Your negotiating team worked late into the night to secure a tentative agreement – an offer that we are recommending members vote to accept.

There were many difficult conversations that were had to get us to a tentative agreement which addresses your priorities.

Tentative Agreement Highlights

1.    Wage increases retro to April 1, 2024 
2.    Benefits (see below for details)
3.    Severance and Job Security (see below for details)
4.    All members in the bargaining unit will reach a living wage of $22.65 by April 1, 2027.
5.    Long service increment of 2% of continuous and consecutive years of service with the employer.

Wage increases: General wage increases for all employees in the bargaining unit.
•    April 1, 2024 – 3%
•    April 1, 2025 – 3%
•    April 1, 2026 – 3%
•    April 1, 2027 – 3%

Benefit Improvements:

•   Increase to the Flexible Spending Account from $900 to $1,200 / year, effective January 1, 2026; 
•   $1,000 for massage therapy, with no per visit limit, effective the start of the month, following 90 days after date of ratification; 
•   Enhanced diabetic equipment coverage, including continuous glucose monitoring system, effective the start of the month, following 90 days after date of ratification. 
•   Basic Dental
– Change Scaling and Root Planning coverage to 6 units at 80% co-insurance, and 10 units at 50% co-insurance.
– Waiting Period and Effective Date of Coverage:
– Remove the existing waiting period. The effective date of coverage will be the date an Employee is actively at work and becomes benefit eligible for Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Short Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability Insurance. Health and Dental coverage, including access to allocated Flex Credits, will begin the first day of the month following the benefit eligibility date.

Job Security 

Revised Severance provisions in the tentative agreement now gives permanent employees the option to elect severance when they receive layoff notice and there is no alternate vacant position in the same classification available within a 50-kilometre radius of their worksite. Previously, severance was entirely employer-driven and only offered when a position was abolished or when no position was available in the employee’s classification in a higher or lower level of that classification.

Portability provisions between signatory employers, which means if members apply for a position in another pillar, you will not lose your seniority.

Market Adjustments 

Based on further analysis of the market for GSS classifications, additional market adjustments would be effective on the date of ratification for the following groups. They include:

•    New Environmental Service Classification 2 Steps: (note this results in increases for Environmental I of 13.0% and Environmental II of 3.0%)
•    Protective Services Officer II: 9.97%
•    Protective Services Officer I: 4 %
•    Telecommunications Operator/Dispatcher: 4%
•    Food Service I: 8.3% + $0.31/hour at Step 1
•    Food Services II: 8.3%
•    Cook I: 3.2%
•    Therapy Aide: 4.7%
•    Financial Analyst: 14.86%
•    Sr. Financial Analyst: 12.16%
•    Procurement Specialist I: 5.98%
•    Procurement Specialist II: 5.98%
•    Procurement Specialist III: 5.98%
•    Stores I: 3.09%
•    Stores II: 3.09%
•    Administrative Support II: 4.3%
•    Administrative Support I: Pay scale grid restructure with the elimination of Step 1 and Step 2.

New Laundry Classification

•    Support Services Worker
– Market adjustment of $1.51 /hour at Step 1 effective April 1, 2027 (new rate of $22.70 /hour)
•    Laundry
– Market adjustment of $0.12 /hour, at Step 1 effective April 1, 2027 (new rate of $22.70 /hour)

Lamont Health Care Centre Adjustments
•    Food Services Worker: 8.3% + $0.31/hour at Step 1
•    Cook I: 3.2%
•    Cleaning Housekeeping/Laundry Aide: 3.0%

A review of Classifications Total Compensation for the following classifications:

•   Certified Medical Device Reprocessing Technician
•  Coordinator I 
•   Coordinator II
•   Pharmacy Assistant
•   Trainer

Non-Wage improvements (effective date of ratification):

•    Increase Steel-toed safety footwear from a maximum $170 every two (2) years to a maximum of $250 every year. 
•   Increase Acting Incumbent Pay Premium from $1.25 to $3.50/ hour.
•    Increase to Preceptor Pay from $0.65 to $2.00 / hour.
•   Leave of absence pay for up to five (5) shifts in a calendar year for Domestic Violence Leave.  
•  Increase to preceptor pay for Unit Clerks, Laboratory Assistant I and II, Surgical Processors and Medical Transcriptionists from $0.65 to $2.00
•   Domestic Violence Leave was 10 days without pay changed to 5 shifts with pay. 
•   If the Employer cancels your vacation, they will reimburse all non-refundable costs related to the cancellation of the vacation. 
•   Employees will be required to request at least 75% of their annual vacation entitlements on the vacation planner.
•   Increase to On-Call Duty from $3.30 per hour of assigned on-call on any regularly scheduled working day; or four dollars and fifty cents ($4.50) per hour of assigned on-call on any regular day off or Named Holiday to $7.00 per hour for assigned on call hours

Your negotiating team is thanks all members for standing with us in solidarity through the bargaining process.

Town Halls

Ratifying our agreement is a democratic process. Before we vote on the tentative agreement, we will hold two town hall sessions to discuss the details of the agreement and answer your important questions.
 
All you have to do is answer your phone when AUPE calls or visit www.aupe.org for the town hall link.

Tuesday, February 3

1) 12:00 (noon) – 1:30 p.m. (1200–1330)
2) 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (1900–2030)

Create a MyAUPE account to vote!

Voting for our tentative agreement will open on Wednesday, February 4 and close Friday, February 6.

The only way to vote is to sign into your MyAUPE account.

If you don’t already have an account, don’t worry. It’s easy to sign up. Just visit www.aupe.org/myaupe and fill in your information.

If you don’t know your AUPE member ID number, you can look it up online here: www.aupe.org/member-id-search. Or you can call the Member Resource Centre at 1-800-232-7284 (from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday) for help.

AUPE offices will be open Feb. 4–6 from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to help members sign up to MyAUPE and vote.
 

NEGOTIATING TEAM – AHS GENERAL SUPPORT SERVICES

Local 054  

Charity Hill [email protected]
Christine Madigan (A)  [email protected]

Local 056  

Juanita Cozicar [email protected]
Kristina Javorsky (A)  [email protected]

Local 057  

Wendy Kicia  [email protected]
Janice Drader (A)  [email protected]

Local 058  

Dave Ibach  [email protected]
Marlin Meyer (A) [email protected]

Local 095  

Anna Silva  [email protected]
James Sullivan (A)  [email protected]

Lamont Health Care Centre  

Carol Palichuk  [email protected]
Sherri-Lee Berezanski (A)  [email protected]

AUPE RESOURCE STAFF

Chris Dickson, Lead Negotiator 
[email protected]

Kate Robinson, Negotiator  
[email protected]