Red Deer Polytechnic: We deserve good raises, but the employer says no

Your negotiating team met with the employer on July 23 to continue bargaining. We exchanged our monetary proposals and are disappointed, but not surprised, with the employer’s low offer.

This is not just a problem with RDP. Employers are serving up low-ball offers and stubborn resistance at post-secondary bargaining tables across Alberta. We must stand together and prepare to fight for what we deserve!

The employer’s monetary proposal

RDP’s proposal includes a wage adjustment of 10% total over 4 years, with no retro pay until July 2025.

• July 1, 2024 – 0%
• July 1, 2025 – 2%
• Date of ratification – 2%
• July 1, 2026 – 3%
• July 1, 2027 – 3%

They also want to:

• Convert the Health Spending Account to a Flexible Spending Account, but they want to keep it at $750/year.
• Get rid of AD&D insurance (because they say it rarely benefits anyone).
• Decrease the number of hours to qualify for shift differential.
• Reduce severance of full-time employees when the employer replaces them with contract workers (from 8 weeks to 5 weeks).

Our monetary proposal

Our monetary proposal is much better, and includes significant raises over 3 years.

• July 1, 2024 – 13%
• July 1, 2025 – 6.5%
• July 1, 2026 – 6.5%

We also proposed:

• Adding health benefits for temporary employees.
• Increasing shift differentials from $1.40 to $2.50.
• Holiday recognition for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Easter Monday.
• 100% ER paid benefits.
• Changing from a Health Spending Account to a Flexible Spending Account and increasing the amount from $750 to $1500.

Next meeting dates

Your negotiating team will meet with the employer again in October to continue bargaining. We have not set the exact dates yet. Stay tuned for details.

Make sure to wear red to show your support! We need Red Deer Polytechnic to see that we are united and take bargaining seriously.

If you have any questions, please contact a member of your negotiating team.

AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM – RED DEER POLYTECHNIC

Terry Oakley
sallterdesign@gmail.com

Anne Marie Watson
amjwatson@gmail.com

Cydney Howey
cydhowey@gmail.com

AUPE RESOURCE STAFF

Kate Robinson Negotiations
k.robinson@aupe.org