Your negotiating team met with AHS on June 12 and 13 to continue bargaining. AHS gave us their “top-to-bottom" bargaining package, but this was basically the same offer they started with, just with some minor changes.
AHS is still proposing just a 7.5% wage increase over the next four years. That’s an insulting offer which falls far below what we deserve to keep up with the cost of living and our ever-expanding scope of practice.
AHS also still wants the following outrageous rollbacks:
- Cut pay for Renal Dialysis nurses and Orthopaedic Technicians;
- Reduce the hours off duty between shifts from 15.5 to 12;
- Change weekends off from 2 in a 5-week period to 2 in a 6-week period;
- Remove our ability to carry-over banked overtime and bank call-back pay;
- Limit vacation carry-over to just 5 days;
- Roll back professional development day allowances;
- Roll back 12-hour Personal leave days to 7.75 for 12-hour shift orkers.
Your team did win some improvements, however.
- Union binders will be allowed on our units;
- You will receive the applicable rate of pay for attending a Joint Worksite Health and Safety committee, such as when it is overtime, etc.
Workload and hours of work
We spent a lot of time discussing our workload concerns and hours of work.
Hilariously, AHS said it is “mathematically impossible” for us to work only six days in a row and have two weekends off out of every four.
You don’t need to be a mathematical genius to know nursing care workers deserve lower workloads and better work-life balance. If AHS thinks this is such an impossible task, perhaps they should fix their recruitment and retention problem.
Fixing the recruitment and retention crisis starts with wage increases that—at minimum!—keep up with inflation and compensate us for our increased scope of practice.
Your team is creating new opportunities for you to provide feedback on your workloads and hours of work. We will share more information with you over the summer.
Recovery Alberta
Bargaining was sidetracked by the government’s surprise Recovery Alberta announcement on June 11.
Recovery Alberta is set to become a legal entity as of July 1, 2024. The government also says the official employee transition to Recovery Alberta will happen September 1, 2024.
We are all anxious about what this transition means for us. AHS and the government have shared few details about restructuring, and your team often finds out about announcements like these from the media, just like you.
That is why we are meeting with AHS on June 17 to begin negotiating a new Letter of Understanding. This LOU will cover the transition from AHS to Recovery Alberta and other provincial health agencies. Our goal is to negotiate this LOU to protect your rights, benefits, and entitlements. We will share details about the new LOU and other provincial health agencies as soon as we can.
Wear Red August 21 and 22
Our next bargaining meetings are on August 21 and 22. This is also when our General Support Services colleagues are bargaining with AHS. Let’s all wear red to show our solidarity!
Take photos of you and your coworkers wearing red, then send them to photos@aupe.org so we can post them to AUPE’s social media. We’re all in this together.
Urgent Bargaining Town Halls
AUPE’s Time for Action bargaining town halls are happening throughout June and all members are invited. Please visit the town hall website for details on the town hall nearest you.
You will also receive email invitations, shareable posters, and timely reminders to ensure everyone has the chance to attend. All AUPE members are encouraged to join these urgent town halls.
Please contact a member of your negotiating team if you have any questions.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM – AHS Nursing Care
Local 041
Christine Vavrik
rvavrik@shaw.ca
Mellissa Bremner (alt)
mellissabremner@gmail.com
Local 043
Sandy Miller
smiller98@msn.com
Jennifer Power (alt)
cherrigarcia24@yahoo.ca
Local 044
Marg Miller
marg.miller@hotmail.ca
Jesse Philp (alt)
local044chair@gmail.com
Local 045
Nancy Burton
ndburton@hotmail.com
Angela Smyth (alt)
angelscare.as@gmail.com
Local 046
Marty Roy
chairlocal46@gmail.com
Heather Stewart (alt)
stewart.h@live.ca
AUPE NEGOTIATORS
Kate Robinson, Lead Negotiator
k.robinson@aupe.org
Chris Dickson, Negotiator
c.dickson@aupe.org