Alberta Health Services looking to cut pharmacist, pharmacy tech wages for HSAA members

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is looking to cut wages of certain healthcare professionals who are members of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) and pharmacists are on the chopping block. The proposal is the AHS’s opening move in negotiations with the HSAA, the latter of which sent an email to its members outlining wage cuts that would affect about 57% of its membership, CTV News reported. While the HSAA is cognizant that the proposal is just the start of negotiations, it rejected it right away. Read: LEADing the way to achieving career goals According to the email from the HSAA to its members, the rollback proposals are:10.93% for pharmacy technicians; 5.1% for pharmacists; 10.9% for social workers, 8.69% for speech language pathologists; 8.05% for respiration therapists; 7.49% for health information management professionals; 5.39% for occupational therapists; 2.35% for therapy assistants; 2.33% for physiotherapists; 1.87% for diagnostic sonographers; 0.88% for dieticians; and 0.28% for advanced care paramedics. Further, the email noted the proposal by the AHS would mean no increases in salary until a 1% raise would be granted April 1, 2023. The AHS also proposed lowering minimum hours between shifts down to 12 from 15 for certain roles, as well as allowing seven scheduled shifts in a row, up from six. "These are all disappointing and disrespectful. Implementing these rollbacks and failing to act on workplace issues will only intensify burnout, which leads to more people leaving our professions," read the email. CTV News reported that the HSAA initially proposed about a 15% wage increase over four years and is looking to secure a one-time premium payment like the one the province’s nurses negotiated for 2021. "Alberta has a critical shortage of healthcare workers, and we are in a competition with the world for the talent that is out there," the email read. "We feel these proposed increases better positions the employer to retain staff, while making Alberta an attractive option to be considered by emerging professionals." Read: ISMP offers new primer for community pharmacies

Alberta Health Services looking to cut pharmacist, pharmacy tech wages for HSAA members

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