Bargaining Update: Sept. 22, 2004

AUPE negotiates wage offer for Calgary Health Region GSS employees

CALGARY — A wage offer has been negotiated by AUPE for all existing general support service collective agreements in the Calgary Health Region that included provisions for a wage re-opener.

In addition to Calgary Health Region units represented by AUPE before the Bill 27 runoff votes, this includes former CUPE Rural, HSAA Rural and AUPE Community Health units for the period of April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2005.

If the deal is ratified, most classifications will receive a retroactive wage increase of three per cent to April 1, 2004, said Union Representative Malcolm McNaughton, who leads AUPE’s Calgary Health Region General Support Service Bargaining Team.

Food Services, Housekeeping and Laundry employees will get one per cent as a lump sum payment.
Approximately 3,200 members will be eligible to receive either the three-per-cent salary increase or the one-per-cent lump-sum payment. The Bargaining Committee worked tirelessly to get these results, McNaughton said.

The increases are not part of the ongoing Bill 27 negotiations for a Receiving Agreement.
Ballots for a ratification vote on this wage settlement are being processed and will be in the mail shortly.

Meanwhile, bargaining for a new region-wide General Support Service agreement between AUPE and the CHR is finally moving ahead.

Since June, the AUPE negotiating team held six days of negotiations in the Receiving Agreement bargaining with the employer, on Sept. 8-10 and Sept. 20-21.

The parties have agreed to meet again on Oct. 4-6, Oct. 26-28 and Dec. 7-9, 2004, and Jan. 6-7, Feb. 1-3 and Feb. 15-17, 2005.

During these talks, the following articles have been signed off:
Article 2 Application
Article 3 Management Rights
Article 4 Recognition
Article 5 Bulletin Boards
Article 6 Union Membership
Article 7 Negotiations
Article 9 Grievance Procedure
Article 10 Union Stewards
Article 11 Employer-Employee Relations
Article 12 No Discrimination
Article 18 Acting Incumbents
Article 32 Leave of Absence
Article 33 Salary Increments/Recognition of Previous Experience
Article 39 Terms of Collective Agreement
Article 40 Notice

Some major issues remain outstanding in the Receiving Agreement negotiations.

These are hours of work, sick leave, vacation, benefits within the Mental Health Agreement, multiple positions and layoff & recall.

Calgary Health GSS Bargaining Committee

Shari McGlashing — Alberta Children’s Hospital
Reynold Morgan — Foothills Medical Centre
Gerard Raby — Foothills Medical Centre Maintenance
Donald Brandford — Peter Lougheed Centre
Rose Wright — Thornhill-Community
Barb Parker — High River Hospital
Karla Downie — Foothills Medical Centre
Amelia Voth — Foothills-Maintenance
Ron Cousins — Rockyview Hospital
Connie Quayle — Claresholm Care Centrecheduled for Oct. 5 and 6, 2004. AUPE expects to table complete monetary proposals at that time.