Your negotiating team recommends a “Yes” vote
Your negotiating team is happy to report that we have reached a tentative agreement with the employer, the highlights of which are below. This was a tough round of bargaining, and we thank you for your solidarity and patience as we worked through negotiations. Your negotiating team is recommending members vote “Yes” in the upcoming ratification vote.
Wage increases
- April 1, 2020 – 0%
- April 1, 2021 – 0%
- September 1, 2022 – 1.25%
- April 1, 2023 – 2.0%
Flexible Spending Account
Effective January 1, 2023, the Flexible Spending Account increase by $50.00 to nine hundred dollars. (Please note the increase of the $50.00 will be allocated to the health portion of the FSA for this year as the timeline to allocate the new money has come and gone.)
Supplementary Health Plan Improvements
Effective ninety (90) days following ratification, the following coverage will be added to the Supplemental Health Plan:
- Coverage for Chartered Psychologist, Master of Social Work and Certified Addictions/ Drug Counsellor to a maximum of $3,000 annually, with no per visit maximum.
- 100% coverage for usual and customary eye examination every 24 months.
COVID-19 Lump Sum and One-Time Premium Payment
On the pay period following the date of ratification, each employee shall be issued a one-time premium payment of 1.0% of the Basic Rate of Pay for all hours actually worked between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. This payment will be made automatically to current employees. Information on how former employees can apply to the Employer for this pay will be provided upon ratification.
For the purposes of this one-time lump sum payment “regular hours actually worked” includes:
(a) Leaves of absence for Union business;
(b) Other leaves of absence of one (1) month or less;
(c) Time on sick leave with pay;
(d) Absences while receiving Workers’ Compensation;
(e) Paid Educational leave up to 24 months; and
(f) Paid leaves including but not limited to Maternity, Parental, Compassionate/Terminal Care, parents of Critically Ill Child and Death or Disappearance of Child Leaves.
In addition to the above, employees employed with the Employer on the date of ratification, shall be issued a one-time premium payment as follows:
a. For Regular and Temporary Full-time Employees, a payment of $1,400;
b. For Regular Part-time, Temporary Part-time, and Casual Employees, a payment of $1,400, pro-rated to all regular hours actually worked and paid at the Basic Rate of Pay between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022, to a maximum of 1.0 FTE;
This payment will be paid within ninety (90) calendar days after the ratification of this Collective Agreement.
Review for Market Adjustment
The parties have agreed that within 60 days of the ratification of a tentative agreement, the Union will identify classifications we believe are paid under market value. Within 120 calendar days of receipt of the list, the Employer will undertake a review of those classifications identified by the Union. Following that review, for those classifications where the work being done is substantively the same as a classification in the Alberta Health Services General Support Services bargaining unit and there is more than a three-and-a-half percent (3.5%) difference in the end rates of pay between the Covenant Health classification and the AHS Classification, the Employer will set new rates of pay for the classification which will match the wage grid of the comparable AHS Classifications.
The Effective date for any increases realized through the process set out above will be retroactive to September 1, 2022 and paid within two pay periods of the conclusion of the review.
No Contracting Out
A Letter of Understanding (LOU) prohibits any further contracting out unless the work is already provided by an external service provider or subject to a request for proposal (RFP) that was issued prior to ratification of the collective agreement. If such contracting out occurs, the Employer agrees to offer a voluntary severance option to Regular Employees who are employed on the date of the tentative agreement (on the basis of most senior to least senior in each Site) before issuing layoff notice to any Employee impacted by any layoffs pursuant to the exceptions set out above. The severance entitlement will be administered as per Letter of Understanding #4 – Severance.
The LOU on Contracting Out takes effect on the date of ratification and expires on March 30, 2024.
Tentative Agreement Ratification Voting Schedule
(Click on the link highlighting each location to download a printable poster for your worksite.)
Monday, February 6, 2023
St. Mary’s Hospital, Camrose
- Where: Flex Office
- When: 8:30 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Monday, February 6, 2023
St. Joseph’s Auxiliary Hospital, Edmonton
- Where: Education Center Room #1-206
- When: 8:30 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
St. Joseph’s General Hospital, Vegreville
- Where: Boardroom
- When: 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Mary Immaculate Care Centre, Mundare
- Where: Boardroom
- When: 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Killam Health Centre, Killam
- Where: Room 109
- When: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Youville Home, St. Albert
- Where: Boardroom
When: 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
St. Mary’s Health Care Centre, Trochu
- Where: Boardroom
- When: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital, Castor
- Where: 1st Floor Boardroom in the old hospital
- When: 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Friday, February 10, 2023
Banff Mineral Springs Hospital
- Where: Boardroom
- When: 8:30 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Members will receive a complete copy of the draft Tentative Agreement you will be voting on over the coming days. If you have co-workers who do not receive our e-mails, please encourage them to update their contact information at aupe.org/update info.
If you have any questions about this bargaining update, please reach out to a member of your negotiating team.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM – COVENANT HEALTH GSS
Lorie Christenson
lcc44local40@hotmail.com
Corey Kucher
cjkucher@gmail.com
Christee Langkamp
christeelangkamp@gmail.com
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Chris Dickson, Negotiations
c.dickson@aupe.org
Christine Yargeau-Becker, Organizing
c.yargeau-becker@aupe.org
Scott Drake, Organizing
s.drake@aupe.org
Mimi Williams, Communications
m.williams@aupe.org