Mediator to provide recommendations on Aug. 28
We have reached a crucial stage and momentum is building!
As you know, your negotiating team met with the employer and the mediator on July 25 to continue mediation. At our last session, we heard the employer's concerns and drafted a proposal that we believe addressed their issues.
It did not come as a surprise when the employer decided to reject our proposal and doubled down on their insulting offer, barely offering anything additional from the last time we met. Even their non-profit, faith-based counterparts Shepherd's Care Foundation and Bethany of Camrose agreed to the same wage increases as Alberta Health Services members received.
What this shows us is that the Good Samaritan Society does not live by its values and intends to balance their budget on the backs of workers. It’s not dignified, it's not fair and you deserve better.
The mediator recognizes members have been without a fair contract for more than six years, so she will be writing recommendations for a settlement.
We have been advised that recommendations will come on August 28.
Your negotiating team will review the mediator’s recommendations and determine if they will recommend members should vote to accept the mediator's recommendations.
We are very hopeful the mediator will write recommendations which reflect the same or similar wage increases as were received by AHS. Should we determine that these recommendations should be accepted by the membership, we will be coordinating in-person voting in September.
If the recommendations are not what we are expecting, the bargaining team may decide to proceed to formal mediation instead of going to a vote once the Essential Services Agreement is accepted by the Labour Relations Board.
The employer will also have a ratification process – but we don't think they will want to accept the mediator’s recommendations. This is why the membership must continue to take swift action during the month of September.
Virtual town halls to discuss next steps
We will be holding virtual Town Halls to discuss the mediator’s recommendations on Wednesday, August 30 and Thursday, August 31 (all virtual) at the following times:
- 8 – 9 am
- 1 – 2 pm
- 7:30 – 8:30 pm
This is a key moment in negotiations, and we are asking that all members attend to learn how you can help the negotiating team keep the pressure on the employer and push them to accept the recommendations.
Essential Services Update
Your Essential Services Team is pleased to report that a Good Samaritan Essential Services Agreement (ESA) tentative agreement was reached on July 25 and was presented to the negotiating team on July 26.
Both parties are actively working on a joint submission, based off the tentative ESA, which will then be submitted to the Alberta Labour Relations Board for the Commissioner's review.
The ESA determines if we have the right to strike or if the parties must go to compulsory arbitration, where a neutral third-party arbitrator decides on the items still in dispute, including wage increases.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM – GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY (CONTINUING CARE)
Betty Wiebe
timbetty@telus.net
Debbie Caplette
debcaplette@shaw.ca
Diana Bigelow
dianabigelow@gmail.com
Tahera Khalfan
taherakhalfan@gmail.com
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Kate Robinson, Negotiations
k.robinson@aupe.org
Michelle Szalynski, Organizing
m.szalynski@aupe.org
Stephanie Stewart, Organizing
s.stewart@aupe.org
Jeffery Manuntag, Essential Services
j.manuntag@aupe.org
Maureen Mariampillai, Communications
m.mariampillai@aupe.org