For immediate release: Friday, June 25, 2004

EDMONTON — Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees employed at Extendicare’s Holyrood continuing-care facility have ratified a two-year collective agreement containing pay increases of more than eight per cent over the life of the contract.

The members of AUPE Local 047/023 at the Extendicare Holyrood nursing home in Edmonton voted Thursday to accept the agreement, which will result in a pay increase of four per cent in the first year and two increases of two per cent each in the second year.

In addition, said AUPE Staff Negotiator Terry Agoto, the agreement contains an increase to $1.25 per hour in the premium paid to local members who work on weekends.

The workers at the facility, who had been members of the Christian Labour Association of Canada, voted in the fall of 2003 to join AUPE.

Other important changes in the collective agreement ratified Thursday included replacement of contract language throughout the collective agreement with much stronger standard AUPE clauses.

Among the changes of this sort were improvements to contract language dealing with hours of work, health benefits, vacations, named holidays, access to Workers Compensation and sick leave.

The bargaining committee for AUPE Local 047/023 and Extendicare representatives reached a tentative agreement on June 4. Worksite meetings were held on June 22 at which local members had the opportunity to ask questions and express their views about the tentative agreement.

For more information, please contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-232-8392 (cellular phone)
Terry Agoto, Union Representative, AUPE, 780-930-3309 or 780-720-2226 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)