Last week, 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 the update from the workers’ bargaining committee earlier this week, CapitalCare has since increased their wage proposal to 3% per year, for over a combined 12%, or 12.55% when compounded.
Unfortunately, that still falls short of the more than 18% needed to make up for lost wages.
Plus, that 12% (12.55%) is 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 comes 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 are still offering wage increases that are too low and refusing to improve the material conditions of these workers in other ways, too.
That is pathetic.
The workers’ bargaining team plans to have an informal mediator at the next bargaining meeting with CapitalCare; although the date for that has not been set.
