By Alexander Delorme, Communications Staff
Nothing in Alberta’s health care system could run without those of us who work behind the scenes.
We ensure Alberta’s hospitals have all the equipment they need. We maintain the hospitals themselves, including heating, plumbing, and repairs. We keep them clean and safe. We disinfect surgical equipment and other instruments. We help Connect Care run smoothly. We prepare diet-specific food for patients. We do all this and so much more.
We are AHS General Support Services, the backbone of Alberta’s health care system.
Like the rest of the union, AHS General Support Services (GSS) members are bargaining for a new collective agreement this year. For AUPE Vice-President Darren Graham, who is himself an AHS GSS member, the time to fight for what GSS members deserve is now.
“Imagine the kind of power we would have with these thousands of members working together to support each other in bargaining.”
“Alberta’s health care system can't go on without us, yet we are the least appreciated workers throughout AHS,” he says. “General Support Services members deserve a collective agreement that reflects the importance of the work we do.”
Bargaining has only just kicked off between the GSS negotiating team and AHS, but one meeting was enough for us to see just how little the employer thinks we’re worth.
The GSS negotiating team opened with a 35% wage increase. That’s 35% over a two-year contract; 25% in the first year and 10% in the second year. AHS, of course, offered us much less than what we deserve: 2%, 2%, 1.75% and 1.75% over a four-year contract.
The team has several arguments prepared to support the 35% wage increase, including the skyrocketing cost of living and the need for us all to make a living wage. But really, a significant wage increase is simply what members deserve. GSS members work their butts off—even more so during the height of the pandemic—and deserve compensation that matches their vital role in the health care system.
“General Support Services members deserve a collective agreement that reflects the importance of the work we do.”
AHS GSS members also deserve job security. Everyone does. But this is a particularly significant issue for GSS members because they are most at-risk for privatization.
Privatization means you’re fired. This process is often called contracting-out, which means AHS would hire private companies to do the work AHS GSS members do. Not only would privatization make GSS members lose their jobs, but private companies do a worse job at providing services because they cut corners to make profits. The government has already done this to some of our members in recent years—laundry services and retail food services—and we cannot let them continue to cut our jobs.
The AHS GSS negotiating team has prepared several proposals to address job security in this round of bargaining. Alongside wage increases, job security is the team’s top priority. We prepared to fight for our jobs, our livelihoods, and the vital health care services Albertans depend on.
Of course, GSS members don’t run Alberta's hospitals by themselves. We work collaboratively with our coworkers, including our fellow AUPE members in AHS Nursing Care, to provide Albertans with the best health care experience possible. Since we are all in this together, it is time we start working together when it comes to collective bargaining.
“Both General Support Services and Nursing Care have the numbers to fight for their next contract,” says Graham. “Now imagine the kind of power we would have with these thousands of members working together to support each other in bargaining.”
The AHS Nursing Care negotiating team begins bargaining in March. All AHS members are encouraged to wear red on March 14 to show their solidarity.
Visit AUPE's website to read the update the AHS GSS team published after our first bargaining meeting with AHS.