Bargaining Update: Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004

CALGARY — General support services employees of the Calgary Health Region have ratified a wage-reopener agreement negotiated by AUPE.

In mail-in ballots counted at AUPE headquarters in Edmonton this morning, members working under all existing collective agreements that included provisions for a wage-reopener ratified the general agreement reached by AUPE and CHR negotiators last fall.

Under the deal, members in most job classifications will receive a retroactive wage increase of three per cent to April 1, 2004. Food services, housekeeping and laundry employees will get a one-per-cent lump sum payment.

The approximately 2,600 members of AUPE Local 095 eligible to take part in the ratification vote were employees who had been members of a variety of work units before the Bill 27 runoff votes in the fall of 2003.

In addition to CHR units long represented by AUPE, employees from former CUPE Rural, HSAA Rural and AUPE Community Health units were eligible to vote.

These wage-reopener pay increases are not part of the ongoing Bill 27 negotiations for a Receiving Agreement for all members of the new Calgary GSS bargaining unit that was formed as a result of the legislation and the runoff votes.

Receiving Agreement negotiations continue on a parallel track, with issues such as hours of work, sick leave, vacation, benefits within the Mental Health agreement, multiple positions, and layoff and recall still unresolved.

Additional Receiving Agreement negotiations are scheduled to take place on Dec. 7-9, 2004, Jan. 6-7, 2005, Feb. 1-3, 2005, and Feb. 15-17, 2005.