EDMONTON – After months of fruitless negotiations for a fair collective agreement, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees members at the Extendicare continuing care facility in Athabasca have served strike notice.

The approximately 30 employees of the Athabasca nursing home will walk off the job Monday morning if an acceptable collective agreement cannot be reached over the weekend, AUPE President Dan MacLennan warned today.

"This is a painful last resort for a group of hard-working and honourable employees who must deal with a Toronto-based corporate employer that so far has refused to negotiate a reasonable agreement," MacLennan said.

"Residents and their families know that our fight is with this skinflint company’s corporate management in Ontario," he said. "We are deeply troubled that Extendicare’s completely unacceptable attitudes have led us to this impasse."

The Extendicare/Athabasca employees have gone without a raise since 1998, said AUPE Union Representative Steve Nimchuk. They have worked without a contract since July 2000.

In October 2001, they voted 100 per cent to strike if necessary to get a fair contract, but have continued trying to negotiate since then. "We have tried every reasonable approach to get a fair contract. We have exhausted every avenue. We are not trying to break new ground with this contract, only to provide our members with conditions similar to those enjoyed by others doing the same work in the same community and for the same company in nearby communities."

Of particular concern, said Nimchuk, is the fact Extendicare operates the nursing home on contract for the Aspen Regional Health Authority. "The regional health authority should not be encouraging these kinds of heavy handed labour relations tactics by a contractor."

He noted that AUPE members at the nursing home have become increasingly concerned by Extendicare’s tightwad policies.

"AUPE’s members in Athabasca care about the residents day and night," MacLennan said. "All Extendicare seems to care about is the its shareholders’ profits and the price of its stock.

"AUPE is determined to stand behind our members and do whatever it takes to get a fair contract at this facility," MacLennan concluded.

MacLennan and Nimchuk will both be on the picket line in Athabasca Monday morning.

For more information, contact:

Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-910-8392 (cellular phone)
Steve Nimchuk, Union Representative, AUPE, 780-930-3341 or 780-919-4831 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)

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