Ingoing proposals exchanged with passionate discussions
Over the course of several meetings on June 1, 2, and 12-14, your negotiating team engaged in discussions and exchanged proposals with the employer.
The employer's ingoing proposal consisted of three requests. Firstly, they sought the freedom to reassign health care aides and licensed practical nurses as they saw fit. Secondly, they proposed restrictions on vacations while implementing a vacation planner. Lastly, they wanted to include a lengthy force majeure clause in the collective agreement, which would protect them from having to financially support workers in the event of natural disasters or other uncontrollable circumstances.
Your negotiating team's main objective in our non-monetary proposal was to reorganize and streamline the collective agreement while preserving its original intent. We aimed to create a more user-friendly document. However, it was disappointing to see that the employer rejected even the most minor housekeeping changes without providing any rationale other than a preference for the existing language.
Our top priorities in our monetary negotiations have been to enhance the entitlements and salaries of our members while addressing the issues raised in the surveys regarding the toxic work environment. We believe that these improvements are crucial for creating a healthier and more supportive workplace for all.
Unfortunately, the employer responded to our monetary proposal with a firm rejection. They claimed that their budget was already fully allocated, and they could not meet our requested increases, offering only minimal salary raises over a three-year period. This response was disheartening and left us feeling undervalued and offended. We made it clear to the employer that their proposal was unacceptable.
However, there has been a development since then. After a cooling-off period, the employer's spokesperson reached out to us to discuss our priorities and explore the possibility of reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. Although the employer initially seemed to reject all proposals, their willingness to continue discussions indicates a potential for finding common ground.
We will provide another update once we receive a response from the employer regarding our proposals and once the next meeting dates have been set. In the meantime, if you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to a member of your negotiating team or AUPE resource staff.
Stay united and stay strong.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM - POINTS WEST LIVING - STETTLER
Tracy Matchett
tracymatchett@hotmail.com
Ella Henderson
eliprin@telus.net or 403-741-9877
Natasha Hajdasz
nhajdasz@gmail.com or 780-245-1814
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Christian Tetreault, Negotiator
c.tetreault@aupe.org
Maureen Mariampillai, Communications
m.mariampillai@aupe.org