Bargaining update: GSBC and Alberta government resolve most remaining non-monetary issues
EDMONTON – After four days of bargaining this week, additional important gains have been made in negotiations for a new collective agreement for more than 20,000 direct employees of the government of Alberta, Locals 001 to 012.
Bargaining teams for the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees and the government’s Personnel Administration Office met from Monday until Thursday of this week and were able to resolve many important non-monetary issues in a way satisfactory to the union, said AUPE Staff Negotiator Jim Petrie.
“We were able to clear the decks of the majority of non-monetary issues,” said Petrie, who advises AUPE’s General Service Bargaining Committee (GSBC), which is made up of representatives of all direct government employees’ locals.
However, Petrie cautioned, there remains a significant gap on the two sides’ position on wage increases and there are major differences on several other issues with direct monetary issues for the employer.
Petrie said the negotiating teams signed off on Article 4, Application, with no changes from the previous Master Agreement – an important victory for AUPE.
“The employer was seeking major changes that would have significantly changed the status of wage employees, but in the end they agreed to stick with the status quo, which was AUPE’s goal. We are pleased to have resolved this question in this way.”
Similarly, Petrie said, the employer did not press forward on changes it sought that would have weakened Article 29, Grievance Procedure.
Master Agreement articles signed off in the past four days of bargaining were:
- Article 4 – Application
- Article 12 – Layoff and Recall
- Article 15 – Position Abolishment
- Article 17 – Overtime
- Article 28 – Disciplinary Action
- Article 29 – Grievance Procedure
- Article 32 – General Illness
- Article 37 – Annual Vacation Leave
- Article 38 – Special Leave
- Article 44 – Parking
In addition, the parties signed a Letter of Understanding on the payout of annual vacation.
Petrie said that most non-monetary issues in the nine Subsidiary Agreements, each governing the relationship between a specific Government Service local and the employer, have also been resolved.
- Subsidiary Agreements 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 and 12 are now complete except for the issues of the term of the agreements and salary schedules.
- In Subsidiary Agreement 2 (Local 002), several issues remain on the table, including Overtime, PREP and Classification.
- In Subsidiary Agreement 6 (Local 006), a letter of understanding on continued employment as Government of Alberta employees remains outstanding.
However, despite the progress this week, both sides’ have not changed their initial positions on wages and the term of agreement.
- AUPE is seeking a two-year agreement with pay increases of 8 per cent in each year of the contract.
- PAO negotiators have tabled a position calling for a three-year agreement with pay increases of 2 per cent in each year.
The following articles also remain outstanding:
- Article 22 – Northern Allowance. (The parties have agreed to increases for Years 1 and 2, but the article must remain outstanding pending agreement on the term of the Master Agreement.)
- Article 33A – Long-Term Disability. (The employer is willing to look at changes to the current cap on LTD benefits, but rejects the union’s proposal to remove the cap.)
- Article 34 – Health Benefits. (The employer says no to an AUPE proposal to extend health benefits to retired employees. Other proposals for improvements to benefits for current employees remain unresolved.)
- Article 36 – Paid Holidays. There is no agreement on the union’s proposal calling for three paid holidays at Christmas.)
Additional dates for bargaining have been set for:
- Tuesday and Wednesday, May 3 and 4
- Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10 and 11
AUPE and PAO bargaining teams began formal negotiations on Nov. 16, 2004, with an exchange of all non-monetary proposals.
The direct government employees’ contract expired on Aug. 31, but under Alberta labour law it will remain in force until a new collective agreement is ratified.
AUPE and the GSBC remain committed to negotiating a new Master Agreement and Subsidiary Agreements that properly reflect the sacrifices and contributions of provincial government employees over the past decade to help the province get its financial house in order.
General Services Bargaining Committee
Dan MacLennan
Chair
Audrey Randall
Local 001
Andrea Waywanko
Local 002
Linda Laminman
Local 003
Bill Dechant
Local 004
Mike Dempsey
Local 005
Maureen Braun
Local 006
Penny Bates
Local 009
Jeri Lupul
Local 010
Bob Neale
Local 012