Heading to informal mediation
After bargaining for 23 days, mainly going over the employer’s proposal, we are making little progress securing a fair collective agreement. As such, we have agreed to go to mediation and are waiting for the mediator to be appointed.
As reported in our last update, the employer was seeking wage rollbacks for Orthopedic Technicians. After we made it clear we would not accept this concession, we received a counter-proposal from the employer in which they propose to “green circle” these positions. Under their proposals, current incumbents would continue to receive salary increases and increments on the current nine-step pay scale in their current position only. Employees hired or transferred after ratification would be placed on a new eight-step grid that would max out below the current Step 3 rate.
This is the last monetary concession on the table and, while it’s an improvement over their previous proposal, we will not be agreeing to it. We will make the case to the mediator to maintain the status quo.
We are as frustrated as you are with the employer’s unwillingness to meet in the middle on anything. It feels as though they haven’t even read our proposals and if they did, they failed to do so with any measure of respect.
Your negotiating team will be meeting on Feb. 16th and 24th to see what non-contentious articles we can sign off on we are hopeful a mediator is appointed and able to join us at our next scheduled bargaining date on Feb. 25, 2022.
If you have any questions about bargaining, please reach out to a member of your negotiation team.
AUPE Negotiating Team – AHS Nursing Care
Local 041
Christine Vavrik - rvavrik@shaw.ca
Myrna Wright (A) - merite77@shaw.ca
Local 043
Judy Fader - local4308@gmail.com
Bernard Pinard – pinardbernard@gmail.com
Local 044
Brenda Bailer - brendabailer@gmail.com
Laurie Johnson (A) - rycehome5@gmail.com
Local 045
Nancy Burton - ndburton@hotmail.com
Angela Smyth (A) - angelscare@shaw.ca
Local 046
Sandy Kyle sandyg.kyle@gmail.com
Pauline (PJ) Clarke (A) - ebonysmurf@mail.com
AUPE Resource Staff
Jason Rattray, Lead Negotiator j.rattray@aupe.org
Chris Dickson, Negotiator c.dickson@aupe.org
Margaret Kapuwa, Organizer m.kapuwa@aupe.org
Tracy Noble, Organizer t.noble@aupe.org
Jaime Urbina, Organizer j.urbina@aupe.org
Mimi Williams, Communications m.williams@aupe.org