AHS GSS mediation-arbitration underway
General Support Services mediation-arbitration has started between the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees and Alberta Health Services.
Meeting dates are: Feb. 21, 22, 23 and 28, in Edmonton with Andrew Sims, Q.C., a widely respected adjudicator, arbitrator and mediator.
The union and employer will each present outstanding issues to the arbitrator. It’s our hope a respectable agreement will be reached that both sides can agree on.
Mediation-arbitration is a combination of mediation, where a third-party enters negotiations and attempts to get two sides to agree on contract terms, and binding arbitration, where an arbitrator sets the contract terms both parties must follow.
The arbitrator’s report will not be voted on by the GSS bargaining unit and will become the collective agreement.
The agreement to mediation-arbitration is in response to the province-wide AHS GSS wildcat strikes last week.
30