AHS Bargaining Update #20

Bargaining updates

In our last bargaining update from January 31, we identified AHS’s unwillingness to move off their insulting wage offer and serious concessions in our collective agreement and that those actions resulted in the end of informal mediation.

  • AHS has offered only 10 per cent (3%, 3%, 2%, 2%).
  • We are fighting for a 20 per cent increase over four years (7.5%, 4.5%, 4%, 4%).

Lump sum payments are being offered instead of wage increases, effectively freezing the wages of the following professions:

  • Health Information Management Professionals
  • Social Workers
  • Speech Language Pathologists
  • Respiratory Therapists
  • Pharmacy Technicians

You can find out more about the state of where negotiations left off in our previous bargaining update #19.

Since January 31, we have been working to finalize our Essential Services Agreement (ESA) for submission to the Alberta Labour Relations Board, for approval.

An ESA is a contract between the employer and HSAA that sets staffing levels during a strike or lockout to ensure public health and safety. Once an ESA is in place, it allows unions to strike and employers to lock out unionized employees. Services are only essential if interrupting them would:

  1. Endanger the life, personal safety or health of the public, or
  2. Be necessary to maintain rule of law or public security.

You can find out more about ESA’s, mediations and strikes in our FAQ.

We have also been working behind the scenes to mutually agree with AHS on a mediator for formal mediation, as well as meeting dates that the parties may be available to meet.

Along with the work being done on the ESA, other preparations will continue, your bargaining committee will be meeting again on March 6 to further prepare for next steps.

On Feb 11, we also provided you with a comprehensive FAQs document to clarify what the transition from informal to formal bargaining means for our membership.

This is available on hsaa.ca - Bargaining FAQ: Mediation & Next Steps

A PDF is linked below:

📄Bargaining FAQ: Mediation & Next Steps

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to ahsbargaining@hsaa.ca.

In solidarity,

Your AHS Bargaining Team 

Megan Connolly, Social Worker, Calgary (Chair) 
Sarah Dorma, Social Worker, Calgary 
Jason Soklofske, Advanced Care Paramedic, Medicine Hat (South) 
Vicki Wakulchyk, Addictions Counsellor, Calgary 
Sarah Mullin, Social Worker, Red Deer (Central) 
Kelly Sherwood, Advanced Care Paramedic, Edmonton 
Chandra Arsenault, Respiratory Therapist, Edmonton 
Brittany Fandrick, Dental Hygienist, Westlock (North) 
Todd Romanow, HSAA Labour Relations Officer (Lead Spokesperson) 
Jody Machtans, HSAA Labour Relations Officer (Spokesperson) 
Sheena Schiemann, HSAA Administrative Assistant Negotiations