AHS NC: The employer asks for rollbacks - we ask to end mediation

We met with the employer on October 3, 9, and 10 for mediation.

Both sides shared proposals over the course of these three days, which led to both sides removing several non-monetary language proposals.

Both sides were asked to identify their priorities, which, of course, your team was already prepared for.

Our priorities include raises that recognize our scope of practice; improving our hours of work; better benefits; professional development, fees, and licensing; and improved transportation expenses for members who are required to use their vehicles for work. 

The employer does not share these priorities.

The employer wants rollbacks 

The employer shared a counter package on October 10.

The employer has proposed several rollbacks, including:

- Rolling back Orthopaedic Technician wages;
- Rolling back Renal Dialysis LPN wages;
- New as of mediation: Grandfathering Connect Care Credentialed Trainers, but offering significantly lower wages for new trainers.

The only wage increase the employer offered is 12% over 4 years. They also want to roll back professional development days for part-time employees (pro-rated to FTE), as well as deny professional development days to Health Care Aides even though they now have professional licensing requirements. 

Your team did not budge. We will stick to our monetary proposals, which you clearly identified as a priority and gave us a mandate to pursue. We did not compromise on these items.

Ending mediation

We have asked our mediator to end formal mediation. We expect their report on Tuesday, Oct. 14, after which we will enter a two-week cooling-off period. 
Members will be able to take a legal strike vote after this cooling-off period, which will likely end on Oct. 29.

Town Halls October 16, 12 Noon and 7:00 p.m.

Your negotiating team is hosting two telephone town halls on October 16.

Join us at 12 Noon and 7:00 p.m. (1900) to ask your important questions about our next steps. We will share more information about the town halls in the coming days.

Your team wants to ensure all members are informed and feel empowered to make the collective decision that is best for our bargaining unit.

Sign up for a MyAUPE account today to ensure you can participate in future votes and receive strike pay. Visit aupe.org/user/register to create an account today. 

Continue to wear red to show your support, and sign up for Strike Captain Training to help us prepare for action. We need strong Strike Captains if we vote to hit the picket lines. 

Please contact your negotiating team representative if you have any questions.

AHS NURSING CARE NEGOTIATING TEAM

Local 041

Christine Vavrik
rvavrik@shaw.ca    

Catherine Sivasankar (alt)
accb@shaw.ca

Local 043

Sandy Miller
smiller98@msn.com      

Jennifer Power (alt)
cherrigarcia24@yahoo.ca 

Local 044 

Marg Miller
marg.miller@hotmail.ca    

Jesse Philp (alt)
jreimerlpn@gmail.com

Local 045

Nancy Burton
ndburton@hotmail.com

Angela Smyth (alt)
angelscare.as@gmail.com

Local 046

Marty Roy
bargaininglocal46@gmail.com

Heather Stewart (alt)
stewart.h@live.ca

AUPE RESOURCE STAFF
Kate Robinson, Lead Negotiator
k.robinson@aupe.org

Chris Dickson, Negotiator
c.dickson@aupe.org