Negotiating team recommends acceptance of proposed agreement
When your negotiating team and the employer met with mediator Klaus Opatril on Aug. 15/16, we made some progress, but we were unable to reach agreement. Both parties agreed that the mediator would write recommendations to settle the remaining outstanding matters.
Subject to your ratification, the mediator's Recommended Terms of Settlement, along with items the union and employer had agreed to prior to mediation, will form your new collective agreement. Your negotiating team is recommending that members accept this proposed settlement.
A ratification vote will be held in September. Please stay tuned for details!
If you know of co-workers who do not receive these updates by email, please encourage them to update their mailing address at aupe.org/updateinfo so they will be sure they don’t miss out on important information.
Here are the highlights of the proposed agreement:
Wage Increases:
Sept. 1, 2020 – 0%
Sept. 1, 2021 – 0%
Sept. 1, 2022 – 0%
June 1, 2023 – 1.25%
Feb. 1, 2024 – 1.5%
Plus 0.5% for the 2023 year according to the Gain Sharing Formula:
Alberta’s 20-year average (2000-2019) of Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is 2.7%. Provided that the “Average of All Private Forecasts for Alberta’s Real GDP for 2023 calendar year is at or above 2.7% as of February of 2023, then an additional 0.5% will be added to wages retroactively effective December 1, 2023.
“Average of All Private Forecasts for Alberta’s Real GDP” for 2023 Calendar Year would be a simple average of Alberta’s Real GDP for 2023 across the following independent forecast institutions: Conference Board of Canada; Stokes Economics; BMO Capital markets; CIBC World Markets; Laurentian Bank; National Bank; RBC Royal Bank; Scotiabank; and TD Bank. The most recent publicly available forecast for Alberta’s Real GDP for 2023 would be sourced from each institution at the time the payout determination would be made in February 2024.
Benefit Improvements:
- Changes to your Health Spending Account (HSA) and Wellness Spending Account (WSA) will make it easier to use and use more of it!
- If you miss the allocation deadline, it would now default to the non-taxable HSA (WSA is current default), so it would cover costs over and above plan coverage for health/dental/paramedical.
- There would also be an expanded list of eligible items for the WSA. For example, you could use it to buy a Tax-Free Savings Account or fitness/recreational equipment. - The ridiculously low per visit caps for paramedical would be removed (e.g. $7/visit for massage). Also, current paramedical annual amounts would now be listed in the agreement.
- The Letter of Understanding on Supplemental Vacation will be replaced with the following:
- Supplemental days for maintenance using vacation during the school year moved into the body of the vacation article (Article 11).
- Supplemental days for not using sick leave (which have been suspended during COVID), deleted in exchange for two additional paid Christmas Closure days (will now be six (6) days, not including the stats, instead of four (4).
Other:
- Ability to work four (4) days/week on modified summer hours if requested
- Ability to request to flex breaks/start and end times
- Improved notice of Contracting Out
- Supervisors will not request proof of illness without consultation with Human Resource Services
- Additional banked OT days [increased maximum of six (6) instead of five (5)]
- OT offered on a fair, rotational basis
- Clarified effective date of retro pay for "dual ticket" certification
- New classification language:
- Employees can request a review of their duties/pay
- Improved language for determining rates of pay for new and/or altered classifications and/or for employees moving between existing classifications - Improved Family Medical and Personal Leave provisions - personal leave can be requested in advance with 2 days’ notice (or less if mutually agreed). Both can be taken as full-day or half-days.
- Clothing allowance will also apply to winter apparel and prescription safety glasses.
Your negotiating team was frustrated by the Government of Alberta’s interference in the bargaining process by setting a cap on wage increases that recognized neither the tremendous efforts you have put in over the last two years nor the rapidly rising costs of living we are experiencing due to high inflation.
Nevertheless, we managed to achieve several improvements, as outlined above, which is why we are recommending members vote to accept this tentative agreement.
We thank you for your patience and solidarity during this difficult round of bargaining. Please reach out to a member of your negotiating team if you have any questions.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM - EDMONTON CATHOLIC SCHOOL DIVISION
Cameron Reirson (Chair)
cam.reirsonaupe@gmail.com or 780-218-1105 (cell)
Daniel Gibbons
dgib@live.ca or 780-265-5721 (cell)
Kai Sharnber
gkaischarnberg@yahoo.ca or 780-604-2800 (cell)
Dave Turner
turnerelli.md@gmail.com or 780-999-4646 (cell)
Kevin Quinn
kevinquinnbargaining@shaw.ca or 780-298-8816 (cell)
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Merryn Edwards Negotiations
m.edwards@aupe.org or 780-952-1951 (cell)
Kate Robinson Negotiations k.robinson@aupe.org
Farid Iskandar Organizing f.iskandar@aupe.org
Mimi Williams Communications m.williams@aupe.org