HSAA / AHS Bargaining Update 12
New bargaining updated from a few days ago.
Progress was made with the remaining non monetary items. This has resulted in improved language around management rights, grievances, leaves of absence for school and how long discipline stays on your employee file. Non monetary items are still an important part of our collective agreement and help ensure that we have rights that are consistent with us being treated with respect and dignity. As I have mentioned before, employers inherently have a large amount of power. The 2 main ways that an employer's power can be reduced is through the law and collective bargaining. In other words, as long as something isn't against the law or in a collective agreement (which is a legal contract), the employer can do as they please. This ability for the employer to do as they please is also called management rights. Therefore, workers must either lobby the government to pass laws in our favor or enshrine our demands in a collective agreement in order to ensure that our demands will be adhered to and we have protection from employers abusing their power. It sounds like we have made progress improving some of our protections and working conditions through non monetary items.
The reason non monetary items are discussed before monetary items in bargaining is because we want to find as much common ground as possible before hitting an impasse. In the event that we do go to mediation or binding arbitration, we want to have as little outstanding items as possible. Obviously, monetary items have the most potential for an impasse. So bargaining traditionally starts with non monetary items. This can be frustrating since monetary items are often the most important to us as workers. But based on this most recent update, it sounds like they are going to start negotiating monetary items this month.
Previous updates have stated that AHS's opening position was to offer us a 7.5% pay raise over 4 years and HSAA's opening position was a 25% increase in year 1 followed by a 10% increase in year 2. Our opening position is based on economic data that shows 35% is the pay raise necessary to make up for the last 10+ years of stagnated wages combined with inflation. In other words, it actually isn't that outrageous when you examine the supporting data. The number looks outrageous because it is several magnitudes bigger than previous public sector pay raises but the circumstances around these negotiations are unprecedented so there isn't really a fair comparison in recent memory. You will hear a lot of anti labour propaganda scoffing at our opening position. Please keep in mind that the numbers have to be viewed relative to economic conditions and not in a vacuum. Groceries and housing costs alone have gone up more than 35% in the last few years and we shouldn't shy away from asking for what we deserve.
With all that being said, there is a huge difference between 7.5% over 4 years and 35% over 2 years. Like any negotiation, the final number will end up somewhere between the two positions. That doesn't mean it will end up perfectly in the middle. It can end up skewed towards one position or the other. Our bargaining committee mentions in their update that they are anticipating hitting an impasse and requiring mediation. The nurse's union, UNA, has a similar opening monetary position to HSAA and has already hit an impasse and is starting mediation soon. Mediation involves a 3rd party joining the negotiations and trying to help both parties find common ground to resolve the impasse.
One of the factors complicating our negotiations is the Public Sectors Employer Act. This act was passed by the UCP government and gives the Minster of Finance the legislative authority to issue directives that set strategic direction in public sector bargaining, including term and fiscal limits, and the means to ensure that government direction is met prior to agreement being reached. PESA also allows the Minister to request various kinds of bargaining related information around compensation, employment and labour market data from affected employers. This means that the UCP are pulling the puppet strings of the AHS bargaining team. The UCP have already given the AHS bargaining team hard limits that they aren't allowed to pass when it comes to monetary items. And these hard limits are secret and shielded from FOIP requests. Our bargaining committee is essentially negotiating with a group that isn't allowed to make their own decisions and are guided by secret mandates. If that sounds unfair and stupid, it's because it is. It's another example of the bad faith bargaining AHS and the UCP are subjecting us to.
I hear a lot of frustration from our members that they want our union to hurry up with negotiations. Keep in mind that negotiations could end today if we accepted AHS's offer of 7.5% over 4 years. The reason we don't hurry up and accept the first offer is because it is insultingly low and does not align with our demands as workers. The reason the negotiations continue to drag on is because our bargaining committee is fighting to make gains in our favor and that takes time. Stalling negotiations is a classic employer tactic to frustrate members into turning on their union or finally accepting a mediocre offer just to be done with bargaining. I encourage everyone to remain patient and keep any anger or frustration directed at AHS as opposed to our union.
Lastly, there are important developments taking place right now that may influence our bargaining strategy. CUPE education workers are close to going on strike and as I mentioned, UNA is entering into mediation for monetary items. Watching how these two processes unfold will give us insight into how the government and the public respond to mediation and job action. I will try to provide updates on these matters as things develop.
As always, please don't hesitate to ask questions. If I don't know the answer, I will try to help you find it. You can also reach out to any member of our LUE if you want to discuss questions or concerns.
