Lethbridge care home lays off bargaining team

Last week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update on contract negotiations for Lethbridge care home workers.

Based out of British Columbia, Chantelle Management oversees the operation of the Edith Cavelle Care Centre in South Lethbridge, where they employ about 100 members of AUPE.

These workers include licensed practical nurses, health care aides, and those employed in the kitchen, laundry, housekeeping, and maintenance departments.

Their last collective agreement expired in November 2024, but it wasn’t ratified until the previous year, which left only one year remaining in their new contract. That contract wasn’t ratified for 3 years after the previous one expired.

Even though their most recent collective agreement has already expired, they met with the employer only last month to begin bargaining, 6 months after the expiry date. They sent out the bargaining survey only in February.

According to the update from the workers’ bargaining team, they expected the first bargaining session to focus on non-monetary items, which is a common practice, as they are easier to agree on.

However, Chantelle Management surprised those representing the workers by not only tabling monetary items, but including rollbacks. Yes, you read that right: they want to pay these workers less than they’re already making.

Here’s what they proposed:

• Lower reporting pay
• Lower overtime rates
• Smaller flex spending account
• Less sick time and sick time benefits
• Fewer hours between shifts
• No more banked overtime for time off in lieu

These workers got only a 4% raise in their last contract, and that’s over 4 years, with a wage freeze in the first year. And that’s on top of two more wage freezes in the agreement previous to that one.

Giving these workers 3 years of wage freezes and below-inflation increases and then asking them to accept even less pay or benefits is insulting.

But, to make matters worse, the bargaining team for these workers reported that they both were laid off by Chantelle Management. The bargaining team members have filed grievances and plan to continue to negotiate on behalf of the workers. They also negotiated the last collective agreement.

The next bargaining session isn’t until September.