LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING The central parties agree that they shall develop and share regional listings of experts and resources to support their joint obligations in regard to the duty to accommodate. Letter of Understanding: Within 30 days of ratification, the parties agree to meet to prepare a joint letter to the provincial Minister of Health requesting one-time special funding for Hospitals to address the issue of access to supplies and minor equipment and ongoing funding for Quality of Worklife initiatives. Letter of Understanding: Re: Compendium of Standards of Practice Within 30 days of ratification, the Participating Hospitals’ Negotiating Team will recommend to the Hospitals that the Compendium of Standards of Practice for Nurses will be made available and readily accessible to all nurses. In addition, the central parties will make a joint request to the College of Nurses to make the Compendium available on the College’s web-site. Letter of Understanding The central parties will discuss the feasibility of a joint study of grievances that are settled within 1 month of an arbitration hearing, to determine barriers to settlement earlier in the process and to make recommendations to encourage earlier settlements. Letter of Understanding Re: Harassment & Discrimination The local parties will determine the appropriate means of promoting and providing an effective and meaningful way of addressing discrimination and harassment issues; which may include, but is not limited to the following: • reviewing the hospital’s harassment policy and making joint recommendations to the Chief Nursing Officer; • promoting a harassment free workplace where there is ‘zero tolerance’; • ensuring that all employees are familiar with the employer’s harassment policy by identifying educational opportunities, including the orientation period for new employees; • identifying supports and solutions to assist employees to deal with harassment and discrimination issues (i.e. Employee Assistance Programs, staff supports); • development of processes to address the accommodations/modified work needs for nurses; • development of assertiveness training programs. Letter of Understanding The parties agree that the issue of “paid professional leave days” to which nurses may be entitled is a local issue in the current round of bargaining.
