Unions, Associations and Colleges

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 3, 2011

I can see where you're confused... it's rather convoluted.

I'm currently an LPN in Alberta and have some questions about the differences between unions and associations. I'm a registered member of the CLPNA and work for a private, non-profit company. I know UNA deals with RNs and RPNs, but not with LPNs. I am wondering if LPNs have a union specific to them similar to UNA or does it depend where one works? Would this be AUPE?

AUPE does the collective bargaining for most of the LPNs in Alberta. It does depend upon where you work though. And not all private-non-profit facilities/companies have collective agreements for all employees. If the classification a person works under hasn't organized then there is no union representation.

What is the difference between CUPE AB and AUPE? Does AUPE bargain for salaries of LPNs?

CUPE is the Canadian Union of Public Employees. They represent people who work for federal employers such as penitentiaries, the military, the RCMP, First nations health centres and such. AUPE is the Alberta Union of Public Employees and they bargain for provincially-employed people. So who bargains for you depends on who employs you. (And what province you live in. The Manitoba Nurses' Union, for example, represents RNs, RPNs and LPNs. UNA has tried to have LPNs brought intot he fold, but the Alberta labour board nixed the idea.)

The facility where I work has a collective agreement with the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, HSAA, would this be the only agreement to apply to me?

No, HSAA doesn't cover LPNs in any of their collective agreements.

Am I automatically a member of AUPE? For me, what is the difference between the AUPE and HSAA?

You're only automatically a member of AUPE if your employer has a collective agreement in place with them. You would have signed something on hire that allows the employer to deduct your union dues and any local levies that are also part of the funding of your local. Check your most recent pay stub and see if there's a category for union dues. That'll tell you if you're a member or not. And for you there is no connection with HSAA.

Is it mandatory for a private organization to come up with an agreement about salaries through some sort of association?

Absolutely not. If the employees have organized and have become members of a union then there is a requirement for the employer to bargain with the union. But there is no law that says any private employer is required or expected to have any sort of collective agreement. To use a blunt instrument, Walmart is a private employer; they've closed stores rather than let a union organize the staff. That way they can pay people whatever they want, terminate them whenever they want, give them zero benefits, give them no breaks or vacations... so there's a distinct advantage to the employer NOT to have a unionized staff.

It seems the more I try to research this issue, the more questions I come up with and the more unions and associations I discover...

CLPNA regulates LPNs and protects the public from them. Unions represent employees and protect them from the employer! They have nothing to do with one another.

Does that help?

Fiona59 · Nov 3, 2011

CLPNA does absolutely NOTHING for us apart from provide our registration and act as a public watchdog over our practices. They make a big point of pointing out that they DO NOT have anything to do with our wages. Just send them $$$ yearly for registration/insurance and they are happy.

AUPE is the union for LPNs. They do our negotiations contract wise and the pre-negotiations are underway for March 2012. Traditionally, AUPE manages to give the LPNs the short end of the stick because we are not really a stand alone bargaining unit but lumped in with housekeeping, dietary, etc.

UNA has mounted some pretty lousy ad campaigns (supported by CARNA) over the years as to why only "RNs give competent care". Thus ticking off an entire set of coworkers. CARNA's ad campaigns have insulted and annoyed both the LPN and the RPNs. Way to go ladies!

HSAA is brilliant. Many of the LPNs I work with would be overjoyed to have them bargain for us.

Find a shop steward at your job site and find out where in their contract you are covered.

Private organizations that are non-union do not have to go through any union to set their wages. The Medi-Centres and private clinics set their own rates. They usually pay pretty close to union scale to remain non-union.

It is ultimately your decision whether you want to work in a union or non-union enviroment.

Fiona59 · Nov 3, 2011

I can see where you're confused... it's rather convoluted.
CLPNA regulates LPNs and protects the public from them. Unions represent employees and protect them from the employer! They have nothing to do with one another.
Does that help?

Just as CARNA protects the public from RNs!! :yeah:

Alli711 · Nov 8, 2011

Thanks so much for all your help!! It is a lot clearer to me now. I understand I am not a member of AUPE but am a member of HSAA as I do pay union dues of about $50 a month to HSAA.

Is sounds like LPNs might benefit from having a single, inclusive association, such as UNA.

One more question, is every RPN and RN a member of UNA or does that matter where they are employed as well?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 8, 2011

Private employers, such as doctors' and dentists' offices, free-standing surgical clinics and a number of faith-based continuing care/assisted living facilities are not unionized. Their employees are paid slightly-to-considerably less than union scale and have few benefits because the employer must make a profit and they can't do that if they have to provide a pension plan for their employees, for example. I know a lady who works for a private continuing-care facility who has been requesting an increase in her full-time equivalent from 0.4 to 0.6 (one 8 hour shift a week) for months. She says they work short all the time and although her main reason for wanting more hours is "selfish" she's also thinking of the residents of this place who aren't getting the care they deserve, and the other staff who are overworked and under-appreciated. She's been turned down time and again... because if they increase her FTE they'll have to include her in their extended health and dental plans. Conversely there are many nurses who work part-time for AHS or Covenant who also work small part-time positions in dental offices, esthetics clinics and free-standing surgical practices. They have benefits through their relationship with AHS/Covenant and like the freedom of picking up an extra shift here and there at somewhere other than their main unit.

Fiona59 · Nov 8, 2011

Thanks so much for all your help!! It is a lot clearer to me now. I understand I am not a member of AUPE but am a member of HSAA as I do pay union dues of about $50 a month to HSAA.
Is sounds like LPNs might benefit from having a single, inclusive association, such as UNA.
One more question, is every RPN and RN a member of UNA or does that matter where they are employed as well?

There are RNs and RPNs in AUPE (heard it at a union meeting)

UNA isn't a "single, inclusive association" it's a union that bargains for RNs.