Bethany negotiating teams will jointly bargain two Master Agreements

During discussions last year with the independent mediator assigned to these bargaining units, the Employer raised the idea of consolidating the various Auxiliary Nursing Care agreements (Calgary, CollegeSide, Airdrie, Cochrane, Sylvan Lake, Didsbury, and Harvest Hills) into one Master Agreement and the two General Support Services (GSS) agreements into another Master Agreement. The Employer subsequently expressed interest in adding our three most recent ANC certifications at Bethany Riverview, Sundre Seniors’ Supportive Living and Mount View Lodge to the ANC Master Agreement. You can read a copy of the letter from the Employer here.

Your negotiating teams reviewed the Employer’s proposal and, after much consideration, unanimously agreed to bargain together for two Master Agreements, one for ANC and one for GSS. Given that a lot of effort has gone into standardizing the Bethany agreements in previous rounds of bargaining, your negotiating teams agreed with the Employer’s position that consolidation made sense.

This will not change the size or composition of your current negotiating teams, nor will it change the negotiating process. Each committee will retain their autonomy with respect to making recommendations about a tentative agreement at their respective worksites. It is anticipated that there will be appendices attached to the Master Agreements to accommodate any site-specific language found to be necessary.

Auxiliary Nursing Care

At our first mediation meeting for ANC on March 7th, 2023, the Employer tabled their first draft proposal for the ANC Master Agreement. Your ANC negotiating teams met again on Mar. 20 to review the Employer’s proposal and we have mediation dates scheduled for Mar. 23 and 24.

In the meantime, the parties met with the Essential Services Commissioner on March 22nd to discuss the staffing levels the parties agreed to in the Essential Services Agreement (ESA). We will update you once the Commissioner has given direction.

General Support Services

The ESAs for Bethany Airdrie and Calgary GSS were reviewed by the Essential Services Commissioner on Mar. 10 and have been accepted for filing. Alberta Labour Relations legislation requires that the parties file an ESA with the Commissioner before they can apply for formal mediation under Section 65 of the Labour Relations Code for assistance in reaching a collective agreement or before either party can proceed towards a strike vote or a lockout.

Additional updates

As of our last mediation meetings we would like to report that the Employer has tabled their first monetary package listed below. We now have a comprehensive working document for the consolidation of the ANC Agreements and the GSS Agreements.

Your negotiating team is scheduled to attend in-person caucus meetings on May 1 and May 4 to review. In-person mediation has been scheduled for May 8 and May 9 at the Calgary Office.

Please note the negotiating teams have made no decisions on the Employer monetary offer at this time and it will be dealing with it with at our next caucus meetings.

ANC monetary proposal

• 1% general wage increase to Appendix A – Salaries Schedules retroactive to October 1, 2021;
• 1.25% general wage increase to Appendix A – Salaries Schedules retroactive to September 1, 2022;
• 2% general wage increase to Appendix A – Salaries Schedules effective April 1, 2023;
• Match Alberta Health Services basic hourly wage rates in the new ANC consolidated agreement effective the date of ratification.

Wage grid alignment

An Employee shall not suffer a reduction in their basic rate of pay as a result of the implementation of the salary schedule in Appendix A that is effective the date of ratification. This applies to the following Employees as of the date of ratification:

1. Employees at Step 6 in the Certified Health Care Aide, Occupational Therapy Aide, and Recreation Assistant classifications;
2. Employees at Bethany – Airdrie and Bethany – Cochrane at Steps 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the Licensed Practical Nurse classification; and
3. Employees at Bethany – Airdrie and Bethany – Cochrane at Step 6 in the Licensed Practical Nurse classification, unless the Employee qualifies to move to Step 8.

An Employee whose basic rate of pay exceeds the basic rate of pay for the wage step of their classification as of the date of ratification shall have their basic rate of pay maintained until they receive an increment to the next wage step, or they transfer to a new classification.

GSS

• 1% general wage increase to Appendix A – Salaries Schedules retroactive to April 1, 2019;
• 2% general wage increase to Appendix A – Salaries Schedules effective April 1, 2023.

Align the Bethany – Calgary and Bethany – Airdrie rates in a consolidated GSS agreement effective the date of ratification by providing the following adjustments:

• Bethany Airdrie – Clerk / Receptionist and Rehabilitation Aide Step 2 increases by $0.54 per hour to $19.92
• Bethany Calgary – Maintenance Worker I Step 1 increases by $0.01 to $18.39

Upcoming Annual General Meetings

• Harvest Hills Local 048/004 (ANC)
  Mar. 31, 2023. 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM
  Bethany Harvest Hills – Family Dining Room
   
• Cochrane Local 048/002 (ANC)
  Apr. 11, 2023. 4:00 PM
  Via Zoom
   
• Calgary Local 048/003 (ANC & GSS)
  Apr. 12, 2023. 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
  AUPE Calgary Office – Lethbridge Room

AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAMS – BETHANY CARE SOCIETY

Airdrie ANC (048/001)

Sabrina Edwards
[email protected] or 403-837-2708

Jill Thompson
[email protected] or 403-874-0076

Airdrie GSS (048/001)

Eileen Booth
403-771-6229

Calgary ANC (048/003)

Valerie Monkman
[email protected] or 403-460-8161

Aida Varela
[email protected] or 587-216-3936

Michelle Fluter
[email protected] or 403-836-4071

Calgary GSS (048/003)

Charles Denis
Dobbs [email protected] or 403-646-3048

Margaret Billings
[email protected] or 403-978-8935

Harvest Hills ANC (048/004)

Sharon Hoben
[email protected] or 403-590-9711

Mai Fang Tian
[email protected] or 403-397-3796

Davinder Manhas
[email protected] or 403-590-4884

Red Deer (048/021)

Lourdes Alberto
[email protected] or 403-872-3718

Cheryl Hoffman
[email protected] or 825-706-2770

Topaz Phang
[email protected] or 403-307-3280

Sylvan Lake (048/025)

Nadine Frederick
[email protected] or 403-391-6607

Josephine Covin
[email protected] or 403-505-8924

Craig Veale
[email protected] or 587-447-7117

Didsbury (048/032)

Carrie Sears
[email protected] or 403-808-2713

Brenda Thomson
[email protected] or 587-436-3927

Ebony Burley
[email protected] or 403-586-3824

Teusdaes Johnston
[email protected] or 403-439-0191

Mount View Lodge - Olds (048/042)

June Brogden
[email protected] or 403-438-0001

Tess (Maria Teresa) Mcallister
[email protected] or 403-438-0051

Tammie Gudjonson
[email protected] or 587-444-0113

Sundre Seniors’ Supportive Living (048/042)

Georgina Alm
[email protected] or 403-559-8493

Jessica McAllister
[email protected] or 403-895-0784

Janie Wozyn
[email protected] or 403-586-0323

Riverview ANC (048/048)

Irineo Paguergan
[email protected] or 403-620-0885

Lamia Khorfan
[email protected] or 403-460-1636

Cathy Senger
[email protected] or 403-926-3379

AUPE RESOURCE STAFF

James Mitchell, Negotiations
[email protected]

Communications
[email protected]