Alberta’s Public Sector Seniors Housing Workers Receive Initial Pay Increase

Initial Pay Increase for Alberta’s Public Sector Seniors Housing Workers

Workers at southeast Alberta’s public sector seniors housing operation have recently agreed to an initial pay increase, signaling the beginning of a four-year wage freeze. This development emerged from one of four contracts filed by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local No. 46, based in Medicine Hat. The organization in question, the Cypress View Foundation, is jointly funded and governed by Cypress County, Redcliff, and Medicine Hat. Its mission is to provide affordable housing to the elderly residents of the region.

Details of the Collective Agreements

The contracts include wage hikes for union positions, which will be followed by a period of wage freezes. Subsequently, these will be followed by percentage increases. Collective agreements, inclusive of those with the Medicine Hat Public Library, Medicine Hat Community Housing Society, and the River Ridge Seniors Village, have been filed with the Alberta Jobs Ministry. Moreover, Alberta Health Services and Covenant Health have secured their first contract with the Alberta Union of Nurse Practitioners, which covers AHS and Covenant members of AUNP in the province.

Publications and Reports Shedding Light on Collective Bargaining Activities

For those interested in diving deeper into this topic, there are resources available online. Jobs, Economy and Trade in Edmonton have published a monthly report on collective bargaining activities in Alberta and other jurisdictions. This report covers key labour settlements, disputes, economic trends, and other pertinent events. It provides a comprehensive view of the labor landscape, both within the province and beyond.

Collective Bargaining Talks with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools

However, not all collective bargaining talks have been smooth sailing. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) announced that their talks with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools have broken down. The school board has refused to deviate from its original bargaining position, leading the union to claim that the board’s proposals are attempting to remove longstanding provisions from the collective agreement.

Provincial Negotiations Update

On another note, the UNA Provincial Negotiations Update #1 mentioned an exchange of proposals with Employers (AHS, Covenant, Lamont, and Bethany Camrose) on February 6, 2024. The Employer proposal package was non-monetary, but they indicated they will table monetary proposals next week. The priorities of the Employers were also indicated.

Wage Details for Employees Under Collective Agreements in the Utilities Sector

Lastly, for those interested in wage details for employees working under collective agreements in the utilities sector in Alberta, a monthly update is available. It provides information on collective agreements, employers, unions, the number of employees covered, the expiry date, and annual wage increases in percentages per year.