Ratification vote will take place November 14
After a very challenging round of bargaining in which members were refused wage increases for two years, your negotiating team is pleased to report that on October 13 we reached a tentative settlement with the employer.
In this agreement we achieved important goals such as matching or exceeding the Alberta Health Services (AHS) pattern on monetary for 2022 and 2023, as well as increasing shift premiums and improving language in the collective agreement. Unfortunately, the employer refused to sign an agreement that would match AHS monetary increases for 2024. For this reason, your negotiating team unanimously decided to sign a two-year deal, which expires March 31, 2024.
Ratification vote will be held onsite November 14. More information about the precise time and room will be posted for members in advance of the vote.
Below are highlights from the tentative agreement.
WAGE INCREASES
Eligible employees will be paid the following retroactive wage increases:
- April 1, 2022 – 1.75% (exceeding AHS pattern of 1.25%)
- April 1, 2023 – 2.00%
COVID LUMP SUM PAYMENTS
In recognition for services rendered during the COVID-19 response, employees will receive a one-time premium payment of 1.0% of the basic rate of pay for all hours actually worked between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.
Payments will be made on the pay period following the date of ratification.
For the purposes of this one-time lump sum payment "regular hours actually worked" includes:
- leaves of absence for union business;
- other leaves of absence of 1 month or less;
- time on sick leave with pay;
- absences while receiving Workers' Compensation;
- educational leave up to 24 months; and
- maternity, parental, compassionate/terminal care, parents of a critically ill child, and death or disappearance of a child leaves.
In addition, employees in the Receptionist, Cook, Server, Housekeeper, Rec Aide (uncertified) and Maintenance Assistant classifications on the date of ratification, shall be issued a one-time premium payment as follows:
- For regular and temporary full-time employees, a payment of $1,400.
- For regular part-time, temporary part-time, and casual employees, a payment of $1,400, prorated to all regular hours actually worked and paid at the basic rate of pay between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, to a maximum of 1.0 FTE.
SHIFT AND WEEKEND DIFFERENTIALS
Effective the start of the first pay period following the date of ratification, shift differentials will increase as follows:
- Evening shift: differential will increase from $1.75/hour to $2.40/hour for Health Care Aides, Licensed Practical Nurses and Recreational Aids.
- Night shift: differential will increase from $2.25/hour to $3.65/hour for HCAs and LPNs.
- Weekend: premium will increase from $1.75/hour to $2.75/hour for all classifications.
These differentials/premiums can be pyramided, meaning that, where applicable, an employee will be paid a shift differential as well as a weekend premium, in addition to regular pay and overtime pay.
NAMED HOLIDAYS
Effective the date of ratification, employees required to work on Christmas Day will be paid at two times their basic rate of pay for all hours worked on the named holiday.
REGISTERED RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN (RRSP)
Employer-matched contributions to eligible employees’ RRSPs will increase from 2.00% to 3.00%.
Employees eligible to participate in the RRSP program are:
- regular full-time employees;
- regular part-time employees with a full-time equivalency of 0.40 or greater;
- temporary employees with a full-time equivalency of 0.40 or greater.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT
The flexible spending account allocation will increase from $500 to $800 annually for regular full-time employees.
For regular part-time employees with a full-time equivalency of 0.40 or greater, the allotment also increases from $500 to $800 annually, but is prorated based upon hours worked in the year ending November 30.
This change will take effect in the first quarterly payment in 2024, after the date of ratification.
ANNUAL VACATION
Vacation entitlements for regular full-time and regular part-time employees during their 15th and subsequent years of employment will increase to 25 days.
If you have any questions about this update, please contact a member of your negotiating team.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM – WELL BEING SERVICES MONTEREY
Cassandra Saleh
cassiesaleh@outlook.com or 403-689-5888
Maggie Junio
gigi23_junio@yahoo.com or 403-975-9760
Rosalie Valenzuela
rosaliegvalenzuela108@yahoo.com or 403-464-9108
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
James Mitchell, Negotiations
j.mitchell@aupe.org
Stephanie Stewart, Organizer
s.stewart@aupe.org
Pachi Mishra, MSO
p.mishra@aupe.org
Communications
co@aupe.org