Categories
News

Calgary care home workers file to unionize

If their application is approved by the ALRB, nearly 200 workers will be able to vote on whether to join a union.

Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their final new applications report of April 2024. In it was an application for union certification.

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees filed the application on 24 April on behalf of workers employed by The Brenda Stafford Foundation.

Created in 1975, the foundation owns 5 facilities where about 1,200 workers provide long-term and assisted living care in Calgary and Okotoks.

This application is for the 180 or so workers employed at the organization’s Cambridge Manor facility located in northwest Calgary, near the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

AUPE also represents Brenda Stafford workers at their Clifton House and Wentworth Manor facilities, who ratified new contracts earlier this year.

The ALRB has scheduled a hearing for 15 May, during which time the employer will have a chance to argue why these workers shouldn’t be able to unionize with AUPE.

If the application is approved, the next step will be for the ALRB to supervise a vote, and the workers will have a chance to express whether they want to organize.

Because the ALRB doesn’t archive their new application reports, I’ve included a copy of this one below.

Update (9 July 2024): According to the AUPE, 91% of the workers who participated in the certification process ended up voting in favour of unionizing.

Support independent journalism

By Kim Siever

Kim Siever is an independent queer journalist based in Lethbridge, Alberta, and writes daily news articles, focusing on politics and labour.

Comment on this story

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Support The Alberta Worker

X

Discover more from The Alberta Worker

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading