The Association of Allied Health Professionals (AAHP) is an independent union that exclusively represents the interests of highly-trained and skilled allied health care professionals in Newfoundland and Labrador. At the workplace and beyond, the AAHP and our members are committed to Making Life Better for individuals, families and communities in our province by promoting better access, better outcomes and better health.

As a cornerstone of a modern, responsive health care system, AAHP Members work in a wide variety of health care settings while striving every day to deliver the highest quality health care at all levels – prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation – for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Our Mission, Vision, Values and Objectives

Our Mission

AAHP advances the economic and social well-being of its members.

Our Vision

Together we make life better.

Our Values 

  • Professionalism and Respect: AAHP’s distinctiveness is protected by our deeply held shared commitment to professionalism, integrity and credibility.
  • Accountability: AAHP holds itself to high standards of accountability to our members and partners for the results we achieve and the manner in which we carry out our work.
  • Respect: We are deeply respectful in all our interactions and expect that same level of respect for our members in their workplaces. We also share respect for the value of unionism and its contributions to a fair and just society.
  • Social Justice and Fairness: We are united in our commitment to a socially just and fair society that protects and promotes rights and optimal health and well-being at many levels, including our patients, our members, our workplaces and our communities.

Our Objectives

As per Article 2 of the AAHP Constitution and By-Laws, AAHP’s primary objectives are:

  • 2.01 To act as the bargaining agent of all members of the Association, and on behalf of such members to regulate relations between members of the Association and their employers, or organizations of employers.
  • 2.02 To promote the interest and well being of members in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to establish and maintain the best possible standards of remuneration and working conditions.
  • 2.03 To settle all disputes which may arise between employees and employers or organization of employers, by negotiations.
  • 2.04 To participate in, or assist, sites, groups of sites, or individual members of the Association, in dispute resolutions arising out of collective agreements entered into by the Association.
  • 2.05 To respect the rights of other unions or associations to strike, and in the event of such strike refrain from performing any duties outside those defined for the members of the Association.
  • 2.06 To promote membership in the Association, and to organize eligible employee groups for purposes of collective bargaining.

 

In addition to these Constitutional objectives, the AAHP strives to achieve its vision and mission by working to:

  • Protect members from arbitrary or unjust treatment by employers;
  • Lobby appropriate ministries of government;
  • Provide a viable, responsible alternative to traditional trade unions;
  • Achieve an appropriate standard in working conditions for health care professionals;
  • Establish and maintain a fair wage differential among health care employees;
  • Promote greater individual members’ participation and input into the decision making process;
  • Help to maintain professional standards and ensure a high quality of health care delivery to the public; and
  • Enhance public awareness of the Association of Allied Health Professionals and the professions it represents.

Our Affiliations & Partners

As an independent union, the AAHP does not belong to a central labour body, such as the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL). However, we do have strong working relationships with the NLFL and our Sister Unions in the Public Sector. We often work in partnership on significant issues impacting our collective memberships, such as the Public Sector Pension Reform.

Provincially, the AAHP also is represented on a number of provincial government committees such as the Allied Health Network. Additionally, we maintain a line of communication with most professional associations who are involved in advocating and advancing their professions.

Canadian Health Professionals Secretariat (CHPS)

Nationally, the AAHP is a member of the Canadian Health Professionals Secretariat (CHPS). The Secretariat was created by the National Union of Provincial Government Employees (NUPGE) to address challenges and opportunities facing health professionals across the country and enhance the recognition of the valuable contribution that professionals who provide diagnostic, clinical and rehab service have on the health of Canadians.

Health Professionals within the Secretariat share a broad community of interest. Their ranks are made up of more than 100 specialized disciplines who are employed in one of the health science fields. These professionals work in acute-care and long-term care hospitals, as well as in mental health, home support, public health agencies and community-based settings.

The Secretariat brings together a potential community of more than 70,000 health professionals across Canada. The unions involved in the CHPS use their individual and shared strengths to raise the profile of health professionals, to advocate on public policy and human resource issues, and to enhance gains in collective bargaining.

Our History

The Association of Allied Health Professionals has represented health care professionals in Newfoundland and Labrador since 1975.   In the early 1970’s, larger trade unions within the province began to increase their efforts to organize hospital employees and to build on gains that had been made for nurses and hospital support staff. During this time, a small group of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, dietitians and social workers saw the need for a separate union to represent their unique needs. Their training, certification, and professional ethics suggested they had a particular community of interest with each other. They were reluctant to become a minority group within one of the larger, existing labour unions which were then acting on behalf of other groups. They decided to establish an independent union that would be subject to their control and direction.

In August 1975, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Labour Relations Board issued the first certification order for the AAHP, thereby recognizing it as the bargaining agent for a small group of 91 members working in 5 different health care professions. Since that time, the AAHP has continued to grow and diversify as a professional, independent union under the control and direction of its members. Today, the AAHP represents over 750 members working in 29 different health care professions. The AAHP has developed a style and reputation that distinguishes itself as a union known for integrity, credibility and professionalism.