By Chris Brown

In the area today

Toews: Respect for nurses, but wage rollback proposal about economic realities

Jul 8, 2021 | 4:19 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Days after proposing a three per cent wage rollback for nurses in Alberta, Finance Minister Travis Toews says the government has to look at the realities of the province’s economic situation.

“We absolutely respect and appreciate all the incredible work and the professionalism and dedication that Alberta nurses bring to their job each and every day and especially following COVID, I think our appreciation is even more elevated,” Toews told CHAT News Today. “That being said we have economic and fiscal realities in this province that simply don’t allow Alberta to be an outlier anymore in terms of cost of delivering public services. From that standpoint and in that context we believe that our overall labour mandate is reflective of our realities here in the province of Alberta.”

The salary rollback proposed by Toews and Alberta Health Services is part of contract negotiations with the union that represents about 30,000 nurses.

The union says the rollback on top of other demands by the health provider, including reduced shift premiums, would result in an overall wage reduction of at least five per cent.

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Toews says they make 5.6 per cent more than nurses in some other provinces.

Smith acknowledges nurses are paid more in Alberta but adds average weekly earnings for all occupations are 15 per cent higher in the province.

The two sides were to return to the bargaining table today. There is no word on how those negotiations has been released.

When asked about them, Toews said he’ll leave the bargaining details to AHS and the UNA.

Toews was in the region today for the groundbreaking of a new bio-diesel refinery near Dunmore.

The joint Cielo and Renewable U project will divert bio-matter like railway ties, trash and unsaleable recyclable materials from landfills and turn it into clean diesel fuel.

Toews says the investment is an example of what is happening across the province due to a renewed optimism in the economy.

— with files from The Canadian Press