Christenson Communities Ltd. Bargaining Update #5

Your Bargaining Committee and negotiators met on Wednesday, June 18 with the Employer for another day of bargaining, in the presence of a mediator. Unfortunately, yet again, we were left disappointed by resistance from the Employer to hear and understand the needs of our membership.

Bargaining began on November 18, 2024. On day one, the Employer requested the presence of a mediator to move forward. This is highly unusual, and demonstrated, right from the beginning, that the Employer was not openly invested in working collaboratively with our committee to address our proposals. We continued to become more and more frustrated with the availability of the Employer’s negotiator to bargain, hence the slow pace.

Throughout bargaining, your committee has been focused and patient. We have spent time conveying the needs of the membership only to be met with the Employer’s request for concessions! Your committee has recognized that our time with the Employer is no longer productive, and that we have reached the point of impasse.

What happens now?

Your committee has called a halt to further meeting dates until a Formal Mediator has been appointed. We will serve notice that we need to negotiate an Essential Services Agreement (ESA), which is a mandatory step that takes time.

We understand that ESAs may be unfamiliar territory for many members, and we will be providing more information about what they are and what to expect in an upcoming update.

Next steps and what you can do

We’ll keep you updated every step of the way. But, we need your help too.

Talk. Share. Mobilize.

Share this update with your co-workers. Talk to your friends and family. Let them know what this means, not just for you, but for the future of Alberta’s health-care system.

You will receive details to attend a member meeting soon and we encourage you to attend for further information and updates.

Thank you for your strength and your trust.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this bargaining update, please reach out to Ewa Defazio at ewad@hsaa.ca, Karen Caig at kCaig@hsaa.ca.

In solidarity,

Deanna Irish, Bargaining Committee, Health Care Aide
Roberta Jordan, Bargaining Committee, Health Care Aide
Ewa DeFazio, Labour Relations Officer/ Lead Negotiator
Karen Caig, Labour Relations Officer/ Negotiator