With bargaining paused, lots of work going on behind the scenes
Your Covenant Health Nursing Care (NC) and General Support Services (GSS) negotiating teams held a joint meeting on April 26 to discuss strategies for bargaining, currently suspended until June 30, 2021, and to receive updates from staff in AUPE’s Essential Services and Organizing Departments.
Work on Essential Services Agreements (ESAs) continues. ESAs set out the details about which and what levels of essential service must be maintained during a strike or lockout and must be in place prior to either of those being legal. Meanwhile, organizers continue to work with activists across the province to build union strength in every worksite.
Your negotiating team wants to remind members that the wage and benefit rollbacks the employer proposed are still on the table, as are the looming threats of privatization and downsizing. As we prepare to defend against these attacks, it is more important than ever that co-workers talk with each other about what each of us can do to stand up for our jobs and defend the public health system Albertans rely on.
If you have co-workers who don’t receive bargaining updates and other important AUPE news, please share this update with them and encourage them to create their own personal MyAUPE account today.
Remember that your current Memorandums of Agreement (MOA) give all Covenant Health members job security, access to COVID-19 isolation pay, and one hour’s pay for attending COVID-19 vaccine appointments until they expire June 30th. If your manager refuses to provide approval for any of the benefits provided by the MOA, please contact the Members Resource Centre at 1-800-232-7481.
Also keep in mind that your collective agreements remain in full force, as does the employer’s obligation to abide by it. If you have any questions about your collective agreement or are experiencing a problem at work, please contact a worksite steward.
If you have questions about bargaining, please contact a member of your negotiating team or AUPE resource staff.
Covenant Health GSS Negotiating Team
Lorie Christenson, lcc44local40@hotmail.com
Corey Kucher, cjkucher@gmail.com
Christee Langkamp, christee7@gmail.com
Covenant Health Nursing Care Negotiating Team
Kathy Bandmann, kbandmann@hotmail.com
Bev Hill, bhill3095@gmail.com
Mary Watson, maynayvatson@hotmail.com
Laura Johnstone, johnstone_laura@hotmail.com
AUPE Resource Staff
Chris Dickson, Negotiator - c.dickson@aupe.org
Madelaine Sommers, Organizer - m.sommers@aupe.org
Tracy Noble, Organizer - t.noble@aupe.org
Mimi Williams, Communications - m.williams@aupe.org