Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 25/02) - The government says nursing wages are competitive with the rest of Canada -- even when cost of living is taken into account.

Salary and cost of living comparisons were released Tuesday during a health department briefing.

The cost of living data was collected by the GNWT through the Economic Research Institute's Relocator Assessor 2002 program. The computer program collects data from jurisdictions nationwide every quarter.

It compares costs for housing, fuel, goods and services and various taxes.

The results indicate that a nurse moving to Yellowknife from Calgary would need a seven per cent increase in pay to have the same standard of life.

A nurse in Fredericton would need need to be paid 11 per cent more than what they're making in New Brunswick.

"GNWT salaries are competitive with other jurisdictions when cost of living and market supplements are taken into account," said Shaleen Woodward, manager of labour relations for the Financial Management Board Secretariat.

"The GNWT minimum salary is 15.3 per cent higher, when adjusted for cost of living, than the average minimum salaries for all jurisdictions."

The maximum salary for NWT nurses is 5.8 per cent higher than other Canadian jurisdictions when adjusted for cost of living.

Those numbers, according to the study, place the NWT second overall for highest starting wage and fifth overall for maximum wage when comparing general duty nurses in hospitals.

Woodward added that salaries and benefits are not the primary factor to recruitment and retention.

"Surveys and studies, including work done by the NWTRNA (NWT Registered Nurses Association), focus on work environment and professional improvement as key factors in recruitment and retention.

"As long as compensation is fair and competitive it is not the most important factor," said Woodward.

Nurses have repeatedly told Northern News Services they are underpaid, blaming the cost of living in the North.

Lew Voytilla, secretary to the Financial Management Board, downplayed those comments. "Do you take your paycheque home every two weeks saying you make enough? Probably not," he said.