WCB – Alberta (Millard Health) Collective Agreement 2021-2024

Article 13: Promotions and Vacancies

1. Applications for newly created positions or promotions shall be made in writing to the Employer.
2. Vacancies
   1. Where a permanent vacancy within the bargaining unit occurs in a Department, in an established position, or as a result of the creation of a new position or a temporary position of six (6) months or more, notice shall be posted for not less than seven (7) working days in advance of making an appointment.
   2. When circumstances require the Employer to fill a posted vacancy before the expiry of seven (7) working days, the appointment shall be made on a temporary or relief basis only.
   3. Subject to Article 13.03, vacancies shall be filled, whenever possible, by promotion from within Millard Health.
   4. Notwithstanding Article 13.02(a), where it can be demonstrated there is no one on staff with the skills, experience or qualifications to fill a vacancy or new position, the Employer may take steps to advertise outside the Centre to fill the position without posting.
   5. The notice of posting referred to in Article 13.02(a) shall contain the following information:
      1. duties of the position;
      2. qualifications required;
      3. hours of work (for information purposes only);
      4. status of position (classification and FTE), and expected term if a temporary position; and
      5. salary.
   6. The Employer shall forward to the Union copies of the posting of vacancies of all positions within the Bargaining Unit outlined in Article 13.02(a) within three (3) working days of the posting.
3. Competitions
   1. In making a promotion, the determining factors shall be experience, performance, qualifications, and other relevant attributes, applicable to the position. For each vacancy, the Employer shall weight the criteria as applicable to the position and establish a documented grading system utilizing the criteria. The Employer shall grade all applicants and fully document all information and judgments which result in the grade for each candidate. Where these factors are determined by the Employer to be relatively equal, seniority shall be the deciding factor.
   2. Applicants for a promotion or vacancy within the bargaining unit shall be informed in writing of the decision within seven (7) calendar days of the date of the appointment being made.
   3. Upon request, an unsuccessful applicant will be provided with copies of:
      1. the documentation relating to the grading system;
      2. grades; and
      3. all documentation which resulted in the grades for the applicants (including any interview notes).
   4. A promotion shall be on a trial basis. The promoted Employee will be given a trial period of six (6) months in which to demonstrate their ability to perform the new tasks to the satisfaction of the Employer. Should such Employee fail to succeed or request to return to their former position during the above-mentioned 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 at a rate of pay equivalent to that of their former position.
   5. When an Employee is promoted to a classification to which is assigned a higher salary scale, the salary of such promoted Employee shall be advanced to that step in the new scale which is next higher than their current rate or to the step which is next higher again, if such salary increase is less than the Employee’s normal increment of the former salary scale. In the event that a promoted Employee is at the last increment in the scale for the classification held prior to the promotion, their salary shall be advanced to that step in the scale which is next higher than their current rate or, if such salary increase is less than the Employee’s last normal annual increase, they shall be advanced to the step which is next higher again in the scale.
   6. An Employee’s anniversary date for the purpose of qualifying for an annual increment shall be changed as a result of a promotion to the date on which the promotion becomes effective.
   7. An Employee who requests and is granted a transfer to a classification to which is assigned a lower salary scale will immediately receive the rate of pay assigned to the position to which they have transferred.
      1. In determining the step on the lower scale the Employer will place them at the step on the salary scale in accordance with their experience and service.
   8. When for reason of ill health, the Employer and Employee agree to a transfer resulting in the Employee being assigned to a classification to which is assigned a lower salary scale, their rate may be “red-circled” for a period of twelve (12) months.
      1. After twelve (12) months, if the Employer and Employee agree to maintain the transfer on a permanent basis, the Employee will receive the rate of pay assigned to the position to which they have transferred.
      2. The step on the lower salary scale will be determined in accordance with Article 13.03 (g).