GSBC Update #34: GoA Members to Vote on Mediator’s Recommendation

Mediation between the Government Services Bargaining Committee (GSBC) and the Government of Alberta has come to an end with the mediator writing a recommendation for settlement that would form a new collective agreement if ratified by the membership and the government.

As we heard at previous town halls and membership meetings, you—the GoA members— wanted to have the final decision on whatever the outcome was in bargaining and mediation. We recognize and respect this and the GSBC is now placing that decision in your hands through a vote to be held from Friday, August 29 at 9:00 a.m. to Wednesday, September 3 at 4:30 p.m.  

This vote will be online only through your MyAUPE account.  

If you do not yet have a MyAUPE account, please sign up on www.aupe.org/myaupe as soon as possible.

We want you to be fully informed when casting your vote and making this critical decision. Ultimately, if the majority of you vote “yes,” you will have a new collective agreement. If the majority of you vote “no,” we will go on strike before September 9.  

In addition to the information below and attached, we will be holding important telephone town hall meetings on Thursday, August 28 at 12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. We strongly encourage you to attend these town halls to get as informed as possible.  

We continue to thank you for your ongoing involvement and engagement in your bargaining. It’s more important than ever that you participate in this crucial vote.

Below are summaries of changes and links to ensure that you are as fully informed as possible in making your decision.

Mediator’s recommendations

Click here to see the mediator’s full recommendations for our new collective agreement. Here are the highlights:  

• Term of agreement: April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2028.
• Monetary improvements:
  • General Salary Increase: 3% increase April 1, 2024 (retroactive); 3% April 1, 2025 (retroactive); 3% April 1, 2026; 3% April 1, 2027.
  • Grid Adjustment: Some grids are adjusted to ensure there is a minimum of 4% between steps.*
  • Market adjustments: Effective on date of ratification, certain classifications will receive various levels of market adjustments.* 
    *Classifications that are eligible for a market adjustment are listed in paragraph 9 of the Mediator's Report. Classifications affected by the Grid Adjustment to a minimum of 4% between steps are listed in Appendix "B" of the Mediator's Report. Some classifications are eligible for both.
  • Classifications below the living wage of $22.65/hour will be adjusted to that level on date of ratification.  
  • Long Service Increment: Effective on date of ratification, a 2% salary increase upon reaching 20 years of service by date of ratification or when you reach 20 years during the life of the agreement.
  • Flexible Spending Account: Effective April 1, 2026, an increase by $300 to a total of $1200 annually.
  • Additional Paid Holiday: Effective on date of ratification, includes any other holiday proclaimed by the governments of Canada or Alberta.  
  • Additional Personal Day: Effective on date of ratification.
  • Recruitment, Attraction and Retention fund: Effective on date of ratification, a fund of $11.4 million annually with a 4% increase each year, jointly administered between GoA and AUPE, to provide additional incentives in areas that are facing recruitment and retention issues.

Click here to refer to the charts (broken down by Local) identifying how each classification is affected by the pay increase, pay grade adjustments, and grid shift.

As you can see, this is a complicated monetary settlement involving varying factors that will impact members based on classification, years of service, and which step they’re at on the pay grid. To this end, we are in the process of constructing an online calculator that you can use, as accurately as possible, to determine what monetary gains you will be receiving if we ratify this agreement. The calculator is targeted to be ready and available by the time voting opens on Friday, August 29 at 9:00 a.m. You can access the calculator through your MyAUPE account only.

Articles agreed to by the GSBC and GoA

Click here for the complete list of Articles agreed to by the GSBC and GoA during bargaining and mediation. Here’s a summary of changes to the Master Agreement:

• Article 18 & 18A – Shift Differential & Weekend Premiums: Members will now receive weekend premiums and shift differential (evening and nights) while working overtime.  
• Article 27 – Probationary Period: Minor improvement to language.
• Article 28 – Disciplinary Action: Added member protection during the process and updated timelines.  
• Article 29 – Grievance Procedure: Clarified timelines for members.
• Article 32 – General Illness: Added language to assist members in workplace accommodations.
• Article 33 – Proof of Illness: Added additional professions that can provide proof of illness (Chiropractor, Nurse Practitioner, Physiotherapist, and Psychologist, if licensed to practice in Alberta). Clarified fitness to work assessment process.  
• Article 36 – Paid Holidays: Added recognition of all provincially and federally named holidays.
• Article 38 – Special Leave: Added language to now include child, sibling, and spouse. Changed from 3 to 4 personal days under special leave.  
• Article 43 – Safety and Health: New OH&S program implementation.  
• Article 44 – Parking: Improved language for when the employer requires an employee to use their person vehicle for work purposes. The employer will now assign parking or reimburse the employee for parking in accordance with the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expense Directive.  
• Article 47 – Term and Effective Date: April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2028.  
• Article 51 – Recruitment, Selection and Appointment: Improved language for recruitment process.
• Article 52 – Classification: Significant changes to help members and streamline the process.  
• Article 56 – (New) Protective Clothing: Moved from Subsidiaries to the Main Agreement to ensure all employees are covered where deemed required.
   
• Letter of Understanding #6 – Flexible Spending account: Increase from $900 to $1200 per year starting in the next benefit year (April 1, 2026).  
• Letter of Understanding #19 – (New) Exclusions Review: Employer and Union agree on evaluating positions in and out of scope.    
• Letter of Understanding #23 – (New) Recruitment, Attraction and Retention Fund: Employer to put in $11.4 million dollars per year (with a 4% yearly increase).  
• Letter of Understanding #24 – (New) Mental Health Supports: A new and comprehensive mental health support for members to have access to trauma-informed psychological services with direct billing to the employer or reimbursement (if parameter met for preexisting psychologist).  
• Letter of Understanding #25 – (New) Work Schedule: Employees can adjust schedules with a vote in collaboration with the employer.
• Letter of Understanding #26 – (New) Religious Holiday Recognition: Parties acknowledge the employees’ right to follow their religious beliefs as a protected ground under the Alberta Human Rights Act. The employer must accommodate employees where operationally feasible.  
• Letter of Understanding #27 – (New) Commencing of Bargaining: Parties agree to start the next round of bargaining earlier (in the fall of 2027).  
• Letter of Understanding #28 – (New) Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: Parties recognize the need for a joint committee to review the impacts of A.I.  
• Letter of Clarification – (New) Hybrid Work: The employer clarifies that the process for an employee to do hybrid work will be through an application. The employer has 30 days to reply to the application and provide a written rationale of their decision. Employees have the right to file a grievance if they feel there is inconsistent treatment by the employer or where the 30-day timeframe is not adhered to.

Subsidiary Articles

Here’s a summary of the Subsidiary (Local) Articles and Letters of Understanding (LOU) the GSBC and GoA agreed to during bargaining:

• Subsidiary 1
  • Article 4 – Uniforms: Increase shoe allowance for Judicial Clerks.
  • Multiple market adjustments.
• Subsidiary 2  
  • Elimination of two-tiered pay grid for PS3s and PS4s.
• Subsidiary 3  
  • Article 4 – Protective Clothing: Small increase to boot allowance.
  • Article 5 – Court Time: Slight increase to hours paid when having to attend court.
  • Market adjustments for 9 out of 10 classifications.
• Subsidiary 4  
  • Article 6 – High Rigging Allowance: Increase to high rigging allowance and addition of mobile elevated work platforms and working on rugged terrain.  
  • LOU #7 – (New) Apprentice Utilization Program: Reintroducing the apprenticeship program in the GOA.
• Subsidiary 5  
  • LOU #1 – Seasonal Wage Employees: Changed language from “may” get a step to “shall” get a step.
  • LOU #3– Specialist Modifier: Introduces a three-tiered approach to the modifier and adds new roles. This returns the modifier to close to the historical average.  
  • LOU – (New) Seasonal Wildland Firefighters: This new LOU gives returning Seasonal Firefighters a one-step increase if they have worked 90 days in the previous season. If they move into an NR3 or a NR4 role, they shall receive a two-step increase if that is available.
  • Elimination of two-tiered pay grid for NR9s.
• Subsidiary 6  
  • Article 3 – Overtime: Improved language to give members the choice to balance their hours over a one-week period or take normal overtime provisions.
  • LOU #4 – (New) Child Intervention Practitioner: New classification.
• Subsidiary 9
  • Article 8 – Weekend Premium: Weekend premium pay to align with scheduled hours of 2:53 pm Friday till 7:15 am Monday.  
  • LOU #6 – (New) Health Care Aide Regulation: ISW2 upgrading to Health Care Aide to align with upcoming regulations. Any required additional training will be at the cost of the employer. Upon completion and changeover, a compensation review will occur.    
  • LOU #7 – (New) COVID Lump sum: 1% lump sum for all hours worked in 2021.
• Subsidiary 12  
  • Article 6 – High Rigging Allowance: Increase to high rigging allowance and addition of mobile elevated work platforms and working on rugged terrain
  • LOU #4 – Specialist Modifier: Added Forestry GIS Specialist.
  • LOU #6 – Winter Change Trail Crew: Confirming two-week work shift and added Bow Valley trail crews.

The ratification vote will take place online from Friday, August 29 at 9:00 a.m. to Wednesday, September 3 at 4:30 p.m. Make sure you have signed up for your MyAUPE account: www.aupe.org/myaupe. 

AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM - GOA GOVERNMENT SERVICES BARGAINING COMMITTEE (GSBC)

Local 001

Kathleen Buss, GSBC Representative
quilterbuss@gmail.com

Local 002

Lorraine Ellis, GSBC Representative
ellisl1950@shaw.ca

Local 003

Dax Lydiard, GSBC Representative
003bargaining@gmail.com

Local 004

Bowman Pringle, GSBC Representative
bowman.pringle@gmail.com

Local 005

Jeffrey Bleach, GSBC Representative
bargaininglocal005@aupe.ca

Local 006

Rob Poggemiller, GSBC Representative
poggrobe@hotmail.com

Local 009

Russell Clark, GSBC Representative
russell.clark@shaw.ca

Local 012

Richard Hansen, GSBC Representative
local012Bargaining@outlook.com

AUPE STAFF NEGOTIATOR

James Mitchell, Negotiations
j.mitchell@aupe.org