Wheatland & Adjacent Districts Emergency Medical Services Association Collective Agreement 2018-2023

Article 2: Definitions

1. “Association” shall mean that group of persons appointed by the municipal councils as created under part 15.1 of the Municipal Government Act of Alberta.
2. “Employee” means any person employed in the bargaining unit referred to in Article 4.01 or who performs functions of an ambulance nature. It shall further include any person employed in any new classification added to the bargaining unit in the future pursuant to Article 22.
3. “Code” means the Labour Relations Code as amended from time to time.
4. “Arbitration” shall take meaning from the section of the Code dealing with the resolution of a difference.
5. HSAA means “The Union” (the Health Sciences Association of Alberta).
6. “Employer” shall mean Wheatland and Adjacent Districts Emergency Medical Services Association.

7. “Basic Rate of Pay” is the step in the salary scale applicable to the Employee as set out in the Salaries Appendix exclusive of all allowance and premium payments.

8. “Shift” means a daily work period exclusive of overtime hours.

9. “Month” is the period of time between the date in one month and the preceding date in the following month.

10. “Mediation” shall take meaning from the section of the Code dealing with resolution of a difference.

11. Where the masculine gender is used herein it shall mean and include the feminine gender and similarly the singular shall mean and include the plural as the context may require.

12. Registered Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) is one who has successfully completed a course of studies in a recognized training institute and who is permanently registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics as per the Health Professions Act as an Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP).

13. Registered Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) is one who has successfully completed a course of studies in a recognized training institute and who is permanently registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics as per the Health Professions Act as a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP).

14. Communications Specialist

    1. Communication Specialist (Level I) – is one who is a certified member with the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch.

    2. Communication Specialist (Level II) – is one who has successfully completed a course of studies in a recognized training institute and who is permanently registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics as per the Health Professions Act in the Emergency Medical Technician – Ambulance area of practice and is a certified member with the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch.

    3. Communications Supervisor – is one maintains Quality Assurance Programs, liaise with outside organizations on IT issues, instates and trains staff including; new protocols, final training, signing off on in-house training, scheduling and assists upper management with various initiatives; Maintaining, tracking Continuing Education for Communication Specialists.

15. “Vacation” means annual vacation with pay.

16. “Vacation year” means the twelve (12) month period commencing on the first day of January in each calendar year and concluding on the 31st of December that calendar year.

17. All Employees shall be designated as follows:

    1. A “Regular Employee” shall mean a person who is employed either to work on a Full Time or Part Time basis on regularly scheduled shifts of a continuing nature.

       1. A Full-time Employee is one who is hired to work the full specified hours in the Hours of Work Article of this Collective Agreement.

       2. A Part-time Employee is one who works scheduled shifts whose hours of work are less than those specified in the Hours of Work Article of this Collective Agreement.

    2. Casual Employee is a person who:

       1. works on a call-in basis; or

       2. is regularly scheduled for a period of three (3) months or less for a specific job; or

       3. relieves for an absence the duration of which is three (3) months or less.

    3. Temporary Employee is one who is hired on a temporary basis for a full-time or part-time position;

       1. for a specific job of more than three (3) months or less than six (6) months; or

       2. to replace a full-time or part-time Employee who is on an approved leave of absence for a period in excess of three (3) months; or

       3. to replace a full-time or part-time Employee who is on a leave of absence due to an illness or injury where the Employee on leave has indicated to the Employer that the duration of such leave will be in excess of three (3) months.

18. “Job Steward” means an employee of the Employer designated by the Union to act as a local representative. 

19. “Chief Administrative Officer” (CAO) means the person in charge of operations of WADEMSA.