Your AHS Nursing Care negotiating team met with the employer on March 13 and 14. We shared our proposals with AHS, and they shared their proposals with us. While we are fighting for the wages, new premiums, and respect that nursing care members deserve, AHS thinks you deserve insulting cuts and rollbacks.
Your team’s proposals
Your team is fighting for a two-year contract with the following wage increases:
- Effective April1, 2024: 25% plus cost-of-living increases
- Effective April 1, 2025: 10% plus cost-of-living increases
We have also proposed additional Scope of Practice and Market Adjustment wage increases:
- Effective April 1, 2024: 20% increase for Licensed Practical Nurses—including Renal Dialysis and Connect Care trainers—Operating Room Technicians and Orthopaedic Technicians, and Personal Support Coordinators.
- Effective April 1, 2024: 15% increase for Health Care Aides, Mental Health Aides, Recreation Aides, and Psychiatric Aides, Mental Health Therapy Assistants, Drop-In Centre Supervisors, Community Health Representative and Mental Health Support Workers, Physiotherapy Assistants, Rehabilitation Attendants, Rehabilitation Care Workers, and Client Care Assistants.
These wage increases are critical for all Nursing Care members. Your scope of practice has expanded year after year, and it is time our wages increased to match it.
Your team proposed long service pay increases, reduced annual hours with no loss in pay, and several new shift premiums. We also want shift differentials to increase, including evening shifts, night shifts, and weekend premiums.
We also want AHS to end the use of agency workers — no contracting out!
Your team has made several additional proposals regarding benefits, scheduling, on-call pay, and more.
AHS proposes rollbacks
Our employer, on the other hand, is proposing significant rollbacks and changes that would make our working conditions even worse.
AHS has proposed the same deal they offered our health care colleagues, a four-year deal with just a 7.5% total raise over those four years:
- April 1, 2024: 2%
- April 1, 2025: 2%
- April 1, 2026: 1.75%
- April 1, 2027: 1.75%
AHS also proposed increasing the preceptor pay to $1.00
This is a disrespectful offer that does not come close to addressing the rising cost of living nor your expanded scope of practice. That was the only monetary improvement they offered.
As for rollbacks, AHS wants to:
- 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 your 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; and much more.
As you can see, the employer’s proposals are unacceptable. But your team is resolute. We will not accept rollbacks and we will not accept concessions. We will fight for all Nursing Care members knowing our fellow AUPE members have our backs. It is going to take all of us working together to win the new collective agreement we deserve.
Our next bargaining meetings are scheduled for April 17 and 18.
Please contact your negotiating team representative if you have any questions. Visit www.aupe.org/update-info to ensure AUPE can email you your bargaining updates and more important union news. You can also sign up for a MyAUPE account online using the instructions on the attached poster.
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