Direct Impact - Summer 2016

Published by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

DI SUMMER 2016

THEIR WORLD ON

FIRE AUPE MEMBERS WERE AMONG THE BRAVE ALBERTANS WHO FACED AND FOUGHT THE FORT McMURRAY BLAZE

THIS IS AUPE YOUR WORKING PEOPLE Protecting Alberta’s wilderness, ensuring the safety of all who use it and stewarding our natural resources - it’s all in a day’s work for members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.

www.aupe.org • facebook.com/yourAUPE • @_AUPE_

SUMMER 2016 CONTENTS

DI

COVER Lynne Jones is one of 670 members affected by the wildfire. Read her first-hand experience and AUPE’s response on p. 20.

Direct Impact is published quarterly, with a circulation of more than 85,000.

AUPE EXECUTIVE

6 BY THE NUMBERS

President

It’s one of the biggest forest fires in Canadian history.

Find out more about ‘The Beast’ by the numbers.

Guy Smith

Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Jason Heistad

RIGHT 8 THE TO STRIKE

Vice-President

Mike Dempsey

The Supreme Court reversed a prohibition on striking by public sector workers. Find out what this means for AUPE members.

Vice-President

Erez Raz

Vice-President

Carrie-Lynn Rusznak

12 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Vice-President

Glen Scott

Union education is a great way to develop yourself, support your coworkers, and learn more about AUPE.

Vice-President

Susan Slade

Vice-President

Karen Weiers

From the President 4 Focus on AUPE 5 Labour News 16 Labour Relations Briefs 24 Spotlight on Finance 26 Steward Notes Inside

Executive Director

Carl Soderstrom Managing Editor

Desiree Schell Editor

Got a story idea?

We want to know what AUPE members are up to.

Send your suggestions to editor@aupe.org.

Tyler Bedford Contributors

Vanessa Bjerreskov Merryn Edwards Mariam Ibrahim Design

Jon Olsen

Telephone: 1-800-232-7284 Fax: 780-930-3392 Toll-free Fax: 1-888-388-2873 info@aupe.org www.aupe.org

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement: 40065207 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Alberta Union of Provincial Employees 10451 - 170 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5P 4S7

16134

DIRECT IMPACT 3

FROM THE PRESIDENT

I am very proud that AUPE members were on the front lines battling the massive wildfire known as “The Beast,” to provide health-care services and respond to the various needs of the community.

O

nce again, Albertans have shown when disaster strikes, we stand together to support each other. The devastating wildfire that ripped through Fort McMurray in May brought out Albertans’ compassion and generosity, ensuring those affected were helped.

I am very proud that AUPE members were on the front lines battling the massive wildfire known as “The Beast,” to provide health-care services and respond to the various needs of the community.

I want to personally thank the front-line professionals who dedicate themselves to the safety, security and well-being of Albertans every day.

AUPE was proud to donate $50,000 to the Red Cross on behalf of its membership. Many locals also donated to relief agencies and to AUPE’s members’ assistance fund. I know countless individuals who made donations, helped at relief centres and did what they could to help those affected by the wildfire.

As mentioned in my last “Direct Impact” message, we were observing new labour legislation, Bill 4, very closely. This bill passed in May and now that it’s law, there’s been a fundamental shift in the balance of power in collective bargaining.

4 DIRECT IMPACT

This legislation recognizes the constitutional rights of public-sector workers to take legal strike action if required. This is a historic step forward in modernizing Alberta’s labour laws. It also establishes the need for the provision of “essential services” during a strike or lockout.

Throughout June, AUPE held 63 town halls province-wide. The purpose of these town halls was to provide basic knowledge on how Bill 4 may affect members during their next (or current) round of bargaining. I hope you took the opportunity to attend one of these town halls, but if you didn’t, please visit aupe. org and follow the link for Bill 4 information.

We will also gather questions on an ongoing basis and provide as many answers as possible on www.aupetownhalls.com.

The processes outlined in Bill 4 are brand new territory for AUPE and employers. The most challenging aspect of the bill is the requirement for unions and employers to establish an Essential Services Agreement (ESA). There are no “rules of engagement” on how to achieve this and each bargaining unit will have unique sets of circumstances that will need to be considered. AUPE has added

extra resources to its operations to ensure we engage in these processes in a proactive, professional and comprehensive manner.

In September we will provide your elected negotiating teams with additional education and training on Bill 4 as they prepare for bargaining.

Next year is likely to be the most active year for bargaining in AUPE’s history. Very large and complex collective agreements are up for re-negotiation and many others will be at the table, resulting in a large majority of AUPE members involved in negotiations.

Although it’s always our main objective, collective bargaining will receive unprecedented focus and resources for the foreseeable future.

Your negotiating teams, our staff, and your elected officers will do their utmost to keep you informed about your round of bargaining as we move forward.

I encourage you to stay informed and involved as much as possible through our website and social media, and of course by talking to the elected representatives in your worksite, chapter and local.

In closing, I wish you all a safe and relaxing summer with family and friends as we prepare for extremely busy and important times this autumn and beyond.

In Solidarity,

Guy Smith AUPE President

FOCUS ON AUPE DAY OF MOURNING Every year, AUPE honours those killed or injured on the job with its International Day of Mourning seminar and ceremony. We were pleased this year to welcome Hon. Christina Gray, Minister of Labour, to the proceedings. This marks the first time a cabinet minister has attended the ceremony. As well, the seminar this year focused on training advocates to recognize PostTraumatic Stress Disorder and other stress injuries in the workplace, and how to assist members in getting the help they need.

DIRECT IMPACT 5

T S A BE THE

On May 3, a stubborn wildfire that would come to be known as ‘The Beast’ burned through Fort McMurray city limits, closing in on residents as thousands of people swiftly fled both north and south to safety with barely a few hours’ notice.

RRAY U M c M T R O OF F

S

R E B M U N E H

BY T

Within a day, the city had been safely evacuated as firefighters and other emergency personnel stayed behind to protect Fort McMurray from the flames.

BATTLING THE BLAZES THAT’S ABOUT THE SIZE

By May 25, ‘the Beast’ reached a size of

566,188

Wildfire crews from across the country, and around the world, came to battle the fires in Alberta.

SOUTH AFRICA 280 UNITED STATES 200

HECTARES

BRITISH COLUMBIA 113 ONTARIO 85

an area larger than the province of

PRINCE EDWARD(566,000 ISLAND hectares)

QUEBEC 44 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES 30

That’s the equivalent of more than a million Canadian football fields

NEW BRUNSWICK 22 PARKS CANADA 8

HEAVY DUTY A big job calls for big tools, and it doesn’t get much bigger than this fire season.

Including ‘the Beast,’ there are 17 fires burning in Alberta. To battle fires of this scale, the province mobilized an enormous fleet of equipment.

SASKATCHEWAN 6 NEWFOUNDLAND 3

25 88 256

WATER BOMBERS

HELICOPTERS

COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES

DESTROYED OR DAMAGED

ALBERTA 1,260

PIECES OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT

COLLATERAL DAMAGE While there was no loss of life as a direct result of the flames, the fire did take a heavy toll on property.

NOVA SCOTIA 3

800

TOTAL FIREFIGHTERS Of this number, more than 350 forest firefighters are AUPE members.

RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES

DESTROYED OR DAMAGED 6 DIRECT IMPACT

2,054

1,600

15%

TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF STRUCTURES LOST TO FIRE

ANY PORT IN A STORM

EVACUATION MATH

When the mandatory evacuation notice was announced, the options were limited for escape: north and south by highway, or a flight out. The chart below reflects a best estimate of where the citizens of Fort McMurray fled in the hours and days following May 3.

Within a day, Fort McMurray residents, including roughly 670 AUPE members, had been safely evacuated – an astonishing feat logistically.

88,000 ÷ 24 hrs = 3,666 evacuated

Edmonton 20,000

THE INFIRM

North 25,000

per hour

Health care workers – including dozens of AUPE members – helped officials safely evacuate the Northern Lights Regional Hospital.

73 acute care 32 continuing care 105 patients

RECORD GENEROSITY As ‘The Beast’ roared to life, Canadians moved quickly to help by opening their wallets to donate to relief efforts. Fort McMurray donations set a new record for the Canadian Red Cross, shattering the previous domestic disaster donation tally by tens of millions.

Other Locations 30,000

$100

MILLION

A large portion of residents evacuated to locations outside the larger centres and even outside the province.

AUPE Steps Up

On behalf of its members, AUPE pledged $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross. On top of this, AUPE locals made donations to an AUPE members’ benefits wildfire fund totalling more than $44,000.

$45

MILLION CALGARY 2013 (Flood)

A HELPING HAND

$14.8 MILLION

LAC MEGANTIC, QC 2013 (Train Derailment)

$5.5

MILLION SLAVE LAKE 2011 (Fire)

Syncrude Bison Herd

Within weeks of the evacuation the Alberta government provided emergency assistance for evacuees forced from their homes.

As part of the oil sands reclamation process, roughly 300 bison live on an old mine site. As fire approached, their handlers penned them in safely and kept them fed and watered. Not only did the whole herd survive, but several calves were born and the animals are thriving.

Rescuing and Caring for Pets

$

123 456 789

30,000 debit cards distributed to over

THE FIRE & OUR FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS

63,000 evacuees, totalling

As the fire moved in and humans moved out, Fort McMurray’s animal population also struggled to survive.

$65.7 million

Calgary 4,000

During the initial evacuation many residents fled north to Fort McKay, work camps, etc. Many of these sites were in turn evacuated because of the fire.

FORT McMURRAY 2016 (Fire)

$

Lac La Biche 9,000

The SPCA worked tirelessly in the days following the fire to locate and evacuate over 600 pets from Fort McMurray. Many animal shelters across the province offered up free pet care spaces and airlines loosened up their rules to make sure that evacuated residents could travel with their pets in the cabin as they fled the fire.

Scavenging Bears

The risks for people and wildlife aren’t over when the fire is out. Hungry bears have entered the city to scavenge and officials have received over 30 complaints already. Two bears were captured and relocated and two more were sadly killed.

DIRECT IMPACT 7

8 DIRECT IMPACT

By Mariam Ibrahim Communications Staff

THE RIGHT TO STRIKE Bill 4 restores bargaining rights for most AUPE members

A

fter years of lobbying and more recent legal wrangling, the Alberta government has finally brought its antiquated labour laws into the 21st Century by restoring the right to strike to more than 150,000 public sector workers across the province, including the majority of AUPE members.

The move sets Alberta into uncharted territory, as many unionized public sector workers begin to grapple with the changes the law will mean for their collective bargaining process after being banned from legally striking for decades.

That blanket prohibition in Alberta, enacted through both the province’s Labour Code and the Public Service Employee Relations Act, applied to the vast majority of AUPE members.

It meant in those rare cases when members were forced to go on strike for better working conditions, the union was slapped with heavy-handed fines and faced the threat of potential criminal penalties.

But all that will soon change, in a drastic way, with the passage this spring of the Alberta government’s new Bill 4 – An Act to Implement A Supreme Court Ruling Governing Essential Services.

As the law’s unwieldy name implies, the government didn’t get here alone.

In 2008, the Saskatchewan government gave itself the power to determine which public sector workers could go on strike during a bargaining dispute, allowing it to label large swaths of public sector roles as essential.

DIRECT IMPACT 9

In June, AUPE held more than 60 town hall meetings, giving members an overview of Bill 4 and its affects on Alberta’s labour law.

The move effectively limited public sector The Alberta government – and its outworkers’ right to strike and severely impacted dated labour laws – had been put on notice. their collective bargaining rights. The Sas“The courts granted a long-overdue vickatchewan Federation of Labour decided to tory to public sector workers in Alberta. act, and together with other public sector As AUPE has time and again made clear, a unions, challenged the government’s unjust level playing field means a better collective law in court, arguing it violated the Charter bargaining process for both parties at the of Rights and Freedoms. table,” says President Guy Smith.

The unions went on “It gives both parties to win that case, but it more reason to come was soon overturned to a fair and just agreeon appeal. The stage ment at the table, so a was set for a fight at strike or lockout can the Supreme Court. be avoided.”

In January 2015, While many AUPE the highest court in memb ers, namely Canada agreed 5-2 those working for As AUPE has time and again with the arguments private corporations, made clear, a level playing made by the unions, have already enjoyed field means a better collective including AUPE. The the right to strike in bargaining process for both Supreme Court ruled Alberta, the new Bill 4 parties at the table. the Saskatchewan law restores that right for violated the right to approximately 78,000 Guy Smith, President freedom of association AUPE members. guaranteed under the It applies to all Charter, fundamentally protecting the right unionized government of Alberta employto strike as a natural and necessary extension ees and employees of agencies, boards and of collective bargaining rights. commissions, along with non-academic staff “Along with their right to associate, speak at post-secondary institutions. It also covers through a bargaining representative of their employees of Alberta Health Services and choice, and bargain collectively with their those employed by sites considered “approved employer through that representative, the hospitals” under the law. right of employees to strike is vital to proWhile the courts restored the right to tecting the meaningful process of collective strike for so many workers, they also recogbargaining,” Justice Rosalie Abella wrote in nized that some public sector roles must be the decision for the majority. considered essential services, so that both The decision – a departure from Supreme safety and rule of law are maintained in a Court rulings in the past – made waves strike or lockout. across Canada. The country’s labour relaWhile Bill 4 ensures that essential public tions landscape was about to be drastically services will remain intact if a labour dispute altered, as workers long denied their rights gives way to a strike or lockout, it doesn’t would soon have new options before them. determine precisely which roles are essential.

In some provinces, like Alberta, whole laws Who decides which roles are essential had to be rewritten. and just how many services are required to A few months later, after AUPE challenged maintain safety and the rule of law? As the Alberta’s laws directly, the Alberta Court of Supreme Court case made clear, the question Queen’s Bench issued a similar ruling, overturnis an important one and can’t be decided by ing the blanket ban for public sector workers, and a government unilaterally. opening the door for legal strikes and lockouts.

Instead, the law leaves that question up 10 DIRECT IMPACT

to the employers and unions to negotiate through a document called an Essential Services Agreement (ESA).

The ESA is negotiated during the collective bargaining process, and must be in place before negotiations reach an impasse. It sets out which roles within a bargaining unit are considered essential. Workers assigned to those roles could find themselves on the job for a portion or the duration of a strike or lockout.

The agreement has to be negotiated before a strike or lockout can happen and once an agreement is in place it ensures the employer can’t bring in scabs – replacement workers – to cross the picket line and render a strike ineffective.

In some cases, though, parties could apply for an exemption from the ESA – particularly for bargaining units that include no essential service roles, as defined by the Act. The specifics of each agreement, and whether an exemption could apply, will be left in the hands of labour relations experts and the bargaining committees as they begin to chart new labour relations territory across the province.

But one thing the courts made clear is that labelling a work role as essential must be done carefully, as it takes away a worker’s right to strike. That’s why an ESA can’t include so

many roles that a strike by the bargaining unit would be rendered pointless. If that happens, and if the services designated are essential, the contract would be sent to binding arbitration.

Under the law, mediators called Umpires will help parties negotiate an ESA if they reach an impasse. And with all the changes, a new role called the Essential Services Commissioner has been created to help oversee these issues.

The Alberta government recently appointed Edmonton-based labour lawyer Gwen Gray to the role, effective June 1, 2016. Gray’s experience spans three decades, during which time she taught law at the University of Alberta, chaired the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board and, more recently, sat as a member

AUPE is committed to staying ahead of all the changes so our members can stay fully informed about what this new law means for them, and their next round of collective bargaining.

Mike Dempsey, Vice-President

of the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

With all the impending changes, and a clear indication that collective bargaining in Alberta is about to change in a big way, AUPE has brought on additional resources to help navigate the new ground.

“AUPE is committed to staying ahead of all the changes so our members can stay fully informed about what this new law means for them, and their next round of collective bargaining,” says Vice-President Mike Dempsey.

Union representatives have also met with public sector unions from across Canada to learn how right to strike/essential services legislation in other provinces has affected collective bargaining where various laws have long been in place. <

The debate over what is essential services is a very complicated discussion, and so it only stands to reason that the legislation governing it would be as well. Below are four key points of the Bill that all members should know.

1

2

3

4

During a bargaining dispute, a bargaining unit can vote to go on strike as a means of exerting pressure on the employer.

An employer can lockout workers during a bargaining dispute to try to force the union to agree to their terms.

Essential Services are services that are necessary to maintain public health and safety and to ensure the rule of law and public security. Essential services can’t be interrupted during a strike or lockout.

An Essential Services Agreement determines which roles are considered essential during a strike or lockout and how many workers are assigned to those roles.

DIRECT IMPACT 11

OH&S for Stewards

n Introduc&tiSo to OH

Foundations for Union Stewards Contract Interpretation

12 DIRECT IMPACT

on i t c u d Introour Union to Y

Component Officer ict fl n o C ent c i s a B nagem Ma

By Merryn Edwards Communications Staff

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AUPE members can access union education, ranging from Introduction to Your Union to advanced courses

E

rez Raz, now an AUPE Vice-President, was a relatively new Union Steward when the value of his union education became clear: “The member had already admitted he made a mistake, but the employer wanted to use the disciplinary meeting to humiliate and shame this worker. I had the education to know they were crossing the line, so I had the confidence to shut it down.”

AUPE’s education courses are recognized as top-notch and can even be used to gain transfer credit at Athabasca University. But the true measure of union education is when members feel they have the tools and support they need to advocate for themselves and each other.

AUPE’s education department strives to make courses accessible to all learners, including those for whom English is not their first language. Even union skeptics can participate and find out what AUPE is all about. “Everyone is welcome in AUPE courses, regardless of your past experience or level of involvement in the union,” said AUPE Vice-President CarrieLynn Rusznak. “Participants learn not just from the instructors, but also from each other.”

Raz believes that the collaborative approach gives union members an edge at work. “Employers and managers tend to want to control information and not share it widely, whereas in a union we can draw from a huge knowledge base.” Course participants coming from government, health care or the wide range of other workplaces AUPE represents, come together to share their experiences, approaches and solutions as they learn together.

Union education, now online!

Madonna Dominic became an AUPE member at her first job in Canada as a seniors care worker, where her coworkers DIRECT IMPACT 13

helped her get settled and encouraged her to get involved in the union. “I was always asking my coworkers many questions, and they kept encouraging me to do the course,” said Dominic. A new online Introduction to Your Union course allowed Dominic to get started right away, without waiting for an opening in the in-person course.

Employers and managers tend to want to control information and not share it widely, whereas in a union we can draw from a huge knowledge base.

Erez Raz, Vice-President

The new online course includes a range of activities such as readings, videos, quizzes, games and discussion boards that appeal to different learning styles and build a sense of community. “Just as in other AUPE courses, the online environment can help plant the seeds of connections amongst members from across the province,“ said Rusznak.

“I had a little bit of a challenge because I was slow in typing,” said Dominic. However, she liked the flexibility that came with online learning and appreciated support from her classmates. “Everyone can contribute at their own pace, and some of them had gone further than me, but they still went back to the beginning to reply to me even though they had passed that part.”

Stacey Sykes, an AUPE member working for the Government of Alberta, had a background in online education, so the course 14 DIRECT IMPACT

Stacey Sykes (left) and Madonna Dominic know the value of union education first hand. They have seen how it can change the work environment both on an individual level and the worksite as a whole.

environment was not new to her. She was able to learn from the facilitators and other students with a variety of levels of involvement in AUPE. “It was interesting to see one person who didn’t agree with unions and thought it wasn’t necessary for her, but still wanted to see what it was all about.”

Sykes had some background with unions, but wanted to learn more for her own benefit and the benefit of the union as a whole.

“Even in a union environment, nothing is perfect,” said Sykes. “So we need people who are ready to stand up, keep other people in the union grounded, stick to your convictions and make progress for all members.”

The online version of Introduction to Your Union is more accessible for members who are not close to an AUPE regional office, prefer to work at their own pace or just don’t want to wait until the next in-person class is offered. However, the day-long, in-person course is also still available.

If you decide to take the online course, keep in mind that paid time off for union business is not available, as it is for other AUPE courses. Facilitators and technical support for online courses are available during business hours, but you can do the course work

whenever you like. All course work must be completed within two weeks, and members should expect the total completion time to add up to as much as or more than the daylong in-person class.

Everyone is welcome in AUPE courses, regardless of your past experience or level of involvement in the union. Participants learn not just from the instructors, but also from each other.

Carrie-Lynn Rusznak, Vice-President

Coming soon The popularity of AUPE’s first online course has led to more demand for other online courses. The lessons learned from IntroContinued on p. 15

Steward Notes

sn

VOL. 9 • ISSUE 3 • SUMMER 2016

Supporting Casual Employees Not all the provisions of the collective agreement will apply to casual, temporary or wage employees, but they are full members of AUPE and deserve your full support.

By Merryn Edwards Communications Staff

In the past, employees working on a casual basis used to be called “relief ” workers, and collective agreements contained stringent language governing when they could be called to fill in for regular employees.

Today, employees may remain as casuals for long periods of time, and casual employment has become increasingly common. For example, 9,116 AUPE members employed

by Alberta Health Services were listed as casual as of April, a figure that represents almost a quarter of AUPE’s total membership at AHS. For some workers, the ability to accept or decline shifts as they see fit is appealing.

Others may see accepting a casual position as their only option, although they would prefer the broader rights and entitlements STEWARD NOTES 1

sn

that come with regular or full-time employment. Regardless, Union Stewards should be ready to support members working on a casual basis and be able to advise them wisely.

Who are casual employees?

Casual employees are defined primarily by the fact their employer is not required to provide them with ongoing employment, even in cases when they may have worked full-time hours for an extended period of time.

Casual employees are also distinct from part-time or temporary employees.

Part-time employees are often considered regular employees, entitled to all the provisions of the collective agreement with the exception that many benefits such as paid sick days, vacation, health benefits and insurance are usually pro-rated according to their rate of full-time equivalency. Temporary employees may also be able to access most or all provisions, with the exception of those articles dealing with termination of employment, since it is understood their employment relationship will expire at the end of a temporary period.

As with any other issue, the starting point for Union Stewards to understand the rights of casual employees should be to check the relevant collective agreement.

Most collective agreements will have specific provisions outlining the unique terms and conditions of employment for casual employees or specifying which provisions of the contract do not apply to casuals. The Government of Alberta (GOA) agreement does not use the term casual, but rather refers to â&#x20AC;&#x153;wage employees,â&#x20AC;? and the master agreement outlines which provisions they are excluded from in Article 4.

In some cases, casuals are compensated for their exclusion from certain entitlements through provisions such as increased vacation pay instead of paid vacation days. They may also be entitled to access other provisions once they reach a certain threshold of hours worked. For example, GOA wage employees who work 1,450 hours within a twelve-month period are entitled to six paid sick leave days in the subsequent year, and, after 2,850 hours worked within a two-year period, their employer is required to provide notification (or pay in lieu of notice) if their employment is terminated.

2 STEWARD NOTES

Become a Union Steward Learn new skills, support your co-workers and help strengthen your union by becoming a Union Steward. Start by enrolling in the prerequisite courses, including Introduction to your Union, Contract Interpretation, Introduction to Occupational Health and Safety and Basic Conflict Management. If you like what you have learned in those courses, you are ready to sign up for Foundations for Union Stewards.

The next session of prerequisite courses and Foundations for Union Stewards will be offered at various AUPE offices from September to December. Registration for this session begins in August.

For more information or to enrol, call the Member Resource Centre at 1-800-232-7284.

sn

How can Union Stewards support casual employees?

Like all other union members, casual employees have a right to union representation. They can request your assistance if they are required to meet with their employer for disciplinary or other meetings that could impact their employment, if they believe their rights under the collective agreement or other legal statutes are being violated, or if they just want to learn more about AUPE. However, the tools Union Stewards have to support casuals may be more limited, especially in situations where the grievance procedure excludes arbitration in the case of casual employees. Challenging termination in particular is unlikely to succeed, but Union Stewards can most certainly play an important role in supporting casual members with other serious concerns such as harassment and discrimination, occupational health and safety issues or workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compensation matters.

For those casual employees who would

prefer to move into regular employment, Union Stewards can also offer helpful advice and interventions. For example, by encouraging casual members to apply for internal job postings or helping to inquire about what the employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intentions are for a position, especially in cases where a casual or waged employee is filling a leave, Union Stewards can help casual employees move into more stable employment. Casual employees will usually carry over their seniority when they move into a new position.

Union Stewards can also help members working on a casual basis access the full range of benefits and services available to AUPE members. AUPE makes no distinction between members based on their employment status when it comes to accessing benefits such as member discounts or educational and leadership opportunities. Encouraging more members with casual employment status to get involved in the union will help AUPE better represent the particular concerns of this unique group of workers. <

HAVE QUESTIONS?

CONTACT YOUR MEMBER SERVICES OFFICER

CALL 1-800-232-7284 Have your local/chapter number and worksite location ready so your call can be directed quickly.

STEWARD NOTES 3

sn

DID YOWU KNO

?

A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE NEW ONLINE REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

AUPE strives to empower its members through knowledge, offering a full slate of courses to help achieve this goal. Coming this fall a new online registration course will be rolled out to make signing up for education courses easier then ever. Here’s a quick look at some of the functions that will make registering a breeze.

THE NEW ONLINE REGISTRATION WILL… Enable you to register yourself in AUPE courses through the AUPE website

•

Walk you through registering for courses and ensuring appropriate prerequisites

• Countdown the number of spaces left in a course

• Keep track of your course registrations • Allow for automatic waitlists • Notify you of new courses in your area • Contain your education history • Store copies of all AUPE Education certificates ONLINE REGISTRATION AT A GLANCE Sign in to the online registration system available at www.aupe.org using your member number

•

Select course and date (the system will ensure you meet the necessary prerequesites)

• • Confirm your attendance and attend course

Receive acceptance email a few weeks prior to the course

4 STEWARD NOTES

Steward Notes is published by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees to provide information of technical interest to AUPE Union Stewards, worksite contacts and other members. Topics deal with training for union activists, worksite issues, disputes and arbitrations, health and safety, trends in labour law, bargaining and related material.

For more information, contact the editor.

President

Guy Smith Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Jason Heistad Vice-Presidents

Mike Dempsey Erez Raz Carrie-Lynn Rusznak Glen Scott Susan Slade Karen Weiers Executive Director

Carl Soderstrom Managing Editor

Desiree Schell Editor

Tyler Bedford Contributor

Merryn Edwards Design

Jon Olsen The goal of Steward Notes is to help today’s AUPE Union Stewards do their jobs effectively. To help us, we encourage readers to submit story ideas that deserve exposure among all AUPE stewards.

Story suggestions for Steward Notes may be submitted for consideration to Communications Staff Merryn Edwards by e-mail at m.edwards@aupe.org. Please include names and contact information for yourself and potential story sources.

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees 10451 - 170 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5P 4S7 T: 1-800-232-7284 F: (780) 930-3392 info@aupe.org www.aupe.org

duction to Your Union will help to expand future online course offerings.

An online registration system for all courses is also in the works and will be launched in August. The new system will streamline the sign-up process, give online registrants priority placement and create an automated wait list and notification process that will let you know when a course you are interested in becomes available in your area.

Two new course offerings are also coming

in the fall. Labour History: An Introduction to Workers’ History is a two-day course introducing members to the history, traditions and knowledge that inform the present work of AUPE and the broader labour movement.

Introduction to Politics (also a two-day course) teaches that politics is not just for politicians, demonstrating how powerful working people can be when they work collectively.

Other core courses are still available, including training for elected leaders, Union Stewards,

and health and safety advocates (see below).

Maybe you are passionate about workplace safety and plan to go all the way to advanced courses, or maybe you just want to know how to interpret the collective agreement that sets the terms and conditions for your workplace.

Regardless of which courses you take, AUPE’s union education can help you get more out of your membership, understand the broader role of unions in society and develop yourself in the spirit of lifelong learning. <

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

FOR YOUR UNION, FOR YOURSELF Get the most out of your AUPE membership by taking union education courses—no prior experience or commitment required! Members can get paid time-off work to attend classes, or start with an online version of Introduction to Your Union to make union training fit into your schedule. (Full course descriptions are available on aupe.org.)

Start with INTRODUCTION TO YOUR UNION (in-person or online) Register now for the online Introduction to Your Union course by calling the Member Resource Centre at 1-800-232-7284

Move on to BASIC CONFLICT MANAGEMENT CONTRACT INTERPRETATION

SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AUPE’s committees will occasionally offer conferences on themes including women, pay and social equity, young activists, human rights, anti-privatization and occupational health & safety.

Workshops or lunch-and-learn sessions may also be developed in partnership with AUPE’s Organizing and Education departments according to the particular interests of your worksite.

Focus on your areas of interest INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS INTRODUCTION TO OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY LABOUR HISTORY: AN INTRODUCTION TO WORKERS’ HISTORY

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Think you might be ready take on more responsibility?

COMPONENT OFFICER TRAINING FOUNDATIONS FOR UNION STEWARDS OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR STEWARDS

• Transfer credit for AUPE courses at Athabasca University’s Labour Studies and/or Human Resources and Labour Relations programs

Registration for fall courses opens August 3. Please go to aupe.org for up-to-date course schedules.

• AUPE’s annual week-long Advanced Labour School (next held March 26-29, 2017)

• Bursaries and scholarships available to AUPE members and family attending post-secondary institutions in Alberta

In August, online registration will be available for the first time. The new system will streamline the sign-up process, give online registrants priority placement in courses and create an automated wait list and notification process that will let you know when a course you are interested in becomes available in your area.

DIRECT IMPACT 15

LABOUR NEWS

Time Equivalents this year, with growth attributed to continuing care, new health facilities and increased patient volume.

“Significant investment” in long-term care beds over the next five years is also mentioned. In its 2015 election platform, the NDP promised to create 2,000 public long-term care beds over four years.

Post-secondary Spending will increase by 2.4 per cent in postsecondary. However, Full Time Equivalents will increase by just 0.02 per cent.

Ongoing consultation between post-secondary institutions and the government continues and is a welcome change from previous relations.

BUDGET 2016 A balanced, responsible approach to financial crunch On April 14, Finance Minister Joe Ceci introduced Budget 2016 to a province eagerly anticipating word on how its new government would respond to the worst financial crisis to hit Alberta since the early 80s.

“Overall, Budget 2016 is a balanced, measured approach that doesn’t overreact to Alberta’s financial difficulties,” said AUPE Executive Secretary-Treasurer Jason Heistad.

“The government, rightfully, abstained from direct attacks on front-line services and decided against making major cuts that would only magnify job losses. Instead, the government signaled commitment to preserving the public services Albertans rely on and AUPE members proudly deliver,” Heistad said.

But how does Budget 2016 affect your sector directly? Here’s a quick breakdown: Government services Overall government spending, including Alberta Health Services, will increase by 3.6 per cent. Employment in government services, including out-of-scope and management, is up by 247 Full Time Equivalents.

16 DIRECT IMPACT

The largest spending increases are in economic development (12.5 per cent), infrastructure (7.9 per cent), and justice and solicitor general (7.9 per cent). Some of these increases will reflect the reorganization of departments and programs rather than actual funding increases.

The largest spending cuts are in agriculture and forestry (15 per cent) and environment (3.4 per cent). As with the spending increases, some of these apparent cuts may be the result of restructuring rather than actual money reductions.

Health care Funding for Alberta Health Services and Alberta Health is up 2.6 per cent. This represents a 3.8-per-cent increase over funding allocated in 2015/16. Actual health spending was higher than budgeted in 2015/16, resulting in the 2.6-per-cent increase in this budget.

The government will reduce health spending increases to an average of 2.5 per cent per year over the next three years, down from an average of six per cent each year.

AHS is slated to get 1,152 additional Full

Boards and agencies Fifteen boards and agencies will be dissolved, including the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) and the Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

The government, rightfully, abstained from direct attacks on front-line services and decided against making major cuts that would only magnify job losses. Instead, the government signaled commitment to preserving the public services Albertans rely on and AUPE members proudly deliver.

Jason Heistad, Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Agency (AEMERA). All Alberta Innovates corporations have begun to amalgamate into a single corporation.

AUPE continues to monitor the government’s activities in all its sectors and will report on what those activities may mean for members accordingly. <

LABOUR NEWS

Get DI on your computer or mobile device!

The Centennial Project Get involved and help celebrate AUPE’s milestones

AUPE is pleased to offer Direct Impact online or on your mobile device.

For mobile Download the free Issuu app and search “AUPE” Or go online Visit issuu.com and search “AUPE”

It’s that easy!

AUPE’s Centennial Committee is working to commemorate both the 40th anniversary of AUPE in 2016 and the 100th anniversary of its predecessor the Civil Service Association of Alberta (CSAA) in 2019.

The celebrations started with an AUPEsponsored Oil Kings Game in March. More than 4,000 AUPE members attended the game (a bargain at the 1976 price of $4!) where AUPE’s important contributions to Alberta were recognized.

The committee also launched the Your Working People colouring book to help introduce young Albertans to some of the important jobs our members do every day and hopefully inspire some future union members. Members can order free copies of the colouring book via www.aupe2019.com.

Preparations are also underway for the centennial in 2019. Regional Centennial Liaisons are now working out of Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, High River, Peace River, Pincher Creek and Spruce Grove. They will be contacting local AUPE components to spread the word about the project, conducting oral history interviews and undertakeing regional programming to help bring AUPE’s history to life.

“In every corner of this province, AUPE has helped to shape our communities,” said AUPE Vice-President and Centennial Committee Chair Glen Scott. “I encourage AUPE members to get in touch with the Regional Centennial Liaisons to ensure the unique local history of AUPE’s contributions are represented.”

If there is not yet a liaison in place in your region, consider taking on the task yourself!

In every corner of this province, AUPE has helped to shape our communities…get in touch with the Regional Centennial Liaisons to ensure the unique local history of AUPE’s contributions are represented.

Glen Scott, Vice-President & Centennial Committee Chair

The position will allow you some time off for union business and a small budget to undertake local programming. Contact Centennial Coordinator Ron Patterson at 2019@aupe.org for more details.

The committee is also working on preparing a beautiful commemorative banner in collaboration with artist Memi von Gaza, organizing a 40th anniversary golf game in August and mounting a historical presentation at Convention.

Stay tuned and visit www.aupe2019.com for more details. < DIRECT IMPACT 17

LABOUR NEWS

MEMBER PROFILE

Dale Pearce Accessibility Advisor, Lakeland College, Vermilion

Dale Pearce is an accessibility advisor at Lakeland College. His previous career in the Canadian military gave him an first hand view of the struggles veterans face in returning to civilian life, so he set out to help ease that transition.

18 DIRECT IMPACT

When Dale Pearce left the military 25 years ago, he found the transition to civilian life a huge culture shock. Now an accessibility advisor for Lakeland College in Vermilion, the Local 071/004 member remembers how difficult the transition was. That’s why he and Lakeland College have put together a free online resource specifically for serving, transitioning and retired veterans and their families.

“We call it The Way Forward, because it’s important people transition successfully to being a civilian,” said Pearce. “And we know there’s a need. Before we got started, I met with various military establishments and members, and everyone was very positive about the idea.”

Military personnel face many challenges when they leave the service, including readjusting to family, a loss of identity that the military provided, and acceptance of the differences between military and civilian life. While there are now some transition services available, Lakeland’s offering has several advantages.

The Way Forward is a massive open online course (MOOC) that is free and easy to access.

It’s run through Lakeland College’s learning management system (D2L). Participants go through modules about the challenges they face post-service. The modules are in French and English and can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection.

The resource includes modules on transition challenges, mental health and goals, among others. All together, it is designed to help smooth the transition for military members and their families. It will also be continually updated with new information. “The content is not static. Participant feedback will help us ensure we’re having the greatest impact in developing transitional life skills,” said Pearce.

And they’re not stopping with the military. Pearce has had preliminary discussions with Alberta’s Justice and Solicitor General department about adapting the resource for corrections workers both entering and leaving service.

“I’m proud that our members are pioneering innovative ways to help other Albertans, including other AUPE members,” said Vice President Erez Raz, who is a correctional peace officer at the Edmonton Remand Centre. “Expanding these types of resources will help people in ways we probably can’t even imagine yet.”

“I know people who retired years ago that still are having trouble with the transition,” said Pearce. “That’s why we’ve put this together, and why we’re working on expanding who we can reach. Really, this is all about helping people be successful.”

If you or someone you know is interested in participating, contact Pearce at dale.pearce@ lakelandcollege.ca with a civilian email address and birth date for registration purposes. <

LABOUR NEWS

fied at the hearings that it was “not a viable alternative to discuss the problems with the [u]nion” and that it was “futile” to talk to AUPE about why they were considering contracting out. The decision points out that such an approach was “disrespectful of the [u]nion’s role as the exclusive bargaining agent.”

The laid-off workers had followed the progress of the ALRB hearing closely, fre-

LEGAL VINDICATION

A recent decision by the Alberta Labour Relations Board is an important victory for Shepherd’s Care support staff laid off nearly two years ago determined group of workers, and indeed of all workers in Alberta.”

The ALRB decision, released April 29, overturns what had been conventional wisdom in Alberta, that unless a collective agreement expressly forbids an employer’s action, then it is perThis decision is an important mitted, even if it effectively shuts milestone that affirms the down the bargaining process. rights of this determined It points out that when Shepherd’s Care informed AUPE of group of workers, and indeed its intentions to layoff all supof all workers in Alberta. port staff and contract out their Susan Slade, Vice-President work only one day before issuing layoff notices, during a bargaining period, it violated not only its obligation to disclose important inforreleased a precedent-setting decision stating mation relevant to bargaining, but also its that their employer acted illegally. duty to bargain in good faith and maintain “A final resolution in this case is still a the status quo for the terms and conditions long way off,” said AUPE Vice-President of employment during bargaining.

Susan Slade. “But this decision is an imporShepherd’s Care representatives testitant milestone that affirms the rights of this Almost two years after more than 150 seniors care support workers were laid off by Shepherd’s Care Foundation in September 2014, the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB)

quently attending hearings. They had also gained a remarkable amount of support from residents and their family members as well as other supporters who opposed Shepherd’s Care’s decision to contract out food and housekeeping to Aramark, a multinational corporation with a track record of cutting corners.

Their campaign garnered over 1,400 signed messages of support that were delivered to Shepherd’s Care management on the last day before layoffs took effect in October 2014.

Residents and their family members also attended a series of rallies and community meetings, expressing their concern about a cost-cutting approach to seniors care that sacrificed the value of long-term relationships between seniors and their caregivers.

The ALRB decision does not yet bring about any remedies for the laid-off workers.

However, the workers came together to plan their next steps with AUPE at a meeting in May, in anticipation of a resolution conference scheduled for July 22. If no resolution between AUPE and Shepherd’s Care can be reached at that conference, the matter will proceed to another round of hearings in mid-August. < DIRECT IMPACT 19

LABOUR NEWS

#FortMacStrong Union responds to wildfire that devastated AUPE members and their community with historic donation to the Red Cross

Lynne Jones is a 14-year resident of Fort McMurray and AUPE 056/013 member working for Alberta Health Services’ Northern Lights Regional Health Centre as a Clerk III in patient registration in the centre’s emergency department.

By Tyler Bedford, Communications Staff Photos by Jason Franson 20 DIRECT IMPACT

In early May, people around the world watched helplessly as Fort McMurray residents fled their community in an effort to escape a massive wildfire that began to consume the city.

Dash cam and cell phone footage captured families and individuals navigating smokesoaked streets as embers rained down on the hoods of their vehicles. The gridlocked getaway routes glowed orange, red and yellow and you could almost feel the heat penetrate through your screen as occupants, incredibly, remained calm as they literally ran for their lives.

Local 056 member Lynne Jones, who works at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, is one of more than 600 members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees who live and work in Fort McMurray. She

made the quick escape from the community, but other AUPE members, including forest firefighters, sheriffs, peace officers, environmental and parks officers, road crews and more stayed behind to assist.

“There was ash everywhere…it was just crazy,” said Jones in an interview with AUPE. “It was like an apocalypse. Trees on fire, vehicles stranded, people stranded.”

Like all Albertans, AUPE’s membership, leadership, executive and staff were devastated by what they were witnessing and wanted to help. On May 4, AUPE President Guy Smith offered condolences and support to those affected by the devastating wildfire.

“I’m both concerned and saddened by the upsetting scenes coming out of Fort McMurray,” said Smith in a statement. “All of AUPE’s 87,000 members, along with the entire province, have the community in their thoughts.”

Almost as soon as word got out that Fort McMurray was on fire, AUPE’s Provincial Executive, the governing body for the union between conventions, held an emergency vote and within an hour had approved a $50,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross to provide emergency relief to those in the community affected by the fire. This marked the biggest single donation made to the Canadian Red Cross in AUPE’s history.

In addition, a number of individual AUPE Locals donated more than $30,000 to the union’s Members’ Benefits Committee for use as a needs-based relief for members directly affected by the wildfire.

As of press time, the wildfire remains out of control. It is estimated to cover 566,188 hectares, including 4,600 hectares in Saskatchewan.

The fire is expected to burn for months. <

LABOUR NEWS

RECOGNIZING ACTIVISM 2016 DOVE awarded to Local 047 chair Every year, AUPE recognizes an inspirational woman with the Day Of Validation and Equity (DOVE) award. This year’s recipient is no exception. Debra Arcand is a 19-year member of AUPE, a dedicated union activist, a health-care aide at Edmonton’s Revera Jasper Place seniors care facility and chair of Local 047, one of AUPE’s most diverse locals representing seniors care workers across northern Alberta.

Her nominator highlighted Arcand’s efforts to reach out to all members of her local and encourage them to learn more about the union, the labour movement, and the reason unions remain relevant today. “She teaches the importance of being active…to help reduce women’s inequities and help eliminate…inequality and discrimination… not only at the worksites but in today’s society,” reads her nomination. Over the past few years, Arcand has been a leader on several picket lines for her local in the sometimes-volatile seniors care bargaining process. “She instilled hope, strength, and integrity to those forced to take action.”

“Debbie is an inspiration to all of us,” said Susan Slade, AUPE Vice-President and Chair of the Women’s Committee. “Her passion for fairness and equality for the members of her local and all members of AUPE really shows in the efforts she puts into mentorship and engagement of her members.”

The DOVE Award is presented annually to a female member of AUPE who has made a significant contribution to the betterment of women in the union.

AUPE’s membership is full of people doing amazing work in all aspects of their lives, and AUPE is pleased to be able to recognize some of them annually with union awards. From the EcoStar award for environmental activism to the Rolyn Sumlak award for occupational health and safety advocacy, AUPE awards are a great way to recognize someone in your workplace. For a full list of awards and to nominate your coworkers at any time, go to www.aupe. org/my-aupe/ and scroll down to Important Forms and Documents. <

Calling All

EcoStars AUPE’s Environment Committee is accepting nominations the

3rd annual EcoStar Award

Go online to nominate yourself or a fellow AUPE member

The EcoStar Award recognizes an AUPE member who has: • INTRODUCED OR CHAMPIONED ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES • • BEEN INVOLVED IN ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGNS • • LED ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES •

Nominations accepted until August 21, 2016 The award will be presented at Convention in October, 2016.

Details and nomination form available on the Environment Committee website: www.aupe.org/my-aupe/committees/environment/

For more information, contact:

Merryn Edwards, Environment Committee Staff Advisor Direct: 780-952-1951 Toll-free: 1-800-232-7284 m.edwards@aupe.org

DIRECT IMPACT 21

LABOUR NEWS

STAY INFORMED SAVE PAPER UPDATE YOUR EMAIL TODAY CAMPAIGN PUSHES GOVERNMENT TO KEEP PROMISE Closing public long-term care beds was who leads the union’s Anti-Privatization common during the Progressive ConservaCommittee. “Allowing these beds to close tive reign. That trend was not supposed to is a move in the opposite direction of what continue under the NDP, which promised the NDP promised during the 2015 election to create 2,000 new public long-term care and that’s not okay. beds in its 2015 election platform.

“Almost as soon as the announcement But in March, was made, AUPE was Alberta Health Serin Sundre for multiv ices re ve a le d 15 ple meetings with the long-term care beds community, the mayor, in Sundre would close.

MLA and others who Neither AHS nor the are united behind savgovernment consulted ing Sundre’s long-term with the community care. before making the “While some progAllowing these beds to close is a announcement. ress has been made, move in the opposite direction The closure anticiwe have still not seen of what the NDP promised pated the opening of a solid commitment during the 2015 election and the private, not-forto keep these muchthat’s not okay. profit Mountain View needed public beds in Seniors Housing facilthe community. We Karen Weiers, Vice-President ity. Health Minister will continue to presSarah Hoffman tried sure the government to justify the closure saying, “[patients] get to do the right thing, to keep its promise of to move from a hospital that’s over 40 years creating long-term care beds, and to keep this old into the new facility and get the approvital public service in Sundre,” said Weiers. priate level of care.”

Visit www.savesundreltc.com to get more But Mountain View is not set up to provide information, print a petition, and to send a the unique services long-term care patients letter to Minister Hoffman and all MLAs need. This means folks who need long-term asking them to save Sundre LTC. care in Sundre would be forced out to get it.

To date, close to 3,000 petition signatures “The sudden move by AHS stunned have been collected and more than 230 emails patients, their families and the community,” sent asking the government to save Sundre’s said AUPE Vice-President Karen Weiers, long-term care. < 22 DIRECT IMPACT

UPDATE YOUR INFO AT www.aupe.org/update-me

64

Exclusive deals for AUPE members AUPE members save on everything from fuel to fitness classes to financial products.

www.aupe.org/discounts

LABOUR NEWS

John Booth was the right leader at the right time for AUPE. His commitment to labour and members and willingness to go to the ropes were exactly what a new union needed.

AUPE will never forget his contributions.

Guy Smith, President

John Booth (1939-2016) One of AUPE’s founding leaders passes away John Booth, former AUPE president, passed away on April 8 at the age of 77.

Booth was elected Vice President of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees at its founding convention in 1977. A known occupational health and safety (OH&S) activist, Booth was responsible for creating one of the first full-time OH&S positions at any union in Canada.

Booth was elected interim president of the union in 1978 when founding President Bill Broad left to lead the National Union of Provincial Government Employees. He was then elected to his first full term as president in 1979 – a position he held until 1987.

During his nine-year presidency, AUPE completed its transformation from an employer-dominated association to a strong

effective union capable of defending its members’ rights. Booth led the union into its first major confrontation with the Alberta government in July 1980, when the government gave MLAs a 47-per-cent wage increase but tried to limit government employees to single digit raises. The ensuing strike lasted 16 days and involved thousands of government workers across the province.

Under Booth’s leadership, AUPE took the Alberta government to court over the Public Service Employee Relations Act, arguing that it violated Canada’s commitment to International Labour Organization treaties. Although the union lost in Alberta courts, its position has been vindicated by recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions involving the rights of public sector workers.

The union reached an unprecedented membership number of over 52,000 under Booth in the early 1980s, constructed its own headquarters, and began organizing other public sector workers in the province.

“John Booth was the right leader at the right time for AUPE,” said President Guy Smith. “His commitment to labour and members and willingness to go to the ropes were exactly what a new union needed. AUPE will never forget his contributions.”

John Booth is remembered as a dedicated, tough advocate for public employees and an important founding leader of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. His tireless work in AUPE’s formative years as a trade union laid the groundwork for the effective and strong union AUPE is today. < DIRECT IMPACT 23

LABOUR RELATIONS BRIEFS 020 ATB Financial: Tentative agreement reached A tentative agreement between ATB Financial and its employees was ratified following a vote on June 4.

Highlights of the settlement include wage increases of 2 per cent per year in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The employer indicated retroactive pay will be provided in late July.

Employees who left ATB after April 1, 2014 have until July 30, 2016, to request retroactive pay by contacting the ATB Human Resources department.

041, 043, 044, 045 & 046 AHS ANC: Mediation continues Non-monetary items for Alberta Health Services Auxiliary Nursing Care staff were finalized during mediation with the employer on May 26 and 27.

The mediation process has been positive thus far, and the bargaining committee hopes this continues during the monetary phase of mediation, scheduled to begin July 6 and 7.

The bargaining committee thanks all members for their continued patience during this very long and difficult round of bargaining.

AUPE represents more than 14,000 ANC employees of Alberta Health Services across the province.

042 Good Samaritan Society: Mediated agreement ratified Members at the Good Samaritan Society have a new collective agreement after both the union and the employer ratified a mediated agreement April 11.

The three-year agreement, which expires June 30, 2017, includes wage 24 DIRECT IMPACT

increases for both nursing and support service staff that will parallel whatever is negotiated or awarded from arbitration for Alberta Health Services’ ANC and GSS staff.

AUPE represents approximately 1,600 employees of the Good Samaritan Society employed in long-term care at facilities across the province.

047/016 St. Michael’s LTCC: Application for mediation The bargaining committee for staff at St. Michael’s Long Term Care Centre applied for mediation with the employer March 10.

The employer has not made much effort to meet the bargaining committee at the table. Scheduling dates for bargaining has been difficult, so the bargaining committee decided to see if mediation could speed the process along. Mediation dates will be scheduled in the near future.

AUPE represents over 130 employees at the seniors care facility in Edmonton.

047/024 Salem Manor (Leduc): Agreement ratified Employees at Salem Manor in Leduc ratified their new collective agreement March 14. The employees had been in bargaining since they joined AUPE in August 2013.

Highlights of the new collective agreement, which will expire on July 13, 2016, include wage increases of 2.5 per cent in 2013, 3 per cent in 2014, 2.5 per cent in 2015, and the 2016 increase from the AHS ANC agreement (which has yet to be completed), in addition to market adjustments to the last steps of the grid for LPNs and certified HCAs. As well, there were significant improvements to shift differentials and

MARCH 1 - JUNE 4, 2016

vacation calculations, and an additional paid holiday for full-time employees.

AUPE represents over 70 ANC employees at Salem Manor continuing care facility in Leduc.

047/039 Hardisty Care Centre: Application for mediation The bargaining committee for Hardisty Care Centre applied for mediation with the employer, Park Place, on March 2.

The employer tabled a monetary package that included no monetary changes to salary and other benefits over a four-year agreement after innumerable delays in bargaining.

Mediation dates will be scheduled in the near future.

AUPE represents over 120 employees at the Hardisty Care Centre seniors care facility in Edmonton.

047/043 Devonshire Care Centre: Application for mediation The bargaining committee for Devonshire Care Centre applied for mediation with the employer, Park Place, Feb. 24.

After many delays in bargaining, the employer finally offered a monetary package that included no changes to salary and other benefits over a fouryear agreement. Mediation dates will be scheduled in the near future.

AUPE represents over 170 employees at the Devonshire Care Centre seniors care facility in Edmonton.

048/017 Clifton Manor: Bargaining in bad faith complaint filed AUPE filed a bargaining in bad faith complaint against the Brenda Strafford Foundation April 26 for its potentially

illegal actions during bargaining for Clifton Manor employees.

The complaint contends the employer stalled on disclosing important bargaining and financial information, has repeatedly ignored the freeze period on changes to benefits while bargaining and has amended their proposals downwards many times.

AUPE and the Brenda Strafford Foundation have been in negotiations for a new collective agreement for Clifton Manor employees since January 2015. AUPE represents approximately 200 employees providing care to seniors at the facility in Calgary.

049 Capital Care ANC: Application for mediation The bargaining committee for Capital Care ANC members filed for mediation following bargaining April 19 and 20.

Despite seven full days of negotiations, progress has been limited, and the employer’s monetary proposal of 0 per cent for three years was unacceptable.

Mediation dates are yet to be determined.

054, 056, 057, 058 & 095 AHS GSS: Arbitrator’s award awaited Members of AUPE who work for Alberta Health Services in General Support Service roles continue to await the arbitrator’s award, which the union anticipates being received sometime this summer.

The binding arbitration hearing closed on Feb. 19 after four days of presentations by both the union and the employer. The union alone presented approximately 2,000 pages of evidence. The bargaining committee thanks all members for their continued patience during this very long and difficult round of bargaining.

AUPE represents more than 24,000 GSS employees of Alberta Health Services across the province.

057 Two Hills Health Centre: GSS employees join AUPE General Support Services employees at the Two Hills Health Centre voted to join AUPE in a reconsideration vote held March 9.

The 51 employees constituted one of the many small and widely scattered non-union AHS worksites, which date back to 2003. In April that year, the Alberta government passed legislation that combined all Auxiliary Nursing Care (ANC) and General Support Services (GSS) bargaining units into single region-wide units that corresponded to the health regions.

Worksites without union representation had their non-union status “grandfathered” in the legislation. Over the last six years, AUPE has brought union representation to over 20 such worksites across the province.

118/008 Mackenzie County: Bargaining in bad faith complaint filed After a shocking reversal, the bargaining committee for Mackenzie County employees filed a bargaining in bad faith complaint against their employer April 13.

Two days of bargaining in mid-March had produced a variety of articles and proposals agreed to by both parties, but on March 30 the employer came back to the table stating the county council rejected everything previously agreed to because the union had not agreed to the employer’s wage proposal of 0 per cent over two years, and that bargaining must start over.

The complaint contends the county council never had any intention of bargaining a collective agreement, that their bargaining committee never had the authority to bargain, and that they arbitrarily altered the terms and standards of practice for bargaining.

AUPE represents nearly 70 employees of Mackenzie County, which spans 80,000 square kilometres in the northwest corner of Alberta. <

Member Resource Centre

ONE NUMBER HELPING 87,000 MEMBERS If you’ve called AUPE lately, you already know the benefits of our Member Resource Centre. A team member connects you with the services you need faster than ever.

Most requests can be handled the minute we pick up your call. Have a complex issue? The next time you call, our new technology will allow us to pick up the conversation the same place it ended.

1-800-232-7284

DIRECT IMPACT 25

Spotlight on finance from Executive Secretary-Treasurer Jason Heistad

It’s important to support our members in times of crisis and that’s what our Members’ Benefits Committee is established to do.

T

hroughout my involvement in AUPE I have come across a number of members in need of some kind of assistance and I’m very proud of the way our union has responded.

It’s important to support our members in times of crisis and that’s what our Members’ Benefits Committee is established to do.

For the 2011 Slave Lake fire and 2013 southern Alberta flood, AUPE’s Members’ Benefit Committee set up separate funds, with financial support from AUPE locals, to respond to these emergencies.

A number of relief applications were received for both events, but not all members were impacted. Those members who did receive support had specific financial needs as a direct result of the disaster. The committee, through the application process, identified those needs and distributed funds appropriately.

This May, many Albertans were impacted by the massive Fort McMurray wildfire. All residents, including more than 600 AUPE members, were evacuated from the community.

There’s no doubt some AUPE members from Fort McMurray will need relief and we’ve set up a wildfire fund to help.

To date, various AUPE locals have donated 26 DIRECT IMPACT

$44,700 to assist the Members’ Benefits Committee in responding to the needs of members directly affected by the wildfire. These funds make up part of AUPE’s wildfire relief fund.

That fund will distribute relief to Fort McMurray members whose application has been approved by the Members’ Benefits Committee through the Benevolent Fund.

AUPE’s Members’ Benefit Committee will review relief applications for members directly affected by the Fort McMurray wildfire and employ the same approval process as used for the 2011 and 2013 disasters. However, this will take some time.

The Members’ Benefits Committee considers each completed application based on its own merit according to the guidelines established by Article 27.02 and the Members’ Benefits’ Committee’s Principles and Guidelines of the AUPE constitution. < In Solidarity,

Jason Heistad Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Social Workers: Advocating for Albertans Across Alberta, Registered Social Workers can be found helping others.

Often, you will find us advocating for those who are not able to speak for themselves.

As social workers, we are on the front lines, urging government to repair major cracks in our social infrastructure and to adopt social polices that look after the needs of vulnerable Albertans.

Alberta’s income disparity gap is a good example. A growing gap between the haves and have nots has resulted in more homelessness, more working poor, an affordable housing crisis and many other social problems.

Access to resources to meet basic human needs is every person’s right. Alberta’s 6000 Registered Social Workers are advocates for fairness and social justice.

Advocacy is a fundamental aspect of our professional ethics and at the heart of what we do.

Registered Social Workers (RSW): The professional standard in social work

R U O B A L A T R E B L A E H T E T U T I T S N I Y R O T S I H OUR PAST TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE OM

LEARNING FR OM

ALHI is proud of its ongoing work with AUPE in support of the union’s centennial project. We also appreciate the strong support from AUPE activists and leaders for our efforts to preserve and make public the vital, rich historical contributions of Alberta’s working people.

The Alberta college of Social Workers regulates social work practice in Alberta. Its primary focus is to serve and protect the public interest by promoting skilled and ethical social work. www.acsw.ab.ca

Support Social Justice Education in Our Schools The Aspen Foundation brings community values of social justice and a respect for fairness and equality to the classroom. The Foundation for Labour Education works to educate youth to allow them to work, live, and participate fully in a democratic society.

AFLE encourages the use of materials, resources, and speakers in our schools that reflect the best traditions in community values and democratic principles of our society.

How can I contribute?

Please mail your charitable donation to: Aspen Foundation for Labour Education 11 Bonin Place, Leduc AB T9E 6H6 Charitable donations can be made online: www.canadahelps.org “Supporting Labour and Social Justice Education in our Schools”

For more information: Phone: 780-986-1745 Email: afle@telus.net Website: www.afle.ca The Aspen Foundation for Labour Education is now a recognized charity by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (BN 881720510RR0001). You can support labour and social justice education in our schools with your charitable donation.

PUSH IT. PUSH IT REAL GOOD!

The AUPE mobile app, now with push notifications.

Download it now.

www.aupe.org Publications Mail Agreement: 40065207 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO ALBERTA UNION OF PROVINCIAL EMPLOYEES, 10451 170 St. NW, Edmonton, AB T5P 4S7