Registered Nurse Salary Information- An Explanation of the Labor Union Pay Scale in Canada

Registered nurse salary information and comparison ofovertime rates, in which case the BC nurse would end
the various pay scales on the labor union collectiveup making significantly more money annually that the
agreements in Canada is best understood when hourlyregistered nurse in Saskatchewan for the same
wage amounts are not viewed in isolation of all thenumber of hours.
other variables that affect the salary paid to aSteps on the payscale
registered nurse.Each province has a variation in the number of steps
Examination of the registered nurse salary informationon the pay scale. If there are only 6 steps on the scale
across the nation reveals that the labor union collectiveyou reach the top nurse salary quicker than if there on
agreements have some similarities and also some9 steps. As an example in Quebec in takes twelve
differences that need to be understood in order to getyears to go from a starting salary of $20.58 per hour
the bigger picture of the salary information postedto the top salary of $30.65. In Saskatchewan you can
there.start at $26.90 and reach the top registered nurse
Nurse salary amounts are always given in dollars persalary of $32.96 in only five years.
hour as this is how wages are negotiated andAnnual vacation time
expressed in labor union collective agreements.Vacation time is another consideration when examining
However, in order to determine the annual salarynurse salary information because vacation time is paid
amount you must factor in the number of full timetime. Nurses who have more paid vacation time
hours the nurse is working and when makingactually work less hours per year. During the annual
comparisons of salary information make sure you alsovacation time salary and benefits continue.
consider the the number of steps on the pay scale asAnnual vacation time varies from 3-4 weeks for the
well as the amount of annual vacation time.first year. Vacation time generally accrues over time
Full time hoursand in some provinces can reach up to 8 weeks per
A full time job for a registered nurse varies in theyear after 20 or more years of continuous service.
number of hours per year and ranges from 36 - 40Nurse salary information in Canada is readily available
hours per week (1879 - 2088 hrs per year). This canon the website of each provincial nursing labor union.
significantly affect the amount of money earned fromCollective agreements and the negotiated pay scale
the dollar per hour figure on the nurse salary pay scale.for the current agreement are available for public
As an example British Columbia and Saskatchewanperusal.
have virtually the same starting salary for a registeredNursing labor unions represent 62% of registered
nurse of $26.90 per hour. However, for the first stepnursing jobs in Canada and virtually all of the nursing
on the pay scale the annual registered nurse salary injobs in Canadian hospitals. The similarity in the
BC would be $50,569.27 while the annual amount inregistered nurse salary across the country is a result
Saskatchewan would be $52,472.72. Both nurses earnof the constant surveillance of the recent advances in
the same amount of money per hour but thenursing collective agreements across the nation.
registered nurse in Saskatchewan earns $1900.00Each provincial nursing labor union seeks to achieve
more per year because the labor union collectivewages and benefits for their own members that are
agreement defines a full time work week as 40 hrs,comparable to those in other provinces. This helps to
whereas the nurse in British Columbia is working fullstabilize the nursing workforce as nurses are not
time with a 36 hour work week.tempted to leave their home province and seek better
If the nurse in BC were to work a 40 hour week thewages or benefits in another province.
extra 4 hours per week would have to be paid out at