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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation used access to information requeststo find out how much various government workers make in Alberta, compared with Ontario and the other western provinces. They found, for instance, that judicial clerks and transport officers make less than the average elsewhere. They probably deserve an increase when we can afford it. Occupational Health and Safety officers, meanwhile, make 34 per cent more than in other provinces. They should be rolled back much more than two per cent.

But there is an even bigger problem in collective agreements that needs addressing. That’s the issue of overtime pay.

In the private sector world, salaried employees are often asked to work extra hours without extra pay. If overtime is paid, it is only after an employee has worked 40 hours in the week, and most of the time the hours are simply banked and taken as time off at a mutually agreed upon time. Any manager worth their salt is expected to keep overtime costs as low as possible.

That is not the case at Alberta Health Services, where absurd provisions in collective agreements have allowed nurses to work the system to their advantage and get paid tens of thousands of dollars in additional overtime pay.

Whistleblower “Tim” was kind enough to email me to explain how it works. For registered nurses, the duty roster for “on-call duty” has to be posted 12 weeks in advance. If an employer changes the on-call period they have to give 14 days’ notice, otherwise they have to pay the employee double time (even if they haven’t put in 40 hours that week). When a regular or temporary employee who is not on-call is called and required to report to work, they are also deemed to be working overtime and paid at double time (again even if they haven’t put in 40 hours that week.) Ever wonder why there are so many casual and part-time RNs? It’s because overtime allows them to make full-time pay working part-time hours.