Local 048 members to protest stalled negotiations
CALGARY – AUPE Local 048 members and their supporters will gather together for an information picket to protest stalled negotiations with their employer, Extendicare Canada, which operates long-term care facilities in Calgary, Edmonton, Athabasca and Mayerthorpe.
“All our members are looking for is a fair and reasonable collective agreement with their employer,” said John Wevers, the AUPE negotiator working with the five bargaining teams for Extendicare employees. “These members have seen no improvements in their wages or benefits since January 2008.
“We made significant movements on some issues in February 2010, but based on the employer’s last tabled offer, we are at an impasse,” added Wevers. “We are looking for an agreement that reflects the industry, the market, and the priorities of our members, one of which is a standard agreement for all the locations represented by AUPE. The last offer does not reflect those priorities.”
That is why Extendicare employees are planning an information picket on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, said Wevers. “These people work hard, and they care greatly for the residents of their facilities. Is it too much to ask that Extendicare work with them to achieving a fair and reasonable collective agreement? We don’t believe so.”
The information picket will take place at the Extendicare Hillcrest location, 1512 – 8 Avenue NW in Calgary, from 11 am to 12 pm to coincide with the lunch hour.
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For more information:
John Wevers, AUPE Negotiator, 780-930-3349
Glen Scott, AUPE Vice President, 403-479-4508