Bargaining Update 14 / Rally For Respect
TO:
All HSAA Members employed by Alberta Health Services (AHS)
FROM:
AHS Bargaining Committee
RE:
AHS Bargaining Update #14: Employer refuses to negotiate on wages
Hi EDMO,
Your Bargaining Committee met on October 10 with the intention to bargain our full monetary proposals with AHS. These dates were our opportunity to fight for financial justice on your behalf.
When we got to the table on the morning of October 10, the employer refused to budge on their mandate or respond to any of our monetary proposals. This approach demonstrates contempt and disrespect to all of us as members. It is also an affront to the bargaining process and the entire HSAA membership. Your committee has remained focused on progressing through bargaining to achieve our mandate provided to us by our membership. The employer's refusal to negotiate monetary proposals has resulted in a breakdown of negotiations, and it was decided that there was no point in continuing to meet on October 11.
Your Bargaining Committee feels that we have reached a point in negotiations where the time is right to share with you the insulting and unfair monetary proposal they refuse to move off.
The employer's opening proposal is an increase of 7.5% over four years (2%, 2%, 1.75% and 1.75%). This proposal is even more offensive as the employer seeks to punish 21% (4466) of our members by proposing only paying lump sum payments based on the proposed percentages rather than applying them to the base wage rate, effectively freezing wages. The employer believes these classifications to be “over market” based on their interpretation of an Ontario West comparison of union wages.
Heath Information Management Professionals
Social Workers
Speech Language Pathologists
Respiratory Therapists
Pharmacy Technicians
Throughout our negotiations, the employer has brought nothing to the bargaining table to improve EMS pay disparity or working conditions.
Your committee rejects the employer’s attempt to divide our membership and not live up to their obligation to provide all HSAA members with wage increases that exceed the high cost of living pressures and show that they care for the financial well-being of health-care workers. We had the intention to make every reasonable effort to enter into a collective agreement and bargain collectively in good faith but due to the employer’s lack of willingness to bargain, we have not deviated from our opening proposals of 25% in year one and 10% in year two.
We will now move forward with informal mediation - stay tuned for more information. Our committee is feeling very frustrated. We have put in countless hours preparing and advocating for you. Our demands are what we deserve.
We’ve done all we can and exhausted every avenue through this phase of bargaining - now it’s time to come together in a united voice and collective action.
We have a few requests for HSAA members to support our efforts to reach a fair agreement.
Please join us and thousands of other public sector union members for the Rally for Respect on October 24 in Edmonton. We are coming together to speak to the government and Albertans in one collective voice to say it is time to show respect at the bargaining table and respect for public services. You were emailed the details and an RSVP link on October 9. Please attend if you are able and wear HSAA blue.
We also need everyone to share this update. Talk to your co-workers, friends and family. Share with them what this disrespectful offer will mean to you and the health-care system Albertans value. Without HSAA members, there is no health care, and without fair wages, the staffing crisis will only get worse.
Next week, we will be asking you and our thousands of passionate public health-care supporters to email your MLAs and urge them to show you the respect and fair wages you deserve. When we came together in our last round of bargaining to collectively lobby our MLAS over wage rollbacks, we got their attention and succeeded. Let's do it again!
When HSAA members from across the province come together in collective action for a common cause we become an unstoppable force of solidarity.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this bargaining update, please reach out to HSAA through our bargaining email at AHSbargaining@hsaa.ca.
In solidarity,
Your AHS Bargaining Team
Megan Connolly, Social Worker, Calgary (Chair)
Sarah Dorma, Social Worker, Calgary
Dean Rombough, Public Health Inspector, Edmonton
Jason Soklofske, Advanced Care Paramedic, Medicine Hat (South)
Vicki Wakulchyk, Addictions Counsellor, Calgary
Sarah Mullin, Social Worker, Red Deer (Central)
Kelly Sherwood, Advanced Care Paramedic, Edmonton
Chandra Arsenault, Respiratory Therapist, Edmonton
Brittany Fandrick, Dental Hygienist, Westlock (North)
Todd Romanow, HSAA Labour Relations Officer (Lead Spokesperson)
Jody Machtans, HSAA Labour Relations Officer, (Spokesperson)
Sheena Schiemann, HSAA Administrative Assistant Negotiations
To RSVP for the Rally - Click Here
