AUPE and Alberta’s health employers reach tentative agreement for 13,000 auxiliary nursing care employees
EDMONTON – Bargaining committees for the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees and HBA Services have reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract for more than 13,000 auxiliary nursing care employees with the assistance of Mediator David Jones.
“On the whole, this is a good deal, and I am confident that AUPE’s auxiliary nursing care members will be pleased with the improvement their bargaining teams have achieved for them in this challenging round of negotiations,” said AUPE President Doug Knight.
Under the terms of the agreement, which must still be ratified by both AUPE members and health employers, all auxiliary nursing care employees will receive a general pay increase of 5 per cent in the first year, 5 per cent in the second year, and 4.5 per cent or the Alberta Average Weekly Earnings (whichever is higher) in each of the third and fourth years.
In addition, more than 90 per cent of the employees in the bargaining unit will receive a market adjustment of 10 per cent in the first year of the agreement, for a total first-year pay increase of 15 per cent. Some groups of employees will receive larger market adjustments.
The agreement also includes significant improvements to benefits.
“The AUPE Bargaining Committee will be strongly recommending ratification of this agreement to our members,” said union Staff Negotiator Jim Petrie, who led the union bargaining team. “This provides pay increases we believe our members can support and deals with parity issues between bargaining units.”
“The agreement will let Alberta compete in the market for these valued employees,” said Shannon Larkins, spokesperson for Alberta’s health employers. “Our bargaining team will also be recommending ratification by the employers.”
Both parties acknowledged that the negotiations and subsequent mediation process were challenging but that the agreement is a positive one for both sides.
A deadline has not been set for ratification votes by AUPE members and the employers. A complete package of information on the agreement will be distributed to all eligible AUPE members within the next few weeks.
For more information, contact:
Doug Knight, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-265-6655 (cellular phone)
Jim Petrie, Union Representative, AUPE, 780-930-3335 or 780-919-4415 (cellular phone)
Shannon Larkins, HBA Services, 780-886-0595
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)
Photo: AUPE Auxiliary Nursing Care Bargaining Team members reached a tentative agreement with health employers in mediation June 27 in Edmonton.