Bargaining Begins with Employer Tabling Rollbacks
Your negotiating team met with the employer on February 25 and 26 to begin bargaining for a new collective agreement.
We submitted a full package of proposals which puts job security, work-life balance, and safe and healthy workplaces first.
The employer also submitted a full package, one filled with rollbacks and concessions that shows they do not value AHS Nursing Care workers.
We are deeply disappointed not only by what the employer has proposed, but also by their negative tone and the disrespect they are showing towards health care professionals.
Employer Tables Rollbacks
The employer is asking for a four-year contract expiring March 31, 2024, including zero per cent wage adjustments for all four years.
While they are asking for zeroes in terms of your wages, they are seeking huge monetary concessions in other ways, including the following major rollbacks to shift differentials and weekend premiums:
- Evening shift differential cut from $2.75 to $1.86 per hour;
- Night shift differential cut from $5 to $2.85 per hour;
- Weekend premium cut from $3.25 to $2.34 per hour;
- Changing the starting hour for the evening shift differential from 1500 hours to 1900 hours;
- Cutting the window for weekend premiums from 64 hours to 48 hours (from 1500 hours on Fridays to 0000 hours on Saturdays).
Differentials are paid to compensate us for lost family time. Most children return home from school at about 1500 hours, so that’s when differentials for lost family time should begin. These rollbacks would take differential rates back to what they were over a decade ago and would deny us the compensation we deserve for lost family time.
Other rollbacks include cutting Flexible Spending Accounts from $1,100 to $850 and getting rid of overtime for super-stats and holidays. Some members are even being asked for up to 20% in salary rollbacks.
Your negotiating team has been clear: we will not take concessions, especially while the government is underfunding Alberta Health Services in order to usher in American-style private for-profit health care.
Instead, we proposed the government raise the corporate tax rate back up by 1% and using the revenue to properly fund Alberta Health Services, including a 3% increase in the first year and a 2.5% increase in the next.
The employer also included a proposal which states: “Reasonable conduct and feedback by supervisors relating to the management and performance of Employees is not harassment.”
In response, we tabled a counterproposal which defines abuse of authority as intimidations, threats, or coercion which endangers a worker’s ability to do their job, economic livelihood, and physical and emotional well-being.
By tabling these proposals and more, AHS has shown it has no respect for the work we do and the role we play in delivering quality health care to all Albertans.
Next Meeting Dates
Our next meeting dates are scheduled for March 18 and 19. Your team is dedicated to working for you at the bargaining table and we will share more updates with you as bargaining continues.
Update your contact information at www.aupe.org/updateinfo so you never miss a bargaining update or other union news.
Be strong, support each other, and share this information with your fellow AHS NC workers. Please contact a member of your negotiating team or AUPE resource staff if you have any questions.
Negotiating Team
Local 041
Christine Vavrik - rvavrik@shaw.ca
Myrna Wright (A) - merite77@shaw.ca
Local 043
Judy Fader - local4308@gmail.com
Marylou Savic (A) - marylousavic@yahoo.ca
Local 044
Brenda Bailer - brendabailer@gmail.com
Laurie Johnson (A) - rycehome5@gmail.com
Local 045
Nancy Burton - ndburton@hotmail.com
Brenda Marks (A) - bmarks23@yahoo.ca
Local 046
Dolline Osterlund - dolly46vc@gmail.com
Sandy Kyle (A) - sandyg.kyle@gmail.com
AUPE Resource Staff
Jason Rattray, Lead Negotiator - j.rattray@aupe.org
Chris Dickson, Negotiator – c.dickson@aupe.org
Farid Iskandar, Organizer - f.iskandar@aupe.org
Kate Jacobson, Organizer - k.jacobson@aupe.org
Alexander Delorme, Communications - a.delorme@aupe.org