Bargaining with the employer has been drawn out and challenging since we began negotiations more than a year ago. But throughout the challenges, we have stuck together and your committee has pushed hard to achieve the best collective agreement possible for the important work you do every day.
Voting on the mediator’s recommendations will take place the first weeks of May at Covenant Health worksites around the province. Those dates, times and locations will be finalized soon.
The ballot count will occur May 14, 2019 at AUPE headquarters in Edmonton.
Your bargaining committee is leaving the choice to you. Please have your say and vote!
Wages
This agreement, if accepted by the membership, would run from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020.
The mediator’s recommendation for wages is:
• 2017 - no wage adjustment
• 2018 - no wage adjustment
• 2019 - a “me too” agreement, which will see a wage adjustment match whatever is agreed to during wage reopener negotiations between Alberta Health Services General Support Services members and Alberta Health Services. Any salary increases will be effective April 1, 2019.
Employees who have terminated prior to the ratification date of the AHS/AUPE GSS agreement have sixty (60) days to apply for retroactive pay. Applications must be provided to the employer in writing. Contact information would be provided if the mediator’s recommendation is ratified.
Supplementary health plan improvements
• Addition of coverage of 100% for Flash Glucose Monitoring System;
• Increase for hearing aid coverage to a maximum of $500 every 24 months;
• Increase of coverage for Chartered Psychologist Master of Social Work and Certified Addictions/ Drug Counsellor to $50 per visit to a maximum of $1,000 annually;
• increase for physiotherapy coverage to $50/visit with a maximum of $1000 annually;
• Increases for massage coverage to $50/visit with a maximum of $1000 annually.
Dental fees will now reflect the actual rates dentists charge for dental services today, using the usual and customary dental fee schedule rather than the current dental fee guide.
New letter of understanding: hours of work pilot project
This new LOU will allow us to test-run 6 week rotations which include 50% weekends off, split days off, no more than 5 days worked in a row and 55 and 3/4 hours off on a weekend.
Language improvements:
The mediator’s recommendations will see a number of improvements to important language items, including:
• Your flex spending account increased by $100 to $850.00 for eligible full-time employees, and pro-rated for each eligible part-time employee based on their FTE as of Dec. 1, to designate the increase into the health spending side of the account;
• Respectful workplace/no discrimination language has been improved to meet changes to OHS legislation, including timelines for the employer to respond to allegations of workplace harassment and discrimination;
• Improvements to the grievance procedure that will help resolve issues prior to the submission of a written grievance;
• New Letter of Understanding regarding organizational change, which calls for “no involuntary loss of employment.” Members would remain whole, and where an employee is faced with a reduction to earnings or FTE, shortfalls would be remedied through any combination of FTE, Rate of Pay and Classification adjustments. This LOU is subject to the grievance procedure and arbitration provision and would remain in effect until March 30, 2020.
• Workload concerns would now be dealt with through a new appeal process, with clear timelines to advance concerns up to the level of the program manager or worksite administrator;
• Recent changes to Occupational Health and Safety and Employment Standards laws have been applied;
• When working named holidays, regular part-time and casual employees will be paid 5% above your basic rate of pay;
• Leaves of absence improved to match changes to Employment Standards to include maternity (including pregnancies other than those resulting in a live birth); parental (including adoption); compassionate care; critical illness; death or disappearance of a child; citizenship ceremony; military leave; domestic violence.
Your bargaining committee thanks you for the patience, support and participation you’ve shown throughout the bargaining process.
Do not hesitate to contact a member of your bargaining committee with any questions you may have on the mediator’s recommendations for our next collective agreement.
Please update your contact information so you don’t miss out on important bargaining updates by visiting: aupe.org/update-me
COVENANT HEALTH GENERAL SUPPORT SERVICES BARGAINING TEAM MEMBERS
Judy Prokopchuk – judyprokopchuk@gmail.com
Lorie Christenson – lcc44local40@hotmail.com
Rochelle Rooney – luvchild911@hotmail.com
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF:
Chris Dickson, Negotiator, c.dickson@aupe.org
Dave Malka, Organizer, d.malka@aupe.org
Tyler Bedford, Communications, t.bedford@aupe.org