more than money, despite the government’s claims to the contrary. Albertans will be looking for more than words of appreciation or phrases of support for public healthcare.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694.This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
