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Nurses to ponder mediator’s recommendations

Nurses from across the province are meeting Tuesday to discuss a mediator’s suggestions for a contract settlement.

EDMONTON — Nurses from across the province are meeting Tuesday to discuss a mediator’s suggestions for a contract settlement.

The United Nurses of Alberta says Tom Hodges has provided the union with formal recommendations for a labour deal.

His report has also gone to Alberta Health Services and other health employers.

About 600 nurses will review the recommendations and decide whether to take them to union members for a ratification vote.

Union president Heather Smith will be available to comment after the meeting.

The contract, which expired March 31, covers more than 24,000 registered nurses and psychiatric nurses.

Negotiations got off to a rocky start in March. The union said at that time that Alberta Health Services was asking for cuts to salaries, benefits, safe-care provisions and scheduling protections.

The union was looking for more resources to address the strain in the health-care system and was seeking wage increases of four per cent.

The last deal included a five per cent salary increase in each year of a three-year term.