Bargaining Update: Thursday, Jan. 20, 2004

RED DEER — David Thompson Health Region employees represented by AUPE met in Red Deer on Jan. 19 for an update on the state of their bargaining for region-wide collective agreements.

“ It was clear at the meeting that these employees are prepared to stay the course on this long road with us and they’re showing remarkable patience as they do so,” said Red Deer-based Union Representative Malcolm McNaughton, who chaired the meeting.
“ But this employer needs to know that their patience only goes so far, and from the union’s perspective these negotiations have taken too long already,” he said.

Representatives of both health region General Support Service employees, members of Local 057 Chapters 004 and 005, and Auxiliary Nursing Care employees, members of AUPE Local 044/002, were at the three-hour meeting in the Black Knight Inn.
Because many of the members are new to AUPE, having joined after this union won the Alberta Labour Relations Board runoff vote required by Bill 27 in the summer of 2003, McNaughton commenced the meeting with a history of the legislative framework that requires AUPE and other unions to negotiate region-wide collective agreements.

“ We told them that we’re unhappy with the pace of negotiations, but that it’s very important that we get it right when we’re consolidating so many agreements into one,” McNaughton said.
To date, he told the members, most non-monetary items have been agreed to by the employer in bargaining.

“ But anything with a dollar figure attached remains outstanding,” he said. “Those items are going to take some time and probably require some pressure to resolve.”

“ Getting s significant turnout at an evening meeting on a snowy night in midwinter helps put pressure on the employer because it makes it clear our members take these negotiations very seriously,” he added.

The two locals plan more information meetings in the future, McNaughton noted.