Deal includes wage raises, better shift differentials and other gains
Congratulations workers at Chartwell Wescott Retirement Residence in Edmonton! You now have your first collective agreement and the protection that comes with having a contract backed by the power of a union.
As you will know from previous bargaining updates, negotiations with your employer were long and difficult. The two sides were unable to come to an agreement, so an arbitrator was brought in to create a binding agreement that both sides have to accept.
That arbitrator, Mia Norrie, has now finished her work and delivered your first collective agreement, with an effective date of January 3, 2024.
A copy of the binding award can be found here.
Pages 1-28 provide a summary of the arbitration hearing and the evidence provided by both sides.
Pages 29-44 give the arbitrator’s decisions and the rationale for those decisions.
Pages 45-63 shows the actual language that will appear in the collective agreement for each article on which the arbitrator was asked to decide.
Summary of arbitrator’s decisions
Wages
- Retroactive to April 8, 2022: 2%.
- Retroactive to April 8, 2023: 1.75%.
Retroactive wages will be paid on the first pay period after March 3, 2024, and only to current employees.
Term
Two-year agreement expiring on April 8, 2024. This means that work needs to start soon on negotiating a new agreement to build on the significant gains made in this contract.
Named holidays
Addition of two Named Holidays: Boxing Day and August Heritage Day.
Vacation
A slight increase on the employer’s proposal.
- Less than 1,950 hours of paid hours: Vacation entitlement of four per cent of gross earnings for the vacation year.
- One to three years of service: Four per cent or two weeks of vacation.
- Four to eight years of service: Six per cent of three weeks of vacation.
- Eight years or more of service: Eight per cent or four weeks of vacation.
Sick leave
Sick leave accrues at 3.75 hrs per 162.5 hours worked to a maximum of 345 hours in the sick-leave bank. The employer wanted the sick leave capped at 180 hours in the bank. The employer is also now required to pay up to $25 for any sick notes they request when you call in sick.
Evening shift differential
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Health Care Aides (HCAs) will get an evening-shift differential of $2.25 per hour. Other classifications of workers will get 75 cents per hour. To qualify for shift differential, the majority of hours worked must be between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Night shift differential
LPNs and HCAs will get a night-shift differential of $2.75 per hour. Other classifications will get $1 per hour. To qualify for this differential, the majority of hours worked must be between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Weekend premium
This premium applies to all hours worked between 11 p.m. on Friday and 7 a.m. on Monday.
LPNs and HCAs will earn $2 per hour during the day, $2.50 per hour for evenings and $3 per hour for nights. Other classifications will get $1 per hour for days, $1.25 for evenings and $1.50 for nights.
Benefits
Benefits remain the same as before certification, with the employer paying 100 per cent of premiums. The employer was seeking to cut the amount it pays.
Other parts of your new collective agreement
Your negotiating team and the employer were able to sign off on a number of articles before going to arbitration. These articles will be included in your new collective agreement. These articles can be found here.
Where can I get copies of the new collective agreement?
Your negotiating team is working with the employer to create a final document. Once it is finalized, it will be available on the AUPE website and sent for printing.
Union dues
With an agreement in place, the union will now be collecting union dues. Rest assured that the gains you have made in this first contract will do much more than cover the cost of union dues, plus you now have the strength and expertise that comes with belonging to Western Canada’s largest union, with about 95,000 members. Union dues are tax deductible.
NOTE FOR AUPE MEMBERS AT CHARTWELL - EMERALD HILLS
While negotiations on behalf of members at Chartwell Emerald Hills retirement residence were carried out in conjunction with those for Chartwell Wescott, the arbitrator will issue a separate report to create a collective agreement for that site. Please keep an eye on your personal emails and the AUPE website for updates.
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM - CHARTWELL WESCOTT
Jingle Sicat
unitedtogether2022@yahoo.com
Auramae Pascual
a.aupe.member@outlook.com
Charesse Barredo
cw.aupe@yahoo.com
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Bill Rigutto, Union Counsel
b.rigutto@aupe.org
David Malka, D&A Organizer
d.malka@aupe.org
Kate Robinson, Negotiator
k.robinson@aupe.org
Guy Quenneville, Membership Services Officer
780-237-8253 or g.quenneville@aupe.org
Michelle Szalynski, Organizer
403-634-8262 or m.szalynski@aupe.org
Terry Inigo-Jones, Communications
t.inigo-jones@zupe.org