Monetary and non-monetary improvements included
AUPE members employed by ATB Financial will soon be able to vote on a new collective agreement that includes some pay raises and other monetary and non-monetary improvements.
A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been signed with the employer to have members vote on a new contract. Voting will take place via mail-in ballots in January (the date has yet to be determined).
AUPE Local 020 members will receive ballot packages in January and the deadline to return the ballots will be approximately one month after the mailout takes place. The exact details will be outlined in the cover letter that will be included in the mailout package, along with the complete MOA, ballot, and return envelope.
Bargaining began on Sept. 23, 2021, and continued for four more dates. The MOA was signed on Dec. 15, 2021. This shows better progress than has been made in negotiations with other employers in recent years, where bargaining has been dragged out and more difficult.
The gains achieved include:
- An additional two paid floater days to be used at any time during the year, as mutually agreed, between member and employer. Members will have a total of four floater days.
- Rather than members being eligible for six months of reimbursement of expenses for retraining, career counselling, etc., when they lose their jobs due to staff reductions, they will receive a lump sum payment of $1,000 plus an additional $100 for each full year of continuous service. This is in addition to the separation allowance members would also receive.
- Part-time employees living in Ft. McMurray, Fort Vermilion, La Crete and High Level will receive the full annual travel allowance of $1,350 plus two paid travel days, rather than an amount pro-rated based upon their full-time equivalency (FTE).
- Rather than receiving a set annual amount as a defined location supplementary allowance, the allowance will be based upon a percentage of the Pay Grade Maximum of their position for all hours worked. The percentages range from 5% for Jasper National Park to 45% for Fort McMurray.
- Members who are temporarily assigned to work at another location that is greater than 40 kilometres one-way from their primary location will be compensated for mileage that is in excess of their regular commute as per ATB mileage rates. Also, travel time in excess of their normal commute will be added to their workday and overtime will apply if this total exceeds 7.25 hours in a day.
- Upon ratification of contract, all employees whose salaries fall below the Base Pay Maximum will receive a salary adjustment of 3% or progression to the Base Pay Maximum.
- Base Pay Adjustments are the same as what was negotiated for the Government of Alberta (GOA):
- Year 1 (2020): 0%;
- Year 2 (2021): 0%;
- Year 3 (2022): 0%;
- Year 4 (2023): Jan. 1, 1.25%. Sept. 1, 1.5%, with potential for additional 0.5% increase based on economic factors.
- Lump-sum payments will be provided in lieu of retroactive pay adjustments. Lump sum payments will be calculated based upon progression through the ranges (ATB does not have defined salary grids) of 1.5% effective April 1, 2020, and 1.5% effective April 1, 2021, based upon regular straight-time earnings.
- Employees whose salary falls below the Base Pay Maximum will receive a salary adjustment of 1.5% or progression to the Base Pay Maximum, whichever is less, effective April 1, 2022.
- Employees whose salary falls below the Base Pay Maximum will receive a salary adjustment of 1.5% or progression to the Base Pay Maximum, whichever is less, effective April 1, 2023.
- Additional increases for movement through the ranges and lump-sum payments for employees at the Base Pay Maximum may be awarded, at the discretion of management, effective through the course of the year, budget permitting. Such adjustments will be considered to recognize exceptional performance and/or to address issues of equity within the branch or business unit.
There were also a number of positive non-monetary amendments achieved in articles including Union Recognition, Team Members Relations Committee, and Respectful Workplace.
Your negotiating team:
Laura Mitchell: lauramm@shaw.ca
Christine Fawcett: chrissyfawcett@gmail.com
Shanna Torok: sjtorok1@gmail.com
T Gavin: tsgavin2272@yahoo.com
AUPE staff resources:
Terry Luhoway, negotiator: t.luhoway@aupe.org
Tracy Noble, organizer: t.noble@aupe.org
Jon Milton, communications: j.milton@aupe.org