For immediate release: Wednesday, June 23, 2004

EDMONTON — A key step in the next round of bargaining between the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees and the Government of Alberta takes place tomorrow with the start of an important union bargaining conference.

AUPE’s Government Service Bargaining Committee (GSBC) will hold its first crucial strategy meetings tomorrow, June 24, and Friday, June 25, at AUPE Headquarters in Edmonton.

From AUPE’s point of view, the meetings kick off the process of negotiating the next full collective agreement for approximately 20,000 direct employees of the Alberta provincial government.

Formal talks with government bargaining representatives are expected to begin later in the summer.

The conference will be attended by members of the Government Service Bargaining Committee (GSBC), as well as members and alternates from the individual bargaining committees of all AUPE locals representing direct government employees (Locals 001 to 012).

The conference will commence at 8:30 a.m. on June 24 and will continue until on Friday, June 25, at AUPE headquarters, 10451 – 170th Street NW in Edmonton.

AUPE President Dan MacLennan will be available for interviews throughout the two days of the conference.

GSBC and local bargaining committee members will use the conference to hammer out AUPE’s bargaining positions on a wide range of contract issues affecting both the Master Agreement that covers all direct employees and subsidiary agreements affecting individual locals.

The current collective agreement with the government is set to expire on Aug. 31.

For more information, contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-232-8392 (cellular phone)
Jim Petrie, Staff Negotiator, AUPE, 780-930-3335 or 780-919-4415 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)