Your negotiating team at Good Samaritan Society continues to push for a deal, now that we have been without a contract for five years.
We’re making real progress, but we’re not over the line yet. We had previously presented the employer with a full consolidated package, in the hopes of finally putting this long round of bargaining behind us and reaching a deal. The employer decided to cancel our latest bargaining dates on Sept. 26 and 27, where we would have discussed that package. We’re waiting on new dates from the employer, and hope that they will take place in October.
There are two major items that we’re currently working on, both of which are extremely important to making sure that we have a fair contract—the workplace complaint process, and a workplace violence strategy.
These two items are inseparable from each other—the growth of workplace violence is tied directly to short-staffing and the fact that we aren’t given enough resources to provide the care that our residents deserve. As dementia patients are expected to increase dramatically in the coming years, this problem will likely worsen—unless we fix it through collective bargaining.
That’s why it’s so important that we have a proper complaint process at work, where we can identify problems before they get out of control, and fix them. Without a protected complaint process, it’s much more difficult to fix the issues we’re facing because our co-workers are afraid to name the problems.
This round of bargaining has gone on for far too long, and it’s time for a fair deal. It’s more important than ever to support your negotiating team, so that they can push this deal over the finish line and achieve the contract we deserve. Our most powerful bargaining chip is our unity and solidarity—let’s exercise it!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the members of the negotiating team.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM – GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY
Betty Wiebe
timbetty@telus.net
Debbie Caplette
acdcfam@telus.net
Diana Bigelow
dianabigelow@gmail.com
Tahera Khalfan
taherakhalfan@gmail.com
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Jason Rattray Negotiations
j.rattray@email.org
Margaret Kapuwa Organizing
m.kapuwa@aupe.org
Michelle Szalinsky Organizing
m.szalinsky@aupe.org
Jon Milton Communications
j.milton@aupe.org