Summary of Major Proposals at the AHS GSS bargaining table
Your AHS GSS negotiating team began negotiations with the employer with meetings on February 12 and 13.
Your negotiating team is focused on job security and work-life balance, and we put this forward in a full package that would benefit you and all Albertans who rely on quality health care.
Unfortunately, the employer came to the table with an insulting package of proposals. If you haven’t already, please read the bargaining update on those meetings.
Below is a more detailed look at the major proposals put forward at the bargaining table. You can also download your team’s full proposal and the employer’s full proposals.
Employer Proposals
Article 2 – Term of Collective Agreement
The employer wants a four-year deal which would expire March 31, 2024.
They want to make it so that any worker whose employment is terminated prior to agreement ratification would not be eligible for any retroactive wage increases (Employer proposals page 7). Considering this situation just happened for many former employees because of the retroactive wage increase awarded by arbitration, this is another insulting proposal.
Wages
The employer wants to roll back the 1% raise we were just awarded by arbitration followed by three more years of zeroes.
Year 1: -1%
Year 2: 0%
Year 3: 0%
Year 4: 0%
Article 16 – Layoff and Recall
The employer has proposed that any employee whose Basic Rate of Pay is maintained by returning through the recall process would not be eligible for wage increases but be subject to any wage decreases (Employer proposals page 14).
Article 20 – Hours of Work
The employer wants to reintroduce split shifts for regular full-time employees and take away the requirement for no more than two different shift start times between scheduled days off (Employer proposals page 24).
Article 26 – Shift and Weekend Differential
The employer wants to cut the window for weekend premiums from 64 hours to 48 hours. They also want to cut how much you are paid for shift and weekend differentials.
Evening shift differential cut from $2.75 to $1.55 per hour;
Night shift differential cut from $5 to $2 per hour;
Weekend premium cut from $3.25 to $1.60 per hour;
Changing the starting hours for the evening shift differential from 1500 hours to 1900 hours.
This can be found on page 37 of the employer’s proposals.
Article 27 – Named Holidays
The employer wants to take away super-stats and floater days, as well as eliminating payout for floater days that aren’t taken (Employer proposals page 39).
Article 40 – Contracting Out
The employer wants to get rid of language that stops them from contracting out services without consultation. They also want to remove the need to provide 90 days notice before contracting out services that would result in the loss of GSS bargaining unit positions. (Employer proposals page 62)
Union Proposals
AHS GSS members believe job security is the most important issue during this round of bargaining. Based on your responses during your AUPE Telephone Town Hall and Bargaining Survey, we have put forward the following major proposals.
We have tabled a brand new article for Job Security, which reads: “There shall be no layoff, reduction in hours, or displacement of a Regular Employee.” (Union proposals, page 47)
Term of Collective Agreement
Your negotiating team is asking for a two year collective agreement ending March 31, 2022.
Wages
Based on how we expect the cost of living to increase, we have tabled the following wage adjustments:
Year 1: 2.5%
Year 2: 2.5%
Article 11 – Health and Safety
AHS GSS members also identified workplace safety as a major issue to improve during bargaining.
Your team has proposed a new Workplace Violence Prevention Strategy which would include a robust violent incident reporting system, tracking violent incidents in your OH&S Committee minutes, and allowing this committee to make recommendations to your Administrator. (Union proposals, page 10)
Article 20 – Hours of Work
Your team proposed consecutive days off for regular full-time employees. We also proposed at least two consecutive days off per week for regular part-time employees and getting rid of the entirety of Article 23, On-Call Duty. (Union proposals, pages 20 – 25)
Article 35 – Pension Plan
We are asking for significant protections for your pension plan, including an emphasis on joint governance.
We also want the employer to protect you if the government passes new laws interfering with or terminating the Local Authorities Pension Plan, including contributing the same amount to an alternate plan if need be.
You can read these substantive proposals in full on page 45 of the Union’s proposals.
Letter of Understanding #7 – Flexible Spending Account
We are proposing an increasing your yearly Fexible Spending Account from $850 to $1,250. (Union proposals, page 59)
New Letter of Understanding – Extended Health Benefits
We have submitted a new Letter of Understanding which would add partial employer coverage for massage therapist visits, physio therapy visists, and 100% coverage for eye exams. (Union proposals, page 75)
Next Meetings
Our next bargaining meetings with the employer are scheduled for March 11 and 12.
Your negotiating team is dedicated to representing you at the bargaining table and keeping you informed throughout negotiations. Please contact a member of the team or your AUPE resource staff if you have any questions.
Negotiating Team
Local 054
Nancy Woods - nancy.janer@gmail.com
Julie Woodford (A) - juliew.chp006@gmail.com
Local 056
Deborah Nawroski - local56.bargaining@gmail.com
Tammy Lanktree (A) - local56.bargaining@gmail.com
Local 057
Darren Graham - chairlocal057@aupe.ca
Wendy Kicia (A) - wendykicia@hotmail.com
Local 058
Anton Schindler - waterdude69@gmail.com
Dave Ibach (A) - dl322j@gmail.com
Local 095
Stacey Ross - sross13@shaw.ca
Dusan Milutinovic (A) - dusan.aupe@yahoo.com
Lamont Health Care Centre GSS
Lorrie Tarka - lorrietarka@hotmail.com
Carol Palichuk - carolpalichuk@hotmail.com
AUPE Resource Staff
Chris Dickson, Lead 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