Alberta nurses overwhelmingly accept contract

Alberta's nurses have become the highest paid in the country after overwhelmingly approving a three-year contract.

About 80 per cent of the province's 24,000 nursesvoted Wednesday in favour of a mediator's deal, which will see senior nurses make more than $43 an hour in the third year of the three-year agreement, up from just under $37.

Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta,said she hopes the agreement will help address the nursing shortage in the province.

"We aren't looking to poach nurses, we are looking to retain the graduates from Alberta programs and encourage the current workforce to continue to participate."

The agreement gives all nurses a five per cent raise annually. Those with more than 20 years on the job will get seven per cent. Under the contract, nurses also will get a yearly payment ranging from $1,500 to $1,750.

Nurses who work only on weekends will put in fewer hours, but get paid for the full day.

Provisions in the contract allow retiring nurses to continue to work part time and still get full contributions to their pensions. Smith said there are more than5,000 nurses who could retire at any time.