Dear UPSE Health PEI Members,
First and foremost, I want to thank you all for your ongoing dedication and support to the clientele, patients, residents, and the public you serve. The purpose of this correspondence is to provide you with an update on the ongoing issue UPSE has with the Employer reassigning you from your awarded permanent position (i.e., moving you from your regular assigned position in the work unit).
The Union has brought this significant concern of reassigning staff from their awarded permanent position to the attention of Human Resources on many occasions. UPSE’s Labour Relations Officers have been making calls daily to the respective human resources representatives to get this issue addressed and it has been an ongoing item at the monthly standing meetings we have with Health PEI’s Human Resources team.
We have reiterated that the new practice of reassigning staff from your awarded permanent position does not align with established past practice, is not aligned with the collective agreement, and has eroded the morale and culture to an all-time low. The Employer needs to start appreciating and recognizing the members who have worked for the Employer for years. They need to focus on initiatives of retention, rather than just recruitment. Senior Human Resources representatives made their position known that they do not respect the past practice or collective agreement as it relates to this issue of reassigning members from your awarded permanent position.
I am as frustrated as you are with the Employer’s new directive. We have filed a grievance to arbitration and the arbitration is scheduled for April 4 & 5, 2024. It is our hope the arbitrator will concur with the Union’s position of past practice and interpretation of the current collective agreement.
I have heard from some of you how this has affected you and your colleagues. I want to let you know that I will fight for you and use whatever recourse the Union has available to address this flawed approach by the Employer and their continued disrespect towards past practice and the members.
I felt it necessary to provide you an update on the work site versus work unit issue as it has been an ongoing issue and I wanted to let you know we have been advocating and fighting for you.
Thank you,
Karen Jackson, UPSE President