Earlier this month, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by CapitalCare.
Based out Edmonton, CapitalCare is one of the largest public continuing care organizations in Canada. Their workers operate 10 care homes in the Edmonton area, as well as various day programmes, palliative care, rehabilitative care, and restorative care services.
AUPE represents thousands of nursing care and general support service workers employed by CapitalCare.
In this case, contract negotiations are on behalf of over 1,200 nursing care workers, including licensed practical nurses, nursing attendants, care housing attendants, and therapy assistants.
The most recent collective agreement for these workers expired nearly 2 years ago, in June 2024. Bargaining on the next collective agreement began in October of 2024.
Progress on non-monetary items moved pretty quickly, but they began to stall once negotiations shifted to monetary items.
Initial wage proposals from CapitalCare was 2% in each of the first two years followed by 1.75% in each of the final two years. However, the first year would have been as of ratification, so there would have been no retroactive pay.
This past February, they had changed their offer to 2% per year in each year, for a combined increase of 8% over 4 years, or 8.24% if we account for compounded increases.
The problem is that these workers recently had to endure 5 years in a row of wage freezes.
| 1 July 2017 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2018 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2019 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 January 2022 | 1.00% |
| 1 December 2022 | 1.25% |
| 1 July 2023 | 2.00% |
| 4.25% |
Over their last two collective agreements, these workers saw their wages increase by a combined 4.25%.
Meanwhile, during the same period, the consumer price index in Alberta increased 30.4 points, from 135.6 points to 166.0 points. That is a 22.42% jump.
So, if inflation was 22.42% during the same period that CapitalCare increased wages for these workers by only 4.25%, then it means these workers have been left with a cut to real wages of 18.17%.
An increase of just 7.5% is not going to make up for that loss in wages. That is not even half the amount needed. Even increasing it to 8% falls so short of the half way mark, especially if there is no retroactive pay.
According to an update from the workers’ bargaining committee last month, CapitalCare had since increased their wage proposal to 3% per year, for over a combined 12%, or 12.55% when compounded.
Unfortunately, that still fell short of the more than 18% needed to make up for lost wages.
Plus, that 12% (12.55%) would be spread out over 4 years, which means another 4 years of inflation, so even 18% would not be enough. Inflation has already increased by more than 5% since their last pay raise.
And that is not all.
This improved offer came with a price: no other monetary increases. To quote the workers’ bargaining team:
No market adjustments. No retro-pay for market adjustments. No increases to our spending accounts. No increase to responsibility pay. No paid days for domestic violence leave. No change to the appropriate pay for attending OHS meetings. No coverage for health care aides who now have to register and get insurance. No increases to benefits.
So, they still offered wage increases that are too low and refused to improve the material conditions of these workers in other ways, too.
That is pathetic.
After meeting 12 times to try negotiating a new agreement, the workers’ bargaining team realized that bargaining was at an impasse and initiated informal mediation.
The mediator, Mark Asbell, met with both parties twice in April and twice in May. Through his help, they were able to resolve most of the outstanding issues; however, the money was a sticking point for both sides.
As a result, Asbell drafted a set of recommendations to deal with those, which he published on the 12th.
Unexpectedly, Asbell recommended a 3% wage increase in each year of the 4-year deal:
| 1 July 2024* | 3.00% |
| 1 July 2025* | 3.00% |
| 1 July 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 July 2027 | 3.00% |
The first two years will be retroactive.
However, he sided with the workers’ bargaining team in that he realized that this alone is insufficient. Thus, he recommended market adjustments for both health care aides and licensed practical nurses.
| Health care aide, uncertified | 4.00% |
| Health care aide, certified | Match AHS nursing care contract |
| Licensed practical nurse | 10.00% |
The market adjustments must be applied before the annual wage increases are.
As well, the wage grid would remove the bottom step and bump everyone up a step, except for those who have topped out at the 5th step.
Asbell also recommended increases to two pay premiums:
| Old | New | |
|---|---|---|
| Preceptor pay | $0.65/hour | $2.00/hour |
| Responsibility pay | $1.25/hour | $3.50/hour |
Mileage has been changed to 57¢ per kilometre or the Government of Alberta rate, whichever is greater. In the previous collective agreement, workers were “reimbursed for the cost of reasonable, necessary and substantiated transportation
expense”.
The first 5 shifts taken off for domestic leave would all be paid. In the previous agreement, it was all unpaid leave.
CapitalCare would cover registration fees for all health care aides and licensed practical nurses who work at least 720 hours in the previous fiscal year. As well, they would cover up tp $190 for the first practice permit and insurance for health care aides.
The flexible spending account would increase from $1100 per year to $1200 per year.
There would no longer be a waiting period for when health beenfits kick in for new workers.
Eligible diabetic equipment, including a continuous glucose monitoring system, could be direct billed.
Services provided by a registered massage therapist would be reconfigured to be $1,000 per participant for each benefit year, with no per visit limit.
Voting on the new agreement begins today and ends on Wenesday. Workers voting on the agreement must log into MyAUPE to participate.
