WESTLOCK – Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees on strike against Extendicare (Canada) Inc.’s continuing care facility in Athabasca rallied today at the headquarters of the Aspen Regional Health Authority in Westlock to protest their shabby treatment by the private for-profit company.

The 32 women, who have been on strike for a fair collective agreement since Feb. 11, work for the giant Toronto-based multinational corporation at its continuing care facility in the town of Athabasca.

The members of AUPE Local 2424/009 took their protest today to the monthly board meeting of the health region.

Extendicare – which had revenue in 2000 of $1.8 billion – runs the facility on contract for the Aspen Regional Health Authority.

"It’s really disgraceful that the health region has allowed this situation to continue," AUPE President Dan MacLennan said this morning. "The region has the power to tell this employer to act reasonably and negotiate a fair collective agreement with this small group of women.

"It is blatantly unfair that people doing the same work at other regional facilities in the same community, and at other Extendicare facilities in nearby communities, should be earning $2 or more per hour," MacLennan said.

"We expect the region to act responsibly and press Extendicare to come back to the table with a reasonable offer," he stated.

A key issue in the strike is wage parity with other Extendicare employees at facilities in the same region, and with other health care workers doing similar work in the community.

At present, Extendicare employees in Athabasca are paid a starting salary $2.41 per hour less than that paid other Extendicare workers in nearby communities, and $2 less than AUPE members doing the same work for the Aspen region in the Athabasca Health Centre, said AUPE Union representative Steve Nimchuk.

Extendicare has been using management staff from other facilities and other strikebreakers to run the Athabasca facility, he noted.

AUPE is prepared to return to the table at any time to negotiate a reasonable agreement, Nimchuk said.

"Extendicare is not going to get away with allowing this strike to go on out of sight of the public because it is in a small town in northern Alberta," he added. "It’s time for them to act responsibly and return to the bargaining table."

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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