Last week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update on their website regarding contract negotiations for long-term care workers.
These 200 or so workers are employed by Covenant Health at St. Therese Villa, a supportive living facility in Lethbridge that serves over 200 residents. They include licensed practical nurses, health care aides, activity assistants, programme assistants, and people working in maintenance.
The previous contract for these workers expired back in March 2024.
These workers recently approved the new four-year collective agreement in their ratification vote. Of those who participated, 100% voted in favour of ratification.
Annual wage increases were one of the highlights in last week’s update. These workers are set to get 12% over 4 years, which is what most public sector collective agreements have been receiving over the last year or so.
The first 3 wage increases will be retroactive, given how long negotiations took.
| 1 April 2024* | 3.00% |
| 1 April 2025* | 3.00% |
| 1 April 2026* | 3.00% |
| 1 April 2027 | 3.00% |
This is better than the 7.5% that Covenant Health proposed back in October 2024. Plus, the first wage increase they had proposed was based on the date of ratification, which they assumed would have been in 2024, so they may not have even ended up with 7.5% if they had accepted that offer.
That being said, 12% is way less than the 35% that the workers had tabled. Plus they wanted it over just 2 years. So, they get a third of what they asked for and spread out over twice the length.
For a 12% increase, Covenant Health had to move 4.5 percentage points. On the other hand, the workers had to move 23 percentage points. This was definitely not a middle-of-the-road wage settlement.
Keep in mind that these workers had to deal with several year of wage freezes in their last few contracts:
| 2015 | 1.20% |
| 2016 | 0.80% |
| 2017 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 0.00% |
| 2021 | 1.00% |
| 2022 | 1.25% |
| 2023 | 2.00% |
| 6.25% |
During their last 3 contracts, these workers saw 5 wage freezes, which kept their combined wage increase to just 6.25%.
The consumer price index in Alberta, in comparison, grew from 132.2 in April 2014 to 163.7 in April 2023. That’s an increase of 31.5 points, or 23.83%.
Because their wage increases totalled just 6.25% during the same period when inflation ballooned to 23.83%, these workers were left with a cut to real wages of 17.58%.
Even with a 12% increase, they are still going to be nearly 6% behind inflation. And remember, that 12% is spread out over 4 years, so that means another 4 years of inflation. The first two years of the new collective agreement has already seen inflation over 4.5%, bring real wage losses to about 10%, and the workers are only halfway through the new contract.
Hey, 12% is better than nothing, but these workers are still behind the increase to cost of living.
Keep in mind that at the end of their last collective agreement, some of these workers were still making less than $20 an hour.
However, there is additional good news, at least for health care aides. These workers have had the bottom 3 steps of their wage grid removed, and all health care aides will be bumped up in the wage grid, except for those who were already on the top step.
As well, there will be an additional 2% added to paycheques for any workers who have been with Covenant Health for at least 20 tears.
Here are some other highlights from the recently ratified collective agreement.
Covenant Health has agreed to cover registration fees for all health care aides and licensed practical nurses who worked 720 hours or more in the previous fiscal year. Plus, health care aides will have their first practice permit and insurance compensated up to $190.
The flexible spending account will increase from $1,100 to $1,200 effective the first of the month following 60 days after the date of ratification.
Preceptor pay has increased from 65¢ an hour to $2 an hour, and in-charge pay has more than doubled, from $1.25 to $3.50 an hour. As well, Covenant Health is introducing a new acting incumbency pay of $3.50 an hour.
Workers who are on call will have their premium increased from $4.25 an hour to $7 an hour.
The boot allowance has increased from $200 every two years to $250 every two years.
Under the previous agreement, workers who were laid off would be notified at least 14 days before the lay off took effect. That has increased to 28 days.
Domestic violence leave under the previous agreement was completely unpaid. Covenant Health has agreed to make the first 5 days of this leave paid.
The company’s Rural Capacity Investment Fund, which was used to recruit and retain workers in hard-to-recruit areas, was $770,000 in the last collective agreement. It will now be $2.3 million.
Workers needing compression stocking will no longer need a doctor’s note to claim it under their health insurance. Coverage will depend on the pressure gradient of the stockings, but will range from $68.75 a pair to $250 a pair.
Blood testing monitors for diabetic workers will also no longer need a doctor’s note. As well, insulin pumps and supplies can now be direct billed. Diabetes coverage now includes flash glucose monitoring systems and continuous glucose monitoring systems.
Benefits coverage for chartered psychologists, social workers, and addictions counsellors shall be reconfigured the $50 per-visit maximum and the $500 per year maximum into a combined maximum of $3000 per participant per benefit year.
On a related note, massage coverage will change to a $1000 maximum per participant per benefit year with no other caps. Previously, there was a $50 per-visit cap and a 20-visit-per-year cap.
