AUPE seeks mediator to resolve contract dispute with St. Albert’s Youville Home
ST. ALBERT – The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees has requested the assistance of a provincially appointed mediator to resolve an impasse in bargaining with the Youville Home (Grey Nuns) continuing-care facility.
“This employer’s current offer in negotiations for a new collective agreement does not adequately address the general economic conditions in Alberta at this time, including the current cost of living, the expected rate of inflation, or the pattern of settlements in the health-care sector,” said AUPE Staff Negotiator John Wevers.
AUPE Local 047/028 represents approximately 120 front-line support service employees of the St. Albert facility, said Wevers, who leads the local’s bargaining committee.
“This employer, like many others in the health care sector, needs to realize that in order to be competitive in the market, retain current employees and attract new employees, monetary provisions must be as current as possible,” Wevers said.
Numerous issues remain outstanding in the current round of negotiations, he noted, including:
- Rates of pay, shift differentials, weekend premiums.
- Retention bonus and market adjustments for some classifications.
- Membership in the Local Authorities Pension Plan, which the employer has resisted despite the fact the facility is classified by the province as a “designated hospital.”
- Creation of a flexible health benefits spending account for employees.
- The amount of premium to be paid to employees who assume supervisory, higher rated or training duties.
- Severance provisions when jobs are lost due to organizational restructuring.
- The on-call duty rate of pay for Environmental Services and temporary-assignment pay for Nutrition Services.
“We hope that the appointment of a mediator will encourage this employer to make a reasonable and fair offer to this group of employees so that we can wind up these negotiations with an agreement that is acceptable to our members,” Wevers said.
Wevers said members of the local held an information session on Sept. 27 to discuss future strategies, including communications with the media and public and information pickets.
Wevers noted that this employer recently persuaded the Alberta government to change the status of the facility to that of an “approved hospital” under the Hospitals Act, depriving the employees of their legal right to strike.
This was done, he said, without consultation with the employees or their union.
“This high-handed and unfair action reinforces the need to reform Alberta’s labour laws to protect the rights of working people and their families,” Wevers concluded.
For more information, contact:
John Wevers, Union Representative, AUPE, 780-930-3349 or 780-232-9820 (cellular phone)