Your negotiating team agrees with request for bargaining pause
Last week, your negotiating team received correspondence from the employer’s negotiator which read, in part:
“As per our previous discussions in bargaining, Living Waters has a mandate that aligns with the Province's desire to ensure fiscal restraint and responsibilities. We understand that provincial bargaining with government workers (AUPE) and nurses (UNA) are progressing through embargoed mediation and outcomes from those bargaining tables may be available shortly. Living Waters is interested in considering these outcomes and [sic] as it may likely influence an adjustment to the employer’s bargaining mandate for our negotiations.
“Therefore, we believe it would be mutually beneficial for AUPE and Living Waters to temporarily pause bargaining until sometime in November to receive and act on this new information.”
While your negotiating team was prepared to proceed with bargaining on Oct. 7, we have deliberated and agree that there is merit to pausing for a short while to see how broader public-sector bargaining plays out across the province.
Rather than take a wait-and-see approach, your negotiating team encourages the employer to take this opportunity to advocate for their staff and students to ensure that K-12 education is adequately funded by the provincial government.
Your current collective agreement remains in full force and effect. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to a member of your negotiating team, or call the Members Resource Centre at 1-800-232-7284 and they will put you in touch with someone who can help.
Living Waters Catholic Schools Negotiating Team
Sarah Cross (Slave Lake): crossar@hotmail.com
Jane Arndt (Edson): janearndt75@gmail.com or 780-725-1912 (cell)
Laurie Martinot (Whitecourt): lmartino@telusplanet.net or 780-706-5857 (cell)
AUPE Resource Staff
Merryn Edwards, Negotiations: m.edwards@aupe.org or 780-952-1951 (cell)
Tracy Noble, Organizing: t.noble@aupe.org or 306-304-2853 (cell)
Mimi Williams, Communications: m.williams@aupe.org