For immediate release: Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2003

EDMONTON — Auxiliary nursing care employees in the East Central Health Region have voted overwhelmingly in a Bill 27 runoff vote to be represented by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.

In a two-way contest with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, 405 auxiliary nurses in Health Region 5 cast 331 votes for AUPE and 74 votes for CUPE — a margin of 82 per cent to 18 per cent.

The vote, which took place in August, was counted late this afternoon at the headquarters of the Alberta Labour Relations Board in Edmonton.

“We’re absolutely delighted with the outcome of this head-to-head contest with CUPE,” said AUPE President Dan MacLennan.

The result confirms AUPE as the union for auxiliary nursing staff of all nine Alberta health regions.

In the other eight regions, AUPE was named union for auxiliary nurses without a vote because it already represented more than 80 per cent of the bargaining unit members in the region.

Meanwhile, AUPE surged from behind in two other runoff votes counted today to emerge as the leading choice for general support employees in two regions.

In the two general support services runoff votes counted today by the ALRB, AUPE posted major gains to become the leading choice of general support employees in both the David Thompson Health Region (Health Region 4) and the Aspen Regional Health Authority (Health Region 7).

“AUPE is now in the leading position in both these key health regions,” MacLennan said. “We are extremely pleased with the results of these votes.

“Of the three unions on the general support services runoff ballots in Regions 4 and 7, AUPE is clearly seen by the largest number of employees as the best union to represent their interests,” he said.

Under the rules for Bill 27 union runoff votes set by the ALRB, one of the three unions on each ballot had to win more than 50 per cent of the vote to be named the union for all general support services employees in the region.

A second vote will now be held in both regions between AUPE and CUPE. CUPE suffered major losses of support in both votes counted today.

As the union with the lowest vote on the two general support ballots, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta will not be on the second ballot in either region.

In the David Thompson Health Region, AUPE received 495 votes, or 42 per cent, of the ballots cast in August by general support employees. Ballots were counted this morning at ALRB headquarters.

AUPE had gone into the voting representing 28 per cent of the 1,860 employees who were eligible to vote in the region.

CUPE received 422 votes, or 36 per cent, of the ballots cast. CUPE, however, went into the vote representing 46 per cent of the eligible employees in the region.

“We see these results as positive for the second round of voting,” MacLennan stated.

HSAA received 257 votes, or 22 per cent, of the ballots cast. HSAA went into the vote representing 26 per cent of the eligible employees.

In the Aspen Regional Health Authority general support runoff vote, AUPE received 253 votes, or 41 per cent, of the ballots cast last summer. The ballots in that vote were counted early this afternoon.

AUPE had gone into the voting representing 22 per cent of the 892 general support employees in the region who were eligible to vote.

CUPE received 242 votes, or 39 per cent, of the ballots cast in the Aspen vote. However, similar to its situation in Region 4, CUPE had gone into the vote representing 60 per cent of the eligible employees in the region.

HSAA received 125, or 20 per cent, of the ballots cast. HSAA went into the vote representing 18 per cent of the eligible employees.

“In both the upcoming second ballots, we strongly urge HSAA members, as we urge CUPE members and our own members, to vote for AUPE,” MacLennan said.

“We very much respect HSAA for holding and increasing its vote in these two difficult contests,” he added.

“AUPE is an Alberta-based union with a strong commitment to bringing good service to our members,” MacLennan said.

“AUPE pays the costs of grievances to ensure that all worthy grievances are pursued,” he said. “AUPE also pays the cost of all members’ union education courses.”

AUPE also has very strong staff representation in both regions, MacLennan noted.

“In Central Alberta, we have a regional office in Red Deer with three full-time staff and another regional office in Camrose with two full-time staff,” he said. “Both are available to provide service to members in the David Thompson Health Region.

“In the Aspen Region, which runs across North Central Alberta from Jasper to Cold Lake, we have offices in Athabasca and St. Paul, as well as easy access to our headquarters in Edmonton,” MacLennan added.

In March, the government of Alberta introduced Bill 27, an act that required the formation of large region-wide bargaining units in Alberta’s nine health regions. The bill was passed by the Legislature later that month.

Votes were ordered by the ALRB to determine which union would represent employees in bargaining units where representation was split among unions.

AUPE and CUPE were also on ballots to represent general support services employees in Region 3 (Calgary Health Region), Region 5 (East Central Health), Region 6 (Capital Health Region) and Region 8 (Peace Country Health).

The ALRB has said those votes will be counted after the second ballots in Regions 4 and 7 have determined a winner.

The David Thompson Health Region is based in Red Deer. The Aspen Regional Health Authority is based in Westlock. East Central Health, which extends from the Camrose area to the Saskatchewan border, is based in Camrose.

For more information, contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-910-8392 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)