Covenant Health Collective Agreement 2020-2024

LOCAL CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO
EMS COVENANT HEALTH - MINERAL SPRINGS HOSPITAL, BANFF
 

ITEM 1: BANFF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL

1.1  Except where set out below, the Terms and Conditions of this Collective Agreement shall apply.  These Local Conditions shall be the Conditions for affected Employees during the term of the Collective Agreement contained herein.   

1.2  The Affected Employees included in these Local Conditions are the EMS Employees hired by Covenant Health and working out of the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital.

The following Local Conditions shall apply only to the ambulance service classifications as described in Item 1.2:

1.3  The following articles shall be null and void:  14.04, 14.06, 19 and 45.

1.4  Definitions

Amend Article 2.04 and 2.09 as follows:

2.04 “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 allowances and premium payments.

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

Add the following definition for the purpose of this Local Condition only

(a)  Affected Employees are those Employees working in the following classifications:

(i)  “Advanced Care Paramedic” (ACP) means a registered member who is registered in the Emergency Medical Technologist - Paramedic area of practice, pursuant to Health Professions Act and the Emergency Medical Technicians Regulations.

(ii)  “Primary Care Paramedic” (PCP) means a registered member who is registered in the Emergency Medical Technician - Ambulance area of practice, pursuant to Health Professions Act and the Emergency Medical Technicians Regulations.

1.5 Probationary Period

Amend Article 9 as follows:

“9.01   A newly-hired regular or temporary Employee shall serve a probationary period of one thousand and ninety-five (1,095) hours worked exclusive of overtime hours immediately following the date on which the current period of continuous employment commenced. Hours worked as a casual Employee in the same classification shall be considered as contributing to the completion of a probationary period up to a maximum of five hundred forty-seven and one-half (547 1/2) hours provided that not more than three (3) months have elapsed since they worked for the Employer.

9.02   (a)   If in the opinion of the Employer, the Employee is found to be unsatisfactory, they may be terminated without notice The Employee may have access to the grievance procedure at Step 2 only.

   (b) The Employee’s probationary period may be extended if mutually agreed upon by the Union and the Employer. During the extended period, the Employee shall be given regular feedback regarding their performance.”

1.6 Hours of Work

Employees may work a combination of Core Flex and Regular Hours as defined in this Article.

Replace Article 10 in its entirety by the following:

“10.01 (a) Regular hours of work for full-time Employees shall be:

(i) scheduled on the basis of:

(a) two (2) ten (10) hour day shifts and two (2) fourteen (14) hour night shifts followed by four (4) days off; or

(b) four (4) shifts up to a maximum of twelve (12) hours in length followed by four (4) days off.

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

(iii) two thousand one hundred and ninety (2,190) hours per year; and

(iv) hours of work shall be consecutive; and

(v) in the event that an Employee, once every six (6) months, 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; and

(vi) the Employer shall provide a minimum of two (2) months’ notice of the platoon change; and

(vii) any adjustments required as a result of time balancing will be paid at the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay.

(b)  Core Flex Hours of Work for full-time Employees shall be:

(i) Employees shall work a twelve (12) hour shift consisting of a minimum six (6) core hours, six (6) 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 if less than twelve (12) hours of active duty including the core hours are worked in a twenty-four (24) hour period.

(ii) Employees shall work a four (4) day on four (4) day off shift rotation.

(iii) Annual hours of work for full-time Employees will be two thousand one hundred and ninety (2190) hours.

(iv) Core Hours shall mean the hours during which an Employee is required to be in uniform, on-duty, in the workplace (or identified location) and ready for immediate response. 

(v) Flex hours shall mean the hours on duty in excess of the core duty hour. 

(vi) On-call Duty shall make up the balance of the twenty-four (24) hour period. During on-call hours, Employees will be paid at the Basic Rate of Pay for hours called out, until they have worked a total of twelve (12) hours of Active Duty.  Any hours worked in excess of twelve (12) hours in the twenty-four (24) hour period will be paid at two times (2X) the Basic Rate of Pay.

(c) An Employee will not be scheduled to work more than fourteen (14) consecutive hours in one (1) twenty-four (24) hour period.

(d)  (i) An Employee required to be actively at work fourteen (14) or more hours in a twenty-four (24) hour period shall have a minimum of eight (8) hours of rest, prior to commencing their next scheduled shift without loss of regular earnings.

(ii) Due to operations reasons, should the Employer not be able to provide eight (8) hours of rest, the Employee shall be paid at two times (2X) the Basic Rate of Pay for all hours actively worked during the eight (8) hour rest period.

(iii) Should the Employee be actively at work during the eight (8) hour rest period, and should this period of work run continuously into their scheduled shift, the Employee will be paid (2X) the Basic Rate of Pay until the end of the rest period.

(iv) After an Employee has had their period of eight (8) consecutive hours of rest, the twenty-four (24) hour period is reset.

(v) In any event, the Employer shall endeavor to manage fatigue once an Employee has worked twelve (12) hours and has identified issues with their supervisor.  The Employee shall also actively participate in fatigue management.

(vi) “Actively at work” or “Active Duty” shall mean the hours that an Employee is dispatched to or in the act of responding to, caring for, transporting a patient, or performing duties as required by the Employer.  

10.02 (a) Regular Full-time and Part-time Employees may exchange shifts and/or days off, with Employees in the same classification, provided that:

(i) it does not result in an Employee working more than fourteen (14) consecutive hours in one (1) twenty-four (24) hour period; and

(ii) both affected Employees submit the request in writing, giving reasonable notice; and

(iii) the Employer approves the exchange; and

(iv) operational efficiency is not disrupted; and

(v) there is no increased cost to the Employer; and

(vi) the shift schedule shall be amended by the Employer to reflect the shifts being exchanged.

Such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

10.03 On the date fixed by proclamation, in accordance with the Daylight Savings Time Act, of conversion to Mountain Standard Time, regular hours of work shall be extended to include the resultant additional 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.

10.04 Employees called-back to work and not required to commence work and/or who work two (2) hours or less, shall receive a minimum of two (2) hours at one and one-half times (1 1/2X) their Basic Rate of Pay.”

1.7 Work Schedules and Shifts

Replace Article 11 in its entirety by the following:

“11.01     (a) Unless otherwise agreed between the Employer and the Union shift schedules shall be posted twelve (12) weeks in advance.

(b) An Employee shall be given a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice of a schedule change (rotation changes, or changes of days of work).

(c) Unless an Employee is given at least fourteen (14) days’ notice of a change to their scheduled day(s) off they shall be paid two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for all hours worked on the first shift changed, unless such change is at the Employee’s request.

11.02 If in a twenty-four (24) hour period the Employee is changed from working a night shift to a day shift in the same day, then no minimum notice is required, and the Employee will be paid fourteen (14) hours at their Basic Rate of Pay.”

1.8 Overtime  

Replace Article 12 in its entirety by the following:

“12.01 Overtime is all time authorized by the Employer and worked by an Employee in excess of their regularly scheduled shift or on scheduled days of rest. Overtime worked immediately following or immediately preceding an Employee’s scheduled shift will be paid at two times (2X) the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay. This overtime payment will cease and the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay will apply at the start of their next regularly scheduled shift.

12.02 Unless given fourteen (14) calendar days advance notice of the change, an Employee required by the Employer to work on a scheduled day off will receive two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay. This overtime payment will cease and the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay will apply at the start of their next regularly scheduled shift.

12.03 Subject to mutual agreement between the Employer and an Employee, the Employee may be granted time off duty in lieu of overtime payments at the applicable premium rate. An Employee’s overtime bank accumulation shall be carried forward from year-to-year. However, the carry-forward balance at the end of March shall be no more than forty-eight (48) hours.”

1.9 Call-Back and On-Call Duty

Amend Article 13 by the following:

“13.01    (a) The term “call-back duty” shall be deemed to mean any period after or before a regular shift during which an Employee is on call-back and must be available to respond without delay to any request to return to duty.

(b) When an Employee, whose hours of work are in accordance with Article 10.01(a) or (b), is scheduled to work, they may also be assigned “on-call duty” of no more than twelve (12) hours following the shift.

13.03     (a) For each occasion that an Employee is called back to duty, in addition to the payment received for being on-call, the Employee shall be paid for all hours worked during the call-back period, or for three (3) hours, whichever is the longer at the overtime rate of two times (2X) the Basic Rate of Pay.

(b) An Employee called back to duty shall be permitted to return to on-call status when normal conditions have been restored. However, any further requests for procedures received by an Employee prior to returning to on-call status following completion of the work required on the initial call shall be considered one (1) call for the purpose of determining call-back pay.

(c) If an Employee is recalled to duty immediately prior to the commencement of their scheduled shift, the Employee shall be deemed to be working overtime and shall be paid in accordance with Article 12.01 above until the scheduled commencement of their scheduled shift at which time they shall be paid at their Basic Rate of Pay.

13.04 An Employee who is called back to the Health Care Facility for immediate duty to respond to the Site of an emergency using their private automobile shall be reimbursed at the rate of fifty and one-half cents ($0.505) or the Government of Alberta rate per kilometre for each kilometre traveled.

1.10  Travel Expenses 

Article 20 has no application to this Addendum except:

(a) If an Employee is required to travel on Employer business outside of their regular duties, Articles 20.02(b)(i) and (ii) and 20.05 will apply.

1.11 Vacation

Amend Article 21.02 as follows:

“21.02 Vacation Entitlement 

Subject to Article 33.01(e), during each year of continuous service in the employ of the Employer, an Full-Time Regular Employee shall earn vacation with pay in proportion to the number of months worked during the vacation year, to be taken in the following vacation year, except as provided for in Article 21.05. The rate at which vacation is earned shall be governed by the total length of such employment as follows:

(a) during the first (1st) year of employment, an Employee shall earn entitlement to vacation calculated on a basis of one hundred forty-four (144) hours; or 

(b) during each of the second (2nd) to ninth (9th) years of employment, an Employee shall earn entitlement to vacation calculated on a basis of one hundred ninety-two (192) hours; or 

(c) during each of the tenth (10th) and subsequent years of employment, an Employee shall earn entitlement to vacation calculated on a basis of two hundred forty (240) hours;

(d) Supplementary Vacation

The supplementary vacations as set out below are to be banked on the outlined supplementary vacation employment anniversary date and taken at a mutually agreeable time subsequent to the current supplementary vacation employment anniversary date but prior to the next supplementary vacation employment anniversary date:

(i) upon reaching the employment anniversary of twenty-five (25) years of continuous service, Employees shall have earned an additional forty-eight (48) hours vacation with pay;

(ii) upon reaching the employment anniversary of thirty (30) years of continuous service, Employees shall have earned an additional forty-eight (48) hours vacation with pay;

(iii) upon reaching the employment anniversary of thirty-five (35) years of continuous service, Employees shall have earned an additional forty-eight (48) hours vacation with pay;

(iv) upon reaching the employment anniversary of forty (40) years of continuous service, Employees shall have earned an additional forty-eight (48) hours vacation with pay;

(v) upon reaching the employment anniversary of forty-five (45) years of continuous service, Employees shall have earned an additional forty-eight (48) hours vacation with pay.

Amend 21.05(e) as follows:

21.05 (e) A yearly vacation schedule will be posted in January. Employees will indicate their vacation period of preference on the schedule prior to March 1st. The Employer shall approve or reject requests by April 30th.

Seniority shall be considered when there is a dispute regarding preference for the time that vacation is to be taken.

All other requests for vacation will be considered on a first come first serve basis. These requests will be approved or denied within four (4) weeks of the request being submitted.’

1.12 Named Holidays

Amend Article 22.03 and add Articles 22.09 and 22.10 as follows:

“22.03   (a) An Employee, obliged in the course of duty, to work on a Named Holiday shall be paid for all hours worked on a Named Holiday at one and one-half times (1 1/2X) Basic Rate of Pay, and twelve (12) hours will be added to the Employee’s accrued statutory holiday bank to be taken as time off with pay at such future time as may be mutually agreed upon between the Employer and the Employee.

(b) An Employee, obliged in the course of duty, to work on Christmas Day and August Civic Holiday shall be paid for all hours worked on Christmas Day and August Civic Holiday at two times (2X) Basic Rate of Pay, and twelve (12) hours will be added to the Employee’s accrued statutory holiday bank to be taken as time off with pay at such future time as may be mutually agreed upon between the Employer and the Employee.

22.09 A Named Holiday for the purpose of this Agreement is defined as being of twelve (12) hours’ duration.

22.10 No more than forty-eight (48) Named Holiday hours can be banked without written permission of the Employer.”

1.13 Sick Leave

Amend Article 23.02 as follows:

“23.02 A Regular Full Time Employee shall be allowed a credit for sick leave computed from the date of employment at the rate of twelve (12) hours for each full month of employment up to a maximum credit of nine hundred and sixty (960) hours. An Employee shall be entitled to apply sick leave credits during the course of the probationary period.”

Amend Articles 23.07 as follows:

“23.07 When an Employee has accrued the maximum sick leave credit of nine hundred and sixty (960) hours, they shall no longer accrue sick leave credits until such time as their total accumulation is reduced below the maximum. At that time they shall recommence accumulating sick leave credits.”

1.14 Employee Benefit Plans

Amend Article 25.01(b)(ii) as follows:

“25.01 (b) (ii) Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (amount equal to group life insurance) plus additional Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance in the amount of five times (5X) basic annual earnings up to the next higher one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to a maximum of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00).”

1.15 Promotions, Transfers and Vacancies

Amend Article 29.07 as follows:

“29.07 All transfers and promotions shall be on a trial basis. The transferred or promoted Employee will be given a trial period of five hundred (500) hours in which to demonstrate their ability to perform the new tasks to the satisfaction of the Employer. The Employer shall provide an evaluation of the Employee prior to the completion of the trial period. Should such Employee fail to succeed during the aforementioned trial period, the Employer will make a sincere effort to reinstate the Employee in their former position, or, if such reinstatement is not possible, place the Employee in another suitable position. Such reinstatement or placement shall be without loss of seniority and at not less than the same pay rate to which the Employee would be entitled had they remained in their former position.”

1.16 Protective Clothing

Replace Article 43.01 in its entirety by the following:

“43.01 The Employee shall have access in their working area to a gown, mask and safety glasses.”

1.17 Part-time, Temporary and Casual Employees

Amend Articles 44.01, 44.03, 44.05, 44.07, 44.08(A), 44.09, 44.10 and 44.13 as follows:

“44.01    Except as modified by this Article, all provisions of this Collective Agreement apply to part-time, temporary and casual Employees, except that casual Employees shall not be entitled to benefits provided for in:

Article 9: Probationary Period
Article 23: Sick Leave
Article 25: Employee Benefit Plans
Article 26: Pension Plan
Article 28: Seniority
Article 30: Layoff and Recall
Article 31: Technological Change
Article 33: Leaves of Absence
Article 38: Resignation/Termination”

44.03 Hours of Work

Amend Article 10.01 to read:

“10.01 Hours of work for a part-time and casual Employee shall be:

(a) no more than fourteen (14) hours in a day.”

44.05 Overtime

Amend Article 12.01 to read:

“12.01 By a Regular part-time Employee in excess of their regularly scheduled shift, or one hundred and sixty-eight (168) hours worked in each consecutive and non-inclusive twenty-eight (28) calendar day period shall be paid at two times (2X) the Basic Rate of Pay on that day.

44.07 Salaries

(A) Amend Article 14.02 to read:

“14.02 Notwithstanding the time periods stated for increment advancement in the Salaries Appendix, Casual Employees to whom these provisions apply shall be entitled to an increment on the satisfactory completion of two thousand one hundred and ninety (2,190) hours of work and further increments on the satisfactory completion of each period of two thousand one hundred and ninety (2,190) hours of work thereafter until the maximum rate is attained.”

44.08 Vacation With Pay

(A) Article 21.02 is amended to read:

“21.02   
(a) A Casual Employee shall be paid, in addition to their Basic Rate of Pay, six percent (6%), eight percent (8%), ten percent (10%) or twelve percent (12%) of their regular earnings in lieu of vacation, whichever is applicable depending on vacation entitlement.

(b) A Casual Employee shall not be scheduled to work or be placed on-call for a three (3) week period during each vacation year.

(c) Regular Part-time Employees shall accrue vacation on hours paid in proportion to the paid hours of a Full-time Employee. Hours will go into a vacation bank and can be accessed as required.”

44.09 Named Holidays

(A) Article 22 is replaced in its entirety by the following:

“22.01 (a) An Employee to whom these provisions apply required to work on a Named Holiday, which are:

New Year's Day
Labour Day
Alberta Family Day
Thanksgiving Day
Good Friday
Remembrance Day
Victoria Day
Christmas Day
Canada Day
Boxing Day
August Civic Day

and all general holidays proclaimed to be a statutory holiday by any of the following:

(i) the Municipality in which the Service is located;

(ii) the Province of Alberta; or

(iii) the Government of Canada;

shall be paid at one and one-half times (1 1/2X) Basic Rate of Pay for all hours worked on a Named Holiday and two point five times (2.5X) their Basic Rate of Pay for time worked in excess of their regularly scheduled shift.

(b) An Employee to whom these provisions apply required to work on Christmas Day and the August Civic Holiday shall be paid for all hours worked on the Named Holiday at two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay and three times (3X) their Basic Rate of Pay for time worked in excess of their regularly scheduled shift.

(c) An Employee to whom these provisions apply shall be paid, in addition to their Basic Rate of Pay, five percent (5%) of their basic hourly rate of pay in lieu of the Named Holidays, and the Floater Holiday.” 

44.10 Sick Leave

(A) Amend Article 23.02 to read:

“23.02 A Part-time Employee shall be allowed credit for sick leave computed from the date of employment at the rate of twelve (12) hours for each full month of employment (pro-rated to the regularly scheduled hours they worked each month) up to a maximum credit of nine hundred and sixty (960) hours. A Part-time Employee shall be entitled to apply for sick leave credits during their probationary period.”

1.18 Uniform and Clothing Issue

(a) The following clothing and equipment, subject to Departmental standards, shall be supplied by the Employer to each Regular Employee upon commencement of employment:

(i) two (2) t-shirts

(ii) four (4) duty shirts

(iii) four (4) uniform pants

(iv) one (1) uniform fleece

(v) one (1) black leather belt

(vi) Covenant photo identification

(vii) one (1) winter jacket (insulated)

(b)   After successful completion of their probationary period, Regular Employees shall be entitled to an annual $500.00 allowance to purchase work-related equipment or clothing, subject to supervisor’s approval, including but not limited to the following items:

(i) A boot issue of their choice that meets Occupational Health and Safety Standards

(ii) one (1) pair winter gloves

(iii) one (1) pair of winter/outerwear pants

(iv) one (1) pair of ice cleats

(v) one (1) toque

(vi) one (1) summer hat

(vii) one (1) stethoscope

(viii) one (1) pair of safety glasses

(ix) one (1) pair of scissors and holder

(x) one (1) gore-Tex jacket

(xi) one (1) pair slash gloves

(c)   If requested, the Employer shall supply to Regular Employees, on a one time basis, an internal ballistic vest.

(i) If a ballistic vest is issued, it shall be worn in accordance with the Employer policy.

(ii) Ballistic vest replacement, due to wear, manufacturer defects and/or those past their expiry date shall be replaced, subject to Supervisor approval.

If an external carrier is requested and approved by their supervisor, it will be provided.

(d) The following clothing and equipment, subject to Departmental standards, shall be supplied by the Employer to each Casual and Temporary Employee upon commencement of employment:

(i) two (2) t-shirts;

(ii) two (2) duty shirts;

(iii) Two (2) uniform pants;

(vi) Covenant photo identification.

Any other equipment or clothing required shall be supplied through the equipment pool.

(e) If the issued clothing is excessively soiled during the performance of duties, the same shall be cleaned at the Employer’s expense. Such cleaning shall be at the discretion of the Director of the Department.

(f) The Employer will endeavor to issue all clothing and equipment to Employees as soon as possible after employment commences. Such clothing and equipment shall be clean and in good repair and/or condition.

(g) The Employer shall provide access to individual locker space for each full-time and part-time Employee.

(h) Upon termination of employment, Employees shall return all clothing and equipment provisions to the Employer. 

1.19 Duty - Incurred Expenses

The Parties agree that in lieu of payment of duty incurred expenses to Employees, the Employer shall pay four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) into an Emergency Medical Services Staff Fund each fiscal year. Emergency Medical Services Employees may agree upon the use of funds for the benefit of all Employees.

1.20 Employee Stranding

The purpose of this Item is to provide guidelines for the application of Article 12: Overtime and Item 1.19 Duty - Incurred Expenses to those situations where an Employee is prevented from returning to their ambulance station for extended periods of time.

The following principles shall be observed in determining compensation:

(a) An Employee shall suffer no loss of earnings.

(b) An Employee shall be reimbursed for reasonable and substantiated expenses.

An Employee is on travel status while they are actively engaged in attempting to return to their ambulance station. Time spent waiting for an anticipated departure, at an airport, is specifically included as travel time. When an Employee reaches their overnight accommodation, work will be considered to have ceased.

An Employee is required to make arrangements that will minimize the time spent in travel status.