Employer continues hostile behaviour
Your negotiating team has filed a bad-faith bargaining complaint with the Alberta Labour Relations Board after your employer continued to throw obstacles in the way of bargaining.
We last met for bargaining on December 6, where the employer presented a full, but inadequate, proposal. While there were small increases to total compensation, they were well short of what we proposed and what you deserve.
We submit our proposals for wage increases at the next bargaining meeting.
The employer’s proposal included:
- Wages increases: 1.25% in the first year (which would be effective the date the agreement is ratified, meaning no retroactive pay) and 1.25% in the second year.
- Differentials: Slight increases to $2.75 per hour evenings, $3.30 per hour nights, $2.20 per hour weekends.
- Named Holidays: The employer does not wish to officially recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
- Sick leave: Accrue sick leave at 0.85 days per month to a maximum of 90 work days.
- Vacation:
- 0 - 2 years = 2 weeks.
- 3 - 7 years = 3 weeks.
- 8 – 14 years = 4 weeks.
- 15+ years = 5 weeks.
- Benefits: No improvement.
- Health Spending Account: Small increase to $400 per year.
- RRSP: Employer to match members’ purchase of RRSPs to a maximum of 3%.
- Scheduling: The employer proposed that all classifications potentially be scheduled to work 12-hour shifts, at their discretion.
Your negotiating team made proposals for uniform allowances, professional fee reimbursement, in-charge pay, preceptor pay and new employee orientation pay. The employer said no to all of these.
The employer has also not responded to our request for information disclosure (despite your team sending the request three times). Requesting relevant information is standard practice and extremely important when negotiating a first collective agreement.
Your team needs this information to see if the employer’s proposals are much of an improvement, for one thing. We can make assumptions based on information we piece together, but there is an onus on the employer to be transparent about where the starting point is.
The union considers to this be a case of bad-faith bargaining, which is why we filed a complaint with the Labour Relations Board.
The employer continues to behave unreasonably in other ways, including when we try to schedule bargaining meetings.
While we were waiting for their response to our disclosure requests, the employer offered us dates to continue bargaining, which we confirmed a little more than 24 hours later. One week after that, they said they were no longer available and offered different dates which do not work for the team.
The employer has not provided any explanation for their sudden unavailability to meet with us.
Now that our discussions have moved on to monetary items, the employer has predictably become more hostile and difficult to bargain with. We hope they drop the games and bargain in good faith to reach an agreement for you, their "Care Partners.”
We will keep you posted as the complaint is addressed and as further bargaining is scheduled.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM - PWL DRAYTON VALLEY
Beverley Sawchuk
beviethenurse@gmail.com
Beth Boser
wboser@telus.net
Chelsie Nicolls
cnicolls97@gmail.com
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Kate Robinson, Negotiations
k.robinson@aupe.org
Jaime Urbina, Organizing
j.urbina@aupe.org
Maureen Mariampillai, Communications
m.mariampillai@aupe.org