AHS wants to contract out our jobs
On April 27, 2021, Alberta Health Services told AUPE they are considering contracting out all in-house retail food services. This is the beginning of the contracting out process outlined in Article 40 of our collective agreement.
Since then, AUPE resource staff and members of your bargaining unit have formed an Article 40 committee. The committee has been working hard to respond to the employer’s announcement and to save our jobs.
We have met with AHS three times to gather information on why they want to contract out our jobs and to provide them with alternatives. We hope to convince them to keep our jobs and turn their focus back to providing high-quality health care for Albertans.
To be clear, we wish we did not have to do this at all; we wish AHS would simply treat us fairly, respect our work, and not even consider contracting out our jobs. But AHS has evoked Article 40 and so we are doing our due diligence.
Get involved: phone bank
Your Article 40 committee will be calling all retail food services members to talk about contracting out and how this would impact us. Losing our jobs would be devastating, and we want to make sure every member is aware that AHS has begun this process.
We are looking for volunteers to help us phone our fellow members. If you would like to volunteer for the phone bank, email committee members Kim and Venangapi or organizers Kate and Farid.
We will start calling members on Tuesday, July 13. Keep an eye on your phone!
Ask questions and have your say: town halls
We will be hosting three online town halls for food services members on Monday, July 19 at three different times. Please use the links below to join the town hall at the time that works best for you.
• 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. — https://aupe-org.zoom.us/j/95650767421
• 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — https://aupe-org.zoom.us/j/92091241698
• 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. — https://aupe-org.zoom.us/j/91375038597
This town hall is your opportunity to hear directly from your Article 40 Committee and to ask us questions about how we’re working to save our jobs and what happens next.
Sign up for news and updates
Create your own personal MyAUPE account at www.aupe.org/user/register to make sure you receive all AHS GSS bargaining news and important union updates. Once signed up, you will receive all our email notices about Article 40 as well as bargaining news that affects all AHS GSS members.
Please contact your Article 40 Committee members or AUPE resource staff if you have any questions.
Article 40 Committee Members
Kim Berry, jberryclan@shaw.ca
Venangapi Katjamana, vkatjamana@mynorquest.ca
Kevin Barry, AUPE Vice-President, k.barry@aupe.org
AUPE Resource Staff
Chris Dickson, Negotiator, c.dickson@aupe.org
Jason Rattray, Negotiator, j.rattray@aupe.org
Farid Iskandar, Organizer, f.iskandar@aupe.org
Kate Jacobson, Organizer, k.jacobson@aupe.org
Alexander Delorme, Communications, a.delorme@aupe.org