Retroactive wage increases, shift premium stacking preserved
After our previous collective agreement expired January 31, 2019, we commenced negotiations in February, 2019. Your negotiating team met with the employer at the bargaining table four times that year but were unable to reach a tentative agreement. The parties met three times in 2021 to negotiate an Essential Services Agreement. Your negotiating team and the employer met again in October, 2021, this time with an independent mediator.
After mediation failed to bring resolution to several outstanding items, independent arbitrator Ms. Mia Norrie was appointed as the one-member Compulsory Arbitration Board to settle the dispute in November, 2021.
We met with the employer again on September 21 and 22, 2022 at which time they tabled significant rollbacks. As we reported to you then, they wanted to take away your ability to stack your weekend and shift differential premiums and they wanted to stop you from being able to roll over any unused sick time to the following year. Your negotiating team could not accept these concessions.
To proceed with compulsory arbitration, Ms. Norrie requested that the parties provide her with written submissions, upon which she would base her decision. Items agreed to prior to the referral to arbitration are incorporated. Highlights of her award, released February 14, 2022, are below. You can read the arbitrator’s complete Compulsory Arbitration Board decision here.
Highlights
The most important highlight is that the rollbacks or concessions that were proposed by the Employer have been dropped. The rights they tried to take away from you have been preserved. You pushed back and that’s reflected in this award.
Term
The term of the agreement is February 1, 2019 to January 31, 2024.
Wage Increases
- Feb 1, 2019 two (2.0%) percent
- Feb 1, 2020 two (2%) percent
- Feb 1, 2021 one point seventy five (1.75%) percent
- Feb 1, 2022 one point seventy five (1.75%) percent
- Feb 1, 2023 one point twenty five (1.25%) percent
All payments shall be retroactive to February 1, 2019 and made to employees within sixty (60) days of the award.
Shift Differential and Weekend Premium
Evening and night shift premiums (Article 18) are increased by $0.25 cents per hour to $2.50/hour. Where applicable, an Employee shall receive both Shift Differential and weekend premium (Article 19) to a maximum of $4.50 in addition to the Basic Rate of pay and overtime pay.
Layoff and Recall
The existing Letter of Understanding #5 on Service Delivery Model Changes will be incorporated into a new Article 24: Layoff and Recall.
Signing Bonus
$200 for Full Time employees; $100 for Part Time
Registration Fees
Effective immediately, an Employee who has worked an average of 0.4 FTE the previous fiscal year shall receive a one-hundred-dollar ($100.00) reimbursement for their College of Licensed Practical Nurses Association (CLPNA) registration fee.
Temporary Assignment and In-Charge Pay
When an Employee is assigned by their immediate supervisor to replace another Employee in a higher paid classification for a full or partial shift or longer, she shall be paid the Basic Rate of Pay for the classification in which the Employee is relieving, providing she is qualified to perform the substantive duties of the higher paid classification.
The terms of the agreement as set out by the arbitrator are in full force and take immediate effect. If you feel that the employer is not honouring the terms of the agreement, please reach out to your Membership Services Officer by calling 1-800-232-7284.
Annual General Meeting
Remember that your Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. It will be held at the ABC Country Restaurant at 2085 - 50 Avenue in Red Deer.
If you have coworkers who do not receive our updates via email, please encourage them to update their contact information at: aupe.org/updateinfo.
Please reach out to a member of your negotiating team or AUPE staff if you have any questions.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM – REVERA ASPEN RIDGE
Pat Mc Pherson
macphersonpat99@gmail.com
Cherie Lamb
three-lambs@shaw.ca
Cheryle Fonda
cpfonda@gmail.com
Shalene Rogers
shelaner@hotmail.com
Esther Young
est1young@yahoo.com
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
James Mitchell, Negotiations
j.mitchell@aupe.org
Bill Rigutto, Disputes & Arbitrations
b.rigutto@aupe.org
Michelle Szalynski, Organizing
m.szalynski@aupe.org
Alexander Delorme, Communications
a.delorme@aupe.org