Bargaining Begins
Your Covenant Health General Support Services negotiating team met with the employer on March 9 to start the next round of bargaining.
We submitted a full proposal that puts job security and work-life balance first. These were the top issues you asked us to focus on when you answered our bargaining survey and we are proud to put forward proposals that reflect our priorities.
However, in a real change from what we’re used to, Covenant Health’s proposals were full of rollbacks that would be devastating for all Covenant Health GSS workers.
Employer Tables Rollbacks
The employer has proposed a four year contract, including a -1% wage rollback in the first year followed by three years of zeroes.
The employer is also asking for huge cuts elsewhere. They want to remove multiple committees, as well as the workload appeal process which was a major issue that was addressed in our last agreement.
They want to cut the window for weekend premium from 64 hours to 48 hours and to take away the super-stats and floater days.
Worse, they want to cut your shift differentials and premiums:
- Evening shift differential cut from $2.75 to $1.55 per hour;
- Night shift differential cut from $5 to $2 per hour;
- Weekend premium cut from $3.25 to $1.60 per hour;
- Changing the starting hours for the evening shift differential from 1500 hours to 1900 hours.
This is insulting. If these proposals were enacted, we would have lower differential and premium rates than we had over a decade ago.
It is extremely disappointing to see Covenant Health fall in line with the same proposals put forward by Alberta Health Services and the UCP Government. We expect better of our employer.
These proposals show Covenant Health does not respect us nor the work we do, and that they are willing to make cuts at the expense of both staff and patients.
Your negotiating team is proud to represent you and we will not accept these rollbacks. We will not agree to turn back the clock.
Next Meetings
Our next bargaining meetings with the employer are scheduled for March 16.
Your negotiating team is asking each Covenant Health GSS member to wear blue coloured clothes on Fridays to show support. Showing support for your team helps us at the bargaining table.
Please share this information with your colleagues. Every one of us deserves to know how we are being treated at the bargaining table.
Your negotiating team is dedicated to representing you and keeping you informed throughout negotiations. Please contact a member of the team or your AUPE resource staff if you have any questions.
Negotiating Team
Lorie Christenson, lcc44local40@hotmail.com
Corey Kucher, cjkucher@gmail.com
Christee Langkamp, christee7@gmail.com
Judy Prokopchuk (A), judyprokopchuk@gmail.com
AUPE Resource Staff
Chris Dickson, Negotiator - c.dickson@aupe.org
Madelaine Sommers, Organizer – m.sommers@aupe.org
Michelle Szalynski, Organizer – m.szalynski@aupe.org
Alexander Delorme, Communications - a.delorme@aupe.org