Last week, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta posted an update on their website regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by Covenant Health.
The HSAA represents over general support service workers employed by the Catholic private health care provider at their Bonnyville Health Centre facility.
These workers include programme assistants, clerks, pharmacy assistants, therapy attendants, recreation assistant, reprocessing technicians, and those working in food services, laundry, environmental services, and stores.
They had been without a new collective agreement for over two years, since their previous agreement expired in March 2024.
That all changed last month when workers voted in favour of ratifying the agreement. According to last week’s update, 61% of eligible workers participated in the ratification vote, but every one of them supported ratifying the tentative agreement.
The new 4-year agreement will expire in March 2028, and like most public sector collective agreements ratified over the last year or so, this one will include 3% wage increases every year.
| 1 April 2024 | 3.00% |
| 1 April 2025 | 3.00% |
| 1 April 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 April 2027 | 3.00% |
| 12.00% |
While 12% might seem signification, we should look at it in context. Take a look at their wage increases over their previous two collective agreements.
| 1 April 2017 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2018 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2019 | 1.00% |
| 1 April 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 September 2022 | 1.25% |
| 1 April 2023 | 2.00% |
| 4.25% |
Over their last two collective agreements, these workers saw their wages increase by 4.25%.
Meanwhile, between April 2016 and April 2023, the consumer price index of Alberta increased 28.6 points, from 135.1 points to 163.7 points. That is a jump of 21.17%.
Because inflation was 21.17% during the period these workers got a combined wage increase of 4.25%, this left them with a real wage cut of 16.92%.
A 12% wage increase, would still leave them nearly 7 percentage points behind inflation. Plus, that 12% is spread out over 4 years, which means 4 more years of inflation, further driving up that real wage gap.
For example, inflation between April 2023 and April 2026 alone hit 7.8%, pushing them back to nearly 15% behind the cost of living, and the collective agreement is barely half over.
To be clear, 12% is better than nothing, but it still falls short of what these workers need just to afford to live.
That being said, there were a few other changes that will improve pay a bit more for some of the workers, as the agreement promises market adjustment rates for several positions.
| Food services 1, step 1 | 8.33% + $0.33 |
| Food services 1, step 2 | 8.25% |
| Cook 1 | 3.20% |
| Stores | 3.09% |
| Environmental services worker I, step 1 | 12.55% |
| Environmental services worker I, step 2 | 12.80% |
| Linen service, step 1 | $0.12 an hour |
As well, workers who have been employed with Covenant Health for at least 20 years will receive an additional 2% log service pay adjustment. It will not be retroactive though.
The flexible spending account will increase $300, from $900 per year to $1,200 per year.
Diabetes health benefits have expanded to include flash glucose monitoring and continuous glucose monitoring systems.
Under the previous collective agreement, workers were entitled to 10 days of unpaid domestic violence leave. In the new agreement, half of those days will now be paid.
