In the last two months, your elected negotiations team met five times to discuss how you can achieve a fair collective agreement – one that will bridge this round of bargaining with the next and set a precedent for all future negotiations.
After several discussions, the negotiations team has decided the union must maintain the complaint we initially filed correctly at the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) on December 23, 2020 in order to achieve this goal. A resolution meeting is set for March, and we will keep you informed of any progress (dates to be determined).
Why is it crucial you continue down this path?
In September 2020, your negotiations team was prepared to accept the employer’s last offer (from the year previous). This offer was made on a “without prejudice” basis, in short our starting point to negotiate a fair collective.
The Special Areas Board had not moved on their position in over twelve months. Even when we enlisted the support of an independent mediator, they refused to negotiate. Your negotiator has made numerous requests to the Employers spokesperson to get back to the table, in-person or virtually, to involve the mediator to resolve the matter. The employer has refused.
As a result, your negotiations team compromised. The negotiations team accepted the employer’s wage proposals (zeros) and even compromised on the lump sum payments for fulltime equivalents (FTEs), seasonals and part-timers. The negotiations team also agreed to exempt two of the six classifications they wanted to remove from the bargaining unit.
Once your bargaining team sent the offer, including concessions moving towards agreement to the Special Areas Board, the employer reneged on their offer, and they countered with a worse agreement, which included a substantial wage reduction (similar to the reductions the government of Alberta is seeking at other AUPE bargaining tables). At any time, the Special Areas Board could have put their new offer to a vote; to date, they have not.
What the employer is doing is known as “receding horizon bargaining” and “surface bargaining” – tactics designed to under-bargain workers like you. Receding horizon and surface bargaining is in direct violation of the Labour Code, and it’s our responsibility, as your elected representatives, to hold the employer accountable for the violation now, so this action does not set a precedent for future negotiations.
Please remember: The employer is free to put their Dec. 11 offer to a vote any time. Our bad faith bargaining complaint does not block them from doing this.
What do I need to know about the employer’s latest memo?
The negotiations team is concerned about misinformation the employer spread in the memo today (dated Feb. 3). To be clear: your union did file our Dec. 23 bad faith bargaining complaint correctly. It was an ALRB officer who asked us to refile the complaint under the wrong legislation. The ALRB has since apologized profusely to the negotiating team for this error.
Your employer was fully aware this was not AUPE’s mistake and still sent out today’s memo, citing it as our mistake. It’s clear the employer is trying to distract from their own bad practices at the bargaining table and want to pit union members against each other, by spreading clearly false information.
The employer also states: “no general wage rollbacks in 2019, 2020, 2021.” No wage rollbacks in 2019 and 2020 goes without saying, because the employer cannot unilaterally, retroactively claw back your salary from those years. According to The Labour Code, your contract is in full force and effect until a new contract is agreed to by the Parties.
What’s next and how do I get more involved?
Your negotiations team invites all of you to join them for a general meeting next Thursday, Feb. 11 to discuss the memo, bargaining and anything else you want to address. If you want more information or want to discuss this update before the meeting, in a one-to one conversation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your bargaining team.
SPECIAL AREAS BOARD NEGOTIATING TEAM MEMBERS
Paulette Pratt pkp.2005@hotmail.com or 403-664-0549
Clint Nicholson poolshot69@yahoo.ca or 403-854-1056
Robin Lacelle robinlacelle@gmail.com or 403-363-9855
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Christian Tetreault, negotiator c.tetreault@aupe.org
Darcy Thiessen, organizer d.thiessen@aupe.org or 780-850-1449
Celia Shea, communications c.shea@aupe.org or 780-720-8122