Child and Youth Care Workers plan information picket at Yellowhead Youth Centre
EDMONTON – Child and Youth Care Workers at Edmonton’s Yellowhead Youth Centre will hold an information picket from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow to press the Alberta government to address their pay concerns in mediation with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
AUPE applied on July 23 for the services of an impartial mediator to help resolve negotiations for a new collective agreement for approximately 21,000 direct employees of the provincial government, a group that includes the Child and Youth Care Workers.
AUPE President Doug Knight said today he expects tomorrow’s information picket at the Yellowhead Youth Centre, 12320 – 124 Street in Edmonton, will be the first of many public actions by AUPE members if scheduled mediation this week and next does not result in a tentative agreement with the government.
“Other AUPE locals are planning meetings to organize their own information pickets, and we can expect our members to keep their pay concerns in the spotlight until they are resolved with a collective agreement that can be supported by members,” Knight said.
Child and Youth Care Workers (CYCWs), members of AUPE Local 006, treat and protect young people with severe emotional and behavioral problems, including drug and alcohol addiction, violence and aggression, suicidal tendencies and the impact of being victims of sexual, emotional and physical abuse.
Guy Smith, Chair of the AUPE Chapter at the Yellowhead Youth Centre, said the union’s pay proposal for CYCWs was not addressed in the government’s position in negotiations with AUPE.
“As a result, the CYCWs wanted to make it clear to the public that they are unhappy their specific concerns have not yet received a response from the employer, even though the province is having problems recruiting and retaining workers to do this important work,” he said.
AUPE applied for mediation in bargaining for a new Master Agreement and nine Subsidiary Agreements after five weeks of negotiations failed to produce a tentative agreement that could be voted on by union members.
Meetings with the provincially appointed mediator are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week, as well as next Monday.
NOTE: Media are respectfully requested not to take photos of Yellowhead Youth Centre clients during this event.
For more information, contact:
Doug Knight, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-265-6655 (cellular phone)
Guy Smith, Chair, AUPE Chapter 006/005, 780-265-2294 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)