Alberta Legislature (file photo)

By Connor Gunn/LethbridgeNewsNOW

labour peace

AUPE ratifies new deal with Alberta Government, increasing wages

Dec 13, 2021 | 5:40 PM

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) has agreed to a new deal with Alberta’s Government to help employees in the province.

The AUPE represents about 95,000 workers in the province, including about 22,000 direct government workers.

Approximately 46 per cent of those eligible to vote cast ballots. Of those, 91 per cent voted in favour of the new deal.

The agreement, which will expire March 31, 2024, includes:

• Employment Security for permanent staff will stay in effect until Dec. 31, 2022
• 1.25% salary increase effective Jan. 1, 2023
• Minimum 1.5% salary increase with potential for additional 0.5% increase based on economic factors effective Sept. 1, 2023
• 8% salary increase for employees performing duties as part of the Rural Alberta Provincial Integrated Defence (RAPID) Response force as a result of significant expansion of policing duties, responsibilities and risks. The 8% increase will be retroactive to April 1, 2021, and remain in place as long as RAPID exists

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Guy Smith, president of the AUPE, says members have worked hard for this new contract.

“While these negotiations proceeded, our members have worked through a deadly global pandemic while continuing to provide vital services to Albertans. We appreciate the determination our members displayed to support each other and their negotiating team. They stood strongly opposed to the proposed employer concessions and to secure a collective agreement that respects them and the services they provide.”

The government withdrew concessions it had been seeking which included:

• 4% salary rollback;
• Elimination of employment security;
• Significant reduction in shift differential pay;
• Significant reduction in weekend premium pay;
• Elimination of the paid Christmas closure days;
• Added benefit plan costs for employees;
• Reductions in overtime pay; and
• Reductions in the Health Spending Account (HSA) provisions.

Minister of Treasury Board and Finance Travis Toews issued the following statement about the new collective agreement:

“I am pleased to announce that unionized members of the Alberta Public Service (APS) have voted to accept the Mediator’s recommendation.

“This four-year agreement comes after months of dedicated negotiations between the Government of Alberta and the union. Full details of the ratified deal will be made available in the coming days.

“I want to thank AUPE leadership for helping us achieve labour stability for the public service.

“This agreement recognizes the province’s long-term economic outlook, and offers members compensation increases in the third and fourth year of the contract. Our goal has always been to bring spending in line with other provinces, and this deal accomplishes that goal.

“I am hopeful that other public sector unions will look to this successful process, and that bargaining will proceed constructively across the broader public sector.

“The government respects the hard work and dedication of Alberta’s Public Service employees and their contribution to our province.”

(With files from rdnewsNOW.com)