Majority of non-monetary talks now complete
It has been a long and drawn-out round of bargaining with a majority of the chapters not having had a new agreement since 2017. Despite this, your negotiating team is hopeful that we can reach a tentative agreement soon as we continue to work with Mediator Mia Norrie. During our most recent meetings with the employer on July 12 and 13, we nearly completed all non-monetary talks.
As of July 28, we will be in formal mediation and if we cannot reach a tentative agreement soon, the mediator may be requested to write recommendations for ratification.
Below is a summary of negotiations from last year up to present.
Following discussions with the employer as well as the assigned independent mediator in late 2022 and early 2023, it was agreed to consolidate the various Nursing Care (NC) agreements (Calgary, CollegeSide, Airdrie, Cochrane, Sylvan Lake, Didsbury, Harvest Hills, Bethany Riverview, Sundre Seniors’ Supportive Living and Mount View Lodge) into one master agreement, and the two General Support Services (GSS) agreements (Calgary and Airdrie) into another master agreement.
In-going union principles and objectives were established to ensure the following:
- There will be no change in the size or composition of our current negotiating teams.
- There will be no change in the negotiating process (main table bargaining).
- Each committee will retain their autonomy with respect to making recommendations about a tentative agreement at their respective worksites.
- Use of chapter/site appendices where needed in master agreement to accommodate necessary site-specific language.
- All collective agreement (CA) articles must round up to the highest level of the Bethany CA.
- There will be no concessions of any kind.
On March 24, the employer responded to our demand for a financial offer and tabled their first monetary package.
As the original demands had been set in 2017, the May 1 caucus meeting at the Calgary office was used to review and reestablish our demands.
During mediation on May 4, 8 and 9, the negotiating team was encouraged by the good faith approach demonstrated by Bethany tabling a financial offer. We resumed language improvement discussions, signing off on the least challenging language. We then opened discussions on key seniority issues, seniority for promotions, transfers, pick-up shifts, and overtime.
We were able to sign off on various articles and we identified other articles that remain current. The negotiating team also introduced language to establish scheduling committees at each location to deal with improved rotation and better Full Time Equivalents (FTEs). We are hoping for significant change in regard to the employer's interview process and line selection, and we have introduced the burden of proof concept for all seniority issues.
On May 26, updated positions and new language proposals were reviewed. On June 2, your negotiating team agreed to sign-offs on several articles and Letters of Understanding (LOU).
On June 22 and 29 discussions focused on pick-up shifts, overtime and the new scheduling committee. A new LOU for the joint scheduling committee was completed in theory, but still requires sign-off. Any changes to lines and rotation will be discussed with the scheduling committee and selected only by seniority. Unfortunately, in the past, the employer at some sites has used the lay-off/recall provisions to reset the line selection. This has been discussed in detail with the employer at the bargaining table and WILL NOT happen again.
It was agreed that changes to pick-up shifts and non-imminent response time will be as follows:
- 1) Effective immediately, the callout priority window for non-imminent shifts (shifts starting more than 72 hours from callout) has been increased from 3 hours to 12 hours to allow employees additional time to express interest and bid on shifts.
- 2) Shift Posting will be changed from a monthly process to a bi-weekly process commencing in August. Site-specific posting schedules will be sent out prior to August 1, 2023. Shift Posting allows workers to view and bid on shifts for the upcoming 90 days in the Vocantas (ASC) mobile app or employee portal. Shifts will be open for a 24-hour window.
The employer has sent an email to all members with the new guidelines.
Our next scheduled dates are July 28, July 31 and August 28.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAMS – BETHANY CARE SOCIETY
Airdrie NC (084/009)
Sabrina Edwards
edwardss@telus.net or 403-837-2708
Jill Thompson
jillt2@telus.net or 403-874-0076
Airdrie GSS (084/009)
Eileen Booth
bootheileen@rocketemail.com or 403-771-6229
Calgary NC (084/010)
Valerie Monkman
valerie.w.monkman@hotmail.com or 403-460-8161
Aida Varela
aida.varela@yahoo.ca or 587-216-3936
Michelle Fluter
michelle.fluter@hotmail.com or 403-836-4071
Calgary GSS (084/010)
Davinder Bhatti
dkaurbahatti@gmail.com or 403-991-9129
Margaret Billings
mbillings58@shaw.ca or 403-978-8935
Harvest Hills NC (084/011)
Sharon Hoben
shodgins@shaw.ca or 403-813-9416
Mai Fang Tian
tianmf6666@hotmail.com or 403-397-3796
Davinder Manhas
davindermanhas@hotmail.com or 403-590-4884
Cochrane NC (084/017)
Beverly Dyck
byvnne301@hotmail.com
Red Deer (084/015)
Lourdes Alberto
lourds09@yahoo.ca or 403-872-3718
Cheryl Hoffman
cherhoff@live.ca or 825-706-2770
Topaz Phang
topaz_889@hotmail.com or 403-307-3280
Sylvan Lake (084/012)
Nadine Frederick
fredericknadine@outlook.com or 403-391-6607
Josephine Covin
covinj@hotmail.com or 403-505-8924
Didsbury (084/014)
Carrie Sears
crsears8203@gmail.com or 403-808-2713
Brenda Thomson
bltmypin@shaw.ca or 587-436-3927
Teusdae Johnston
teusdaes@hotmail.com or 403-439-0191
Mount View Lodge - Olds (084/013)
June Brogden
j.brogden456@gmail.com or 403-438-0001
Tess (Maria Teresa) McAllister
mtesbar@yahoo.com or 403-438-0051
Tammi Gudjonson
tgudjonson2014@gmail.com or 587-444-0113
Sundre Seniors’ Supportive Living (084/013)
Georgina Alm
gekesa67@gmail.com or 403-559-8493
Jessica McAllister
jesy_mcallister@hotmail.com or 403-895-0784
Janie Wozyn j
anewozny@gmail.com or 403-586-0323
Riverview NC (084/016)
Regilda Ramos
gildapramos07@gmail.com or 403-796-5118
Lamia Khorfan
lamia.khorfan@gmail.com or 403-483-9487
Cathy Senger
red0141@yahoo.com or 403-926-3379
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
James Mitchell, Negotiations
j.mitchell@aupe.org
Michelle Szalynski, Organizing
m.szalynski@aupe.org
Christine Yargeau-Becker, Organizing
c.yargeau-becker@aupe.org
Communications
co@aupe.org