Stettler District Ambulance Association Collective Agreement 2023 - 2026

Article 9: Hours of Work

1. Regular paid hours of work for ambulance Employees shall be either a:
   1. Core Flex Shift
      1. Employees shall work a twenty-four (24) hour Shift consisting of a minimum two (2) core hours, ten (10) flex hours, and twelve (12) on-call hours, with the Employee being available for immediate response from within the community during core, flex and on-call hours. An Employee shall be compensated for twelve (12) hours at their basic rate of pay plus twelve (12) hours on-call.
      2. Employees will be paid their basic rate of pay for the 12-hour Shift to an annual maximum of 2190 hours and the weekly average of forty-two (42) hours per week.
      3. Scheduled on the basis of four (4) Shifts followed by four (4) days off.
      4. Any change in Core Hours shall require thirty (30) days’ notice unless mutually agreed to between the Employer and the Employee.
   2. Twelve (12) hour “Assembled” Shift

      1. Annual hours of work for Full-time Employees will be 2190 hours paid at the Basic Rate of Pay and the weekly average of forty-two (42) hours per week.

      2. Scheduled on the basis of four (4) Shifts followed by four (4) days off.

      3. no tour of duty shall exceed more than 48 hours of worked time in total (excluding overtime).

2. Regular hours of work will be compensated as set out in Article 27 (Salaries) and the Salaries Appendix.

3. Subject to Article 10 (Overtime), the hours of work of an Employee working less than the normal hours of work as set out in Article 9.01 may be expanded up to the normal hours of work without the payment of overtime. 

4. Overtime shall only be paid in accordance with Article 10. 

5. Employees assigned to a Shift must remain in fit condition to return to work at any time during that Shift.

6. On the date fixed by proclamation, in accordance with the Daylight Saving Time Act, of conversion to Mountain Standard Time, regular hours of work shall be extended to include the resultant additional one (1) hour with additional payment due therefore at the applicable overtime rate. On the date fixed by said Act for the resumption of Daylight Saving Time, the resultant reduction of one (1) hour in the Shift involved shall be effected with the appropriate deduction in regular earnings. 

7.  

   (i)  The Union recognizes the right of the Employer to schedule the hours of work in order to efficiently serve the needs of its clients while utilizing its budgeted resources as economically as possible. Therefore, the Employer retains the exclusive right to schedule hours of work of Employees as necessary to provide coverage for the determined hours of operation.
   
   (ii)  Notwithstanding Article 9.07(i) such amendments shall not be in violation of the terms of this Collective Agreement.

8. Employees may exchange Shifts and/or days off, providing that such Employees are qualified to do each other’s duties; and

   1. Employees submit the request, giving reasonable notice; and

   2. the Employer approves the exchange; and

   3. operational efficiency is not disrupted; and

   4. there is no increased cost to the Employer; and

   5. where the requirements of this Article are complied with, the Shift schedule shall be amended by the Employer to reflect the Shifts being exchanged.

   Should such request be denied, reasons will be provided in writing, upon request.

9. A weekend premium of three dollars and twenty-five ($3.25) per hour shall be paid to an Employee for each hour of the 12-hour Shift and for Active Duty Hours worked during the On Call Hours (exclusive of vacation leave, sick leave, bereavement leave, education leave and any other paid leave), between the hours of fifteen hundred (1500) hours Friday to zero seven hundred (0700) hours Monday. This premium shall not apply to any minimum period pursuant to Article 11.05.

10. Shift Differential 

    1. An evening shift differential of two dollars and seventy-five cents ($2.75) per hour shall be paid to:

       1. Employees working a shift wherein the majority of such shift falls within the period fifteen hundred (1500) hours to twenty-three hundred (2300) hours; or 

       2. Employees for each Active Duty hour worked between fifteen hundred (1500) hours to twenty-three hundred (2300) hours provided that greater than two (2) hours are worked between fifteen hundred (1500) hours and twenty three hundred (2300) hours; or 

       3. to Employees for all overtime hours worked which fall within the period of fifteen hundred (1500) hours and twenty-three hundred (2300) hours.

    2. A night shift differential of five dollars ($5.00) per hour shall be paid to:

       1. Employees working a shift wherein the majority of such shift falls within the period twenty-three hundred (2300) hours to zero seven hundred (0700) hours; or

       2. Employees for each Active Duty hour worked between twenty-three hundred (2300) hours to zero seven hundred (0700) hours provided that greater than two (2) hours are worked within twenty-three hundred (2300) hours and zero seven hundred (0700) hours; or 

       3. to Employees for all overtime hours worked which fall within the period of twenty-three hundred (2300) hours and zero seven hundred (0700) hours.

       Shift differentials shall not be considered part of the basic hourly rate of pay. Where applicable, shift differential and weekend premium will be stacked.

       In the event that the Collective Agreement negotiated between Alberta Health Services and HSAA changes to provide an increase in shift differential as per Article 9 (a) and (b) similar reimbursement shall be deemed to be amended to match such increase in shift differential from the date of ratification of the Alberta Health Services/HSAA Collective Agreement (but shall not apply retroactively). 

11. Shift Scheduling Standards and Premiums for Non-Compliance shall be applicable to Regular Employees and Temporary Employees as follows:  

    1. Unless otherwise agreed between the Employer and the Union, Shift schedules shall be posted twelve (12) weeks in advance.

    2. If a Shift schedule is changed after being posted, the affected Employees shall be provided with fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice of the new schedule. In the event that an Employee’s schedule is changed in the new Shift schedule and they are not provided with the fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice, they shall be paid two times their basic rate of pay for all hours worked on such days unless such change is at the Employee’s request.

    3. Unless an Employee is given at least fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice of a change of their scheduled day(s) off, they shall be paid two times (2X) their basic rate of pay for all hours worked on such day(s) unless such change is at the Employee’s request.

    4. Unless an Employee is given at least two (2) months’ notice of a permanent change to an Employee’s Shift schedule, they shall be paid two times their basic rate of pay for all hours worked on such days unless such change is at the Employee’s request.

    5. In the event that an Employee is required by the Employer to change platoons, time balancing will be required ensuring that the prescribed number of hours for the calendar year is achieved.

12. In the event that an Employee reports for work as scheduled and is required by the Employer not to commence work but to return to duty at a later hour, or is not required to work, they shall be compensated for that inconvenience by receiving two (2) hours’ pay at their Basic Rate of Pay.

13. Should an Employee report and commence work as scheduled and be required to cease work prior to completion of their scheduled Shift and return to duty at a later hour, they shall receive their basic hourly rate for all hours worked with an addition of two (2) hours’ pay at their Basic Rate of Pay for that inconvenience.

14. For core flex shifts, Active Duty time shall be calculated from the time of dispatch to an event, at the applicable rate of pay.  Notwithstanding Article 11.05, if the event is cancelled prior to being en route, the Employee shall be compensated for thirty (30) minutes at the applicable rate of pay.

15. Shift Giveaway 
    Regular, Temporary and Regular Casual Employees may be permitted to give away their regularly scheduled Shift(s) with the approval of the Employer subject to the following: 

    1. The Employee requesting the shift giveaway will provide the Employer    with a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours’ notice prior to the requested      shift give away; and

    2. The Employee shall find their own coverage within the same        classification at no increased cost to the Employer; and

    3. Each Employee shall be allowed a maximum of eight (8) shift       giveaways in a calendar year.

16. Employees are required to ensure the return of radio/telephone equipment. When the equipment is returned to the station at the end of their Tour of Duty, Employees working core flex shifts will be compensated for one (1) hour at two (2) times their Basic Rate of Pay for the inconvenience of returning to the station. 
    
    Compensation does not apply to Employees who have not used all of their flex time in the twenty-four (24) hour period immediately preceding the end of their Tour of Duty, nor to Employees who are provided accommodations at the station.