FALL 2013
DIRECT IMPACT
Published by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
WILDCAT
THE FULL STORY
AUPE 37th ANNUAL CONVENTION ISSUE
EXECUTIVE ELECTION CANDIDATE STATEMENTS INSIDE
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services you need faster than ever. Most requests can be handled
the minute we pick up your call. Have a complex issue? The next
time you call, our new technology will allow us to pick up the
conversation the same place it ended.
DO YOU
WORK IN
SENIORS’
CARE?
If so, your union would like a few minutes of
your time to tap your working experiences
and knowledge.
Simply go to our website at
www.aupe.org/caresurvey/
and fill out a short survey about your work.
You can help AUPE build a more accurate
picture of continuing care staffing levels and
funding.
Thank you.
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
2013 Annual Report available online
To access AUPE’s 2013 Annual Report online, go to the
union website – www.aupe.org – and click the Annual
Report icon on the right-hand side of the web page.
Members can fill out an online form requesting that a
paper copy be mailed to their home address or simply call
780-930-3326 or 1-800-232-7284, and ask for Mary Guido.
Please see page 5 for a financial summary from
Executive Secretary-Treasurer Bill Dechant
FALL 2013 CONTENTS
ON THE COVER
DIRECT IMPACT
The wildcat strike brought together AUPE members from
across the province to make their concerns about safety
known. (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson)
Direct Impact is published
quarterly, with a circulation of
more than 80,000.
PG
8
President
Guy Smith
Exec. Sec.-Treasurer
Bill Dechant
Vice-Presidents
Jason Heistad
Erez Raz
Carrie-Lynn Rusznak
Glen Scott
Susan Slade
Karen Weiers
Executive Director
Ron Hodgins
Editor
Mark Wells
Contributors
Tyler Bedford
Vanessa Bjerreskov
Andrew Hanon
The southern Alberta floods
devastated communities. Our
members tell their stories
from the frontlines.
Design
Jon Olsen
Telephone: 1-800-232-7284
Fax: 780-930-3392
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[email protected]
www.aupe.org
BY THE NUMBERS
POST-SECONDARY
13148
AUPE
EXECUTIVE
ELECTION
Canadian Publications Mail
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Return undeliverable Canadian
addresses to:
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PG
33
PG
12
As promised, AUPE presents a
special feature on the wildcat
strike of April 2013.
A
FLOOD
OF
SUPPORT
The most massive cuts in this year’s
budget were aimed at post-secondary
institutions. But the numbers don’t add up.
Election
Candidates
Declared candidates
for the 2013 executive
election share their
platforms.
PG
6
From the President4
Labour News 16
Labour Relations Briefs30
Focus on AUPE32
Steward Notes
Pull Out
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DIRECT IMPACT 3
FROM THE
PRESIDENT
W
elcome to another issue of
Direct Impact. I hope that if you did
get the chance for a summer break, that
you found time for some relaxation with
family and friends.
From AUPE’s perspective, the summer
months did not bring a slowdown to the
amount of issues we are facing or the
amount of work that we are engaged in on
a number of important fronts.
In addition to the ongoing activity over
the summer, AUPE is in full Convention
preparation mode. Our Annual
Convention, being held October 17-19 in
Edmonton, will bring together more than
800 activists and leaders who are elected
delegates, as well as dozens of observers,
guests and life members. It is our single
most important gathering of the year that
will democratically chart the course for
AUPE for the year ahead.
At Convention there will also be
elections for the AUPE’s executive
committee consisting of President,
Executive Secretary-Treasurer and six VicePresidents. All of those who have already
declared their intention to run for any of
these positions have provided a written
piece in this issue. I encourage you to take
the time to read these because even though
you might not be a Convention delegate
it is important for you to get to know the
dedicated activists who are committing
themselves to helping lead AUPE as it
continues to build on its strength, public
presence, and visibility throughout Alberta.
There is no doubt that AUPE’s presence
is felt far and wide across the province. We
are engaged in a number of communitybased campaigns, such as the effort in
4 DIRECT IMPACT
Red Deer to stop the closure of Michener
Centre, and in Athabasca to protest
the cuts to post-secondary education.
These campaigns, which directly engage
Albertans in their home communities, will
continue and expand as we take the lead
role in protecting front line services and
our members who provide them. A number
of the stories in this issue highlight some
of the work that is being done in various
communities across the province.
Additionally, some of the challenging
rounds of bargaining we are currently
engaged in are also featured. From the
frustrating negotiations, heading towards
arbitration, with the Government of Alberta
to the volatile bargaining with Extendicare
that could result in the largest private sector
long term care strike in Alberta’s history,
we are increasingly confronting employers
who, despite Alberta’s huge economic and
population growth, are intent on seeking
rollbacks and freezes.
Let us not forget the brave members
at Chantelle Waterford in Edmonton,
who were on the picket line for 150
days fighting for fair treatment from
an employer who is more concerned
about the profits in his pockets than the
residents in his care. Fittingly, the workers
ended their strike on Labour Day when
they ratified a first contract that will
see their wages and working conditions
improve. You’ll find an update on the
Waterford strike also in this issue.
Of course, front and centre in all
our minds this past summer were the
devastating floods in Southern Alberta.
Again, AUPE members, as well as many
other first responders, were on the front
lines protecting the safety and security of
Albertans hit hard by this tragedy. I, along
with some members of the Executive,
took the opportunity to volunteer with
the clean up in High River. I was shocked
by the devastation we encountered; but
I was also inspired by the resilience and
solidarity of Albertans pulling together to
help those in need.
Finally, in these pages you will find
the story that needs to be told about the
courageous stand taken by our members
during the Local 003 wildcat strike last
April. Although the struggle for justice
continues, the account of the intense five
days of the wildcat strike is recorded in
this issue as the single most significant
event that exposed the Government’s
disregard for health and safety, and their
intent to seek revenge instead of solutions.
It also recognizes the huge amount of
public support the wildcat strike received
and the fact that the public expects their
Government to be more accountable.
So, a lot is covered in this issue. I
encourage you to take the time to read it
and to find out as much as you can about
what is going on in AUPE. As we head
into fall, we can all expect the level of
activity within our Union to increase as the
challenges continue. But we will meet those
challenges head on as a vibrant, dynamic
and active Union, knowing that we are
stronger when we work together.
In Solidarity,
Guy Smith
AUPE President
ACE
AUPE
Financial
Highlights
2013
AUPE is again entering the 2013-14 fiscal year in a
strong financial position, says Executive SecretaryTreasurer Bill Dechant.
Continuing growth of membership and careful
stewardship of financial resources has resulted in a
$42 million budget in the 2013-14 fiscal year.
“Despite the need to allocate additional resources
to support ongoing strikes in the previous year, we
continue to have a good balance of revenue and
expenditure, and project a small surplus of $62,000
this fiscal year. Our investments continue to
perform to our expectations,” said Dechant. “There
are always uncertainties on the horizon, however, so
we must continue to be careful and prudent in the
coming year.”
With membership exceeding 80,000, AUPE has
a strong foundation for financial security, which
allows us to continue strengthening our Defence
Fund, and improving services to members.
This, in turn, helps AUPE to continue to grow by
attracting more members in all four sectors, putting
Alberta’s largest union in an even better position to
serve its members.
AUPE is committed to transparency and makes
its audited financial statements available to
members and the general public each year.
“It has been our policy for years to be as open
and transparent as possible, beyond what’s required
by law. That openness will continue,” Dechant said.
Audited financial statements will be included
in AUPE’s annual report, which will be posted on
AUPE’s website (www.aupe.org) in advance of
Convention, and remain available for download for
three months. Members can also fill out an online
form to have a hard copy of the report, including
financial statements, mailed to their home.
AREA COUNCIL EVENTS
AUPE’s Area Councils are groups of union volunteers
who organize and run family-oriented events throughout
the year. Meet AUPE members in your area at
barbecues, dinners, movies, and other fun events in your
community! Area councils also may offer discounted
tickets to local attractions and entertainment. You can
find contact information for all AUPE’s Area Councils at
www.aupe.org/contact/area-councils.
LETHBRIDGE
Contact: Cailyn Firth, 403-894-5667
Nov. 1 – Christmas Dinner and Dance. Join us at the
Coast Hotel Lethbridge for drinks at 5:30 pm and
dinner starting at 6 pm! Tickets are $10 for AUPE
members and $20 for non-members. Contact Cailyn
at 403-894-5667 or Karrie McCormick at 403-7156154 by Oct. 20 for tickets!
EDMONTON
Contact: Rose Harrish, 780-460-9524
Dec. 1 – Annual Children’s Christmas Party, this year
at the Northlands Expo Centre! Tickets are $5 each
(even for babies), and include lunch and a present for
children ages 0 to 12. Maximum of two adults and four
children per family. Get your tickets online at http://
edmontonac.aupe.ca/!
PEACE RIVER
Contact: Audrey Randall, 780-624-8341
Ongoing – Free Movie Night every second Friday at
the Grimshaw Library. Includes movie, popcorn and
water. Check with the Library for the dates and movie
information! 780-332-4553
Oct. 7 – Free Family Swim at the Regional Indoor
Pool! 6:30-8:30 pm, everyone welcome; please bring
an item for the Food Bank!
Nov. – Santa Claus parades in Peace River and
Grimshaw. Contact Audrey if you’re interested in
participating!
Dec. 16 – Free Family Swim at the Regional Indoor
Pool! 6:30-8:30 pm, everyone welcome; please bring
an item for the Food Bank!
GRANDE PRAIRIE
Contact: Paddy Dzuba, 780-539-0808
Nov. 16 – Christmas Family Fun Day! Join us at
Bowling Stones in Grande Prairie from 2 to 5 p.m. for a
family celebration. Contact Paddy for more details.
Nov. 30 – Christmas Dance from 8 pm to 1 am at the
Nordic Hall in Grande Prairie! Contact Paddy for more
details.
Bill Dechant
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
DIRECT IMPACT 5
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE LAY-OFFS
POST-SECONDARY
EDUCATION CUTS
In an attempt to deal with their budget
short fall the University of Lethbridge
has made a series of lay-offs. While these
layoffs will save the university money
(on the backs of their employees) it does
very little to relieve its budget deficit.
AUPE MEMBERS AFFECTED:
BY THE NUMBERS
490
DURATION OF LAY-OFF:
Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk
launched “Campus Alberta” last
spring, cutting 7 per cent of postsecondary funding. The result: a
massive blow to staff, students,
their families and the economies
of their communities. The socalled “bitumen bubble” was one
justification for the cuts. But, as
AUPE predicted, the dip in oil
prices was only temporary, and
in the first quarter fiscal update
Alberta recorded a whopping
$715 million operational surplus.
Here’s an idea of the real picture
in post-secondary institutes, by
the numbers.
11 WORKING DAYS
“SAVINGS” TO THE U OF LETHBRIDGE:
$700,000
BUDGET DEFICIT AT U OF LETHBRIDGE:
$3,200,000
“THOSE ARE FACTS, THOSE ARE
NUMBERS, THAT WE ARE STILL THE
SECOND-HIGHEST FUNDED UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM, POST-SECONDARY SYSTEM,
IN CANADA”
Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk
CBC News, Aug 23
PEI in comparison has the smallest
GDP and spends the highest
percentage of that GDP on postsecondary funding in the country.
Alberta has the highest GDP among
Canadian provinces...it also spends
the smallest amount of that GDP on
post-secondary funding.
1.42
1.02
2.09
2.02
1.76
1.39
2.71
1.84
1.32
0.94
PERCENT OF PROVINCIAL GDP
SPENT ON POST-SECONDARY FUNDING
BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PE NL
6 DIRECT IMPACT
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF JOB LOSSES
The cuts to post-secondary education don’t affect just students and staff. The job losses will severely
damage the economies of small and medium-sized communities across the province. The chart below
compares the cuts in smaller communities and shows how many jobs would have to be eliminated in
Calgary or Edmonton to have the same impact on Alberta’s major centres.
32
25
21
40
10,936 3,400 2,579 369
JOBS CUT AT
ATHABASCA
UNIVERSITY
JOBS CUT
AT OLDS
COLLEGE
JOBS CUT
AT PORTAGE
COLLEGE
JOBS CUT AT
RED DEER
COLLEGE
THAT’S LIKE LOSING
THAT’S LIKE LOSING
THAT’S LIKE LOSING
THAT’S LIKE LOSING
JOBS IN EDMONTON
JOBS IN CALGARY
JOBS IN EDMONTON
JOBS IN CALGARY
DEPUTY PREMIER THOMAS LUKASZUK’S CLAIM:
“THIS CUT IS THE FIRST CUT AFTER 7,
SORRY... 10 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS BUDGET
INCREASES, SOME TO THE TUNE OF 47%.”
$448.22
$453.25
$448.80
$443.71
THE FACT IS:
ALBERTA’S SPENDING HAS GONE
DOWN EVERY YEAR FOR THE
PAST 5 YEARS.
$439.05
$392.43
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
POST-SECONDARY OPERATING GRANT PER CAPITA
DIRECT IMPACT 7
The public humiliation of two corrections
officers at Edmonton Remand Centre sparks
a province-wide wildcat strike — and a
political crisis for the Redford Tories
WILDCAT
by Andrew Hanon
Communications Staff
8 DIRECT IMPACT
T
IT WAS THE FINAL STRAW AFTER
YEARS OF HAVING THEIR CONCERNS
BRUSHED ASIDE BY MANAGEMENT.
On April 26, when two correctional
peace officers were paraded by their
employer past their colleagues at the
brand-new Edmonton Remand Centre, on
their way to indefinite suspensions from
work with pay, it sparked a province-wide
wildcat strike and a full-blown political
crisis for the Redford government.
The five-day wildcat strike hit Alberta’s
corrections and court systems and enraged
the ruling Tories, most notably Deputy
Premier Thomas Lukaszuk, Premier
Alison Redford’s right-hand man.
The government continues to seek
punishment against AUPE for the wildcat
strike, with damage claims that, by midAugust, had yet to be formally quantified
through their grievance against the union.
But publicly, the government has not
only demanded millions in compensation
and punitive damages, but also sought
retribution against correctional officers
who, before they decided to stand up for
their own safety and safety of coworkers,
had impeccably clean records.
INEXPLICABLY PROVOCATIVE
The root of the dispute goes back to early
2011, when the new Edmonton Remand
Centre (or ERC), Canada’s largest jail with
a capacity of nearly 2,000 inmates, was
being planned. Management disbanded
a committee that was gathering frontline
staff ’s input on the design. Sources say
the brass were tired of union members
bogging down the process by dwelling on
“minutiae” like the placement of alarm
switches, the number of security cameras,
blind spots and other health and safety
concerns.
Management finally brought the
frontline staff back into the process in late
March 2013, just a few weeks before the
centre was set to open, when they allowed
AUPE OH&S representatives to walk
through the facility.
What they saw was a long list of eyepopping deficiencies. The OH&S reps
recorded five pages of safety concerns,
all of which management ignored. AUPE
publicly called on the Solicitor General
to postpone opening the new centre until
the concerns could be addressed, or at
the very least slowly phase-in the transfer
in order to ensure safety concerns could
be handled. Instead, the employees’ pleas
were brushed aside, and the transfer of
inmates from the old Remand to the new
facility went ahead all at once as scheduled
in mid-April.
The chair of AUPE’s 550-member
chapter at the Remand Centre emailed
senior brass, including deputy solicitor
general Tim Grant, calling for a meeting to
discuss the safety concerns. The exchange
grew increasingly heated.
On Friday, April 26, the chapter chair
and another member were informed
near the end of their shift that they
were suspended with pay pending an
investigation into the emails. In a blatantly
provocative move, the duo was marched
out of the building, right past about 70 of
their coworkers.
“They could have waited and notified
them at their homes,” said one chapter
member. “Instead they did it in front of
everyone right before a shift change. I think
they were trying to make an example of
them and intimidate everyone else.”
The newly arriving shift refused to
report for duty, while those scheduled to
leave stayed on shift until replacement
RCMP officers and Sol Gen managers
were on site. In the aftermath, evidence
has emerged that some officers were even
told to leave work by management.
The wildcat strike had begun.
FIRE SPREADS
Later that evening, staff at the Fort
Saskatchewan Correctional Centre
walked off the job in support of the ERC
workers. Word spread and throughout
the weekend staff walked out of all nine
provincial correctional and remand
centres to draw attention to their own
health and safety concerns, such as
understaffing, overcrowding and Sol Gen’s
growing culture of scapegoating staff when
something went wrong.
On Monday morning the wildcat spread
to courthouses as sheriffs in Edmonton
and Calgary walked off the job. Soon,
clerical staff joined the picket lines. More
pickets gradually went up around courts in
some smaller communities. At one point,
even dozens of social workers, members of
Local 006, joined in.
IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS
As the wildcat strike expanded, Lukaszuk
went into full face-saving mode, publicly
refusing to negotiate while privately
pushing to end the crisis.
At an April 27 media conference he
demanded that all strikers get back
to work, insisting, “We will not be
negotiating with a union that chooses to
engage in illegal activity.”
The government also tried to cynically
portray the reasons behind the strike as the
result of a personality conflict between the
bosses and the union executive at ERC.
When the media didn’t buy the
personality-clash spin, government
officials changed tune again, implying
that the wildcat strike had somehow been
orchestrated to pressure the government at
the bargaining table, where it is currently
in contract negotiations with 21,000 AUPE
members.
DIRECT IMPACT 9
At another point, the government
tried to say AUPE had actually signed off
on the OH&S inspection. When union
OH&S Rep Dennis Malayko set the record
straight, the government modified its
claim, saying that because Alberta Health
Services signed off, and they’re AUPE
members, it was like the union itself
signed off.
The media weren’t going along with
Lukaszuk and the government’s frenzied
attempts to undermine AUPE and obscure
the real issue: that for years management
had been systematically ignoring health
and safety issues, putting front-line
corrections workers — and the inmates in
their care — in danger.
BEHIND THE SCENES
While Lukaszuk tried to spin the media,
President Smith, Local 003 chair Clarke
McChesney and senior AUPE staff
worked diligently to broker a deal with
the government that would address the
corrections officers’ biggest concerns and
end the wildcat strike. The union’s top
priorities were securing a general amnesty
for the picketers (who were legally forbidden
to strike by the Public Service Employee
Relations Act) and a promise by Sol Gen
to address the OH&S concerns at the new
Remand Centre.
Things didn’t go well at first. In their
first meeting on April 27, Lukaszuk tried
to run roughshod over Smith, pointing
his finger in the president’s face and
demanding he order his members back to
work. The list of demands that McChesney
brought from ERC was disregarded.
Lukaszuk’s swaggering and aggression
was likely fueled by the knowledge that the
government had already secured a Labour
Relations Board order, filed with the courts,
ordering an end to the wildcat strike.
But Smith refused to be bullied into
submission. After the meeting, he
returned to the ERC picket line to share
with the members what transpired. Their
frustration with the government only
intensified, and made their resolve that
much stronger. Job action continued
spreading throughout the weekend.
On Monday, April 29, Justice John Rooke
found AUPE guilty of contempt of court for
ignoring the earlier Labour Board order to
end the wildcat, and levied massive, escalating
fines for each day the strike continued —
$100,000 immediately, $250,000 on Tuesday
and $500,000 for every day after that.
Rooke also put the union under a
gag order, forbidding officials to say,
write or publish anything about the
strike. Lukaszuk, meanwhile, was free to
continue, at times seeming to make things
up as he went along.
President Smith made efforts to resolve
the wildcat strike by reaching out to
other senior government officials such
as Solicitor General Minister Jonathon
Denis. A scheduled meeting between
Smith and Denis was quickly thwarted by
Lukaszuk, preventing the opportunity for
the wildcat strike to be resolved sooner.
On Monday, April 29, Smith was able
to secure a meeting with Lukaszuk,
which resulted in an agreement to end
the wildcat strike; there would be no
NEIGHBOURLY SUPPORT 5
SGEU members traveled from Saskatchewan to stand in solidarity with Alberta
corrections workers.
GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT 5
AUPE President Guy Smith and Local 003
Chair Clarke McChesney take questions
from the media.
3BLUNT WORDS
A veteran of the Canadian military shared
his opinion of safety at the Edmonton
Remand Centre.
10 DIRECT IMPACT
retribution against individual union
members for their participation in the
strike and the health and safety concerns
at NERC would be re-examined and
addressed.
The following day, April 30, a letter
from the Public Service Commissioner,
Dwight Dibben, was sent to President
Smith outlining the conditions to end the
wildcat strike. Despite conversations with
Dibben regarding this letter it was never
agreed to by the Union as it did not reflect
the full agreement reached with Lukaszuk.
Later that day, before the wildcat
strike ended, the deputy minister of
Solicitor General, Tim Grant, held a news
conference and publicly confirmed the
actual agreement that had been reached
with Lukaszuk when he stated, “to be clear
we are not looking to seek retribution
against individual members of the union.”
The wildcat strike came to an end that
evening and staff returned to work the
following morning.
THE GOVERNMENT RENEGES
Instead of moving forward and abiding to
the agreement that had been secured, the
government appeared to be more intent on
revenge. The private letter, from Dibben to
Smith, which was never agreed to by the
union, was sent by the government to all
AUPE members that had been involved
in the wildcat strike, in an attempt to
renege on the actual agreement reached.
Seemingly, it also was being used to try and
undermine the authority of the union and
the members’ relationship with the union.
To make a tense situation even more
volatile, Tim Grant greeted ERC’s morning
shift on Wednesday, May 1, where he
told them there was no amnesty, despite
his previous public confirmation that
there was, and announced investigations
into strikers’ behavior would begin
soon. Another manager made a similar
announcement to employees returning to
Fort Saskatchewan.
As a result of all that transpired
immediately after the wildcat strike, AUPE
filed a complaint with the labour board,
claiming the government had reneged on
the deal. Given the sensitivity of the case,
the board decided to send the complaint
to a mediation process. Despite the need
to cool down the volatility of the situation
the government provoked more tension by
leaking its response to AUPE’s labour board
complaint to the media. It was another
cynical attempt to undermine AUPE and
Smith. Again, the government’s focus was
on revenge, rather than seeking solutions.
Despite all the efforts to discredit
AUPE, the public clearly sided with the
strikers, agreeing that the corrections
officers’ safety concerns were legitimate
and that their bosses needed to listen
to them. Polling conducted by AUPE
on public understanding of the wildcat
strike revealed that Albertans found
Smith nearly three times as believable
as Lukaszuk, and more than twice as
believable as Premier Alison Redford.
Having lost the public opinion battle,
the government sought to exact vengeance
on AUPE through financial retribution
and discipline against its members. The
two suspended ERC correctional peace
officers were investigated for conduct prior
to the wildcat, and one was terminated.
Another three at the Fort Saskatchewan
Correctional Centre were terminated for
their participation in the wildcat. Going
into the wildcat strike, every one of
them had spotless records, making their
terminations all the more outrageous.
The union is now preparing to defend the
officers in arbitration hearings scheduled
to take place in October and November.
On top of the discipline and $350,000
in fines already by paid by the union, the
government is demanding $1.3 million
in compensation for each day of the
strike, compensation for any damage
inmates did to the jails during the strike
and a six-month dues suspension for all
Government of Alberta employees. AUPE
continues to battle for members on all
these claims.
“We are still fighting,” said Smith,
“because I know we’re in the right. The
government caused all this by ignoring
basic health and safety precautions, and
then by breaking the promises they made
to end the wildcat strike.”
The political toll for the Tories’ ongoing
vendetta has yet to be seen. But public
opinion is firmly on the right side of the
dispute.
As the Edmonton Journal put it on May
3: “It is the responsibility of the provincial
government to exercise a little Solomonic
judgment here, to strike the right balance
between the public interest, the public
purse and workers’ rights. When you’re
in a position of strength, heavy-handed
interventions only make things worse.”
NOT EVERYONE HAS
WHAT IT TAKES TO PUT
ON THE UNIFORM OF AN
ALBERTA PROVINCIAL
PEACE OFFICER.
That’s the message of
an AUPE newspaper ad
planned for Corrections
Week, the second week
of September. The ad will
run in seven publications,
reaching the eight
communities that are home
to provincial corrections
facilities.
The ads show the dress
uniforms of a correctional
services worker and a
sheriff over the phrase “Fit
For Duty” and ends with
a variation of the Your
Working People advertising
slogan: “It’s your province.
We keep it safe for you.”
“We want to remind the
public of the critically
important work that
our members do,” said
Local 003 Chair Clarke
McChesney. “It’s for
Corrections Week, so the
focus is on the two services
that work directly with
supervising inmates in our
jails and court facilities.”
He added: “These men and
women supervise some of
the most dangerous people
in society, and for the most
part they do so out of the
public eye. Sometimes we
need to remind the public
of the invaluable service
they provide.”
DIRECT IMPACT 11
A FLOOD OF
by Andrew Hanon
Communications Staff
12 DIRECT IMPACT
F SUPPORT
WHEN THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE NATURAL DISASTER IN ALBERTA
HISTORY STRUCK, AUPE MEMBERS WERE THERE TO HELP
Editor’s note: Hundreds of AUPE members were affected by June’s flooding, either as victims,
relief workers or volunteers. These stories serve to reflect the experiences many of them shared.
Denise
When the water started seeping into
the first floor of the High River General
Hospital on June 20, nobody imagined
that they were at the epicentre of the
costliest natural disaster in Alberta history.
“When it first began, no one realized
how serious it was going to get. It was just
so fast,” said Local 095 member Denise
Ney, one of the hospital’s general support
staff. “I’ve lived in the area my whole life
and worked at the hospital for 30 years.
I was here for the flood of 2005. There’s
never been anything like this.”
Days of record-breaking rainfall in the
region, coupled with high spring runoff
levels in the mountains, filled southern
Alberta rivers until they burst their banks,
engulfing entire communities.
The Elbow River, which runs through
Calgary, swelled to 12 times its regular
volume, while the Bow River was at eight
times its regular flow. Twenty city bridges
were closed out of fear they would collapse
under the pressure. More than 100,000
city residents were evacuated and tens of
thousands of homes, offices and businesses
were flooded.
The destruction in High River, south
of Calgary, was mind boggling. Nearly
the entire town of 13,000 was forced from
their homes and businesses.
At the hospital, the water rose so rapidly
that Ney and other support staff began
moving patient records from the first
floor to higher levels. Medical staff and
emergency workers evacuated patients,
some of who were extremely frail or sick.
Soon, all non-essential personnel were
ordered by firefighters to leave. The water
surrounding the hospital was so deep
and flowing so fast that Ney had to be
transported by rescuers in the bucket of a
front-end loader.
“It wasn’t easy to leave,” said Ney, “but
they had to focus on the patients and if we
stayed we’d probably just get in the way.”
From the front-end loader, she was
taken to a farm tractor pulling an empty
trailer, which cruised through the water
picking up other evacuees.
“We went around town for two and a
half hours rescuing people,” she said. “By
that time water was halfway up the sides of
houses in some spots.”
When the floodwaters receded several
days later, the estimated damage from
Canmore to Medicine Hat was more than
$5 billion – a number that some say is
far too low. Four people lost their lives.
Thousands found themselves homeless;
Ney and her husband were among them.
Ken
Ken Podulsky was one of the army of
AUPE members assigned to help disaster
victims in High River.
“I’ve done this kind of work before,” said
the veteran forestry officer and chair of
Local 005. “Most of the natural disasters
we get deployed to are fires that displace
people, but I’ve never seen anything on
this scale. It was a completely different
realm than what we would normally see.”
Podulsky worked as an information
officer.
“We were the ones who assisted
people to find the help they needed,”
he explained. “We did the triage for
unexpected situations and questions. For
example, a lot of people would return to
their homes and realize that they didn’t
have water to take a hot shower. We’d help
them find a place.”
All too often, Podulsky said, “we saw
people who were left with nothing. It was
heartbreaking.”
He comforted seniors who lost
everything they owned, and helped
them find assistance. “Some had recently
retired to High River and were planning
to enjoy a nice quiet retirement. Suddenly
they found themselves without anything.
Everything they had worked for their
entire lives was gone.”
Then there were the temporary foreign
workers and recent immigrants working in
town. Many had lost all their paperwork
in the flood.
“They didn’t know what to do, or where
to turn,” he said. “Some feared they’d get
deported because they had nothing to
prove their status. They didn’t know if
they’d ever get their jobs back.”
Podulsky and scores of other Local 005
members worked day and night to help
traumatized victims navigate the labyrinth
of chaos and confusion in the immediate
aftermath of the disaster. Being able to
provide immediate support and help –
DIRECT IMPACT 13
even in small ways – gave many victims a
huge measure of comfort, said Podulsky.
“We saw a lot of tears, and received a lot
of hugs,” he said.
Brad
The morning after the floodwaters began
to rise, Brad Wandzura left his home in
Calgary to help fill sandbags along the
Bow River in Cochrane.
“It became clear that the water was
rising too fast to hold it back with
sandbags,” he recalled.
A correctional peace officer at the
Calgary Remand Centre, Wandzura got
back home at 2:30 a.m., grabbed a few
hours sleep and reported for duty at the
remand by 6 a.m. It was his last shift
before a stretch of time off.
“By the end of that day (June 21), water
was rising in Calgary’s downtown core,”
the Local 003 member said. Essential
services – even more critical in times of
disaster – were in danger of being knocked
down by the flooding.
“I had some skills that I knew would be
useful, so I volunteered again,” Wandzura
said. A mechanic before he got into
corrections, Wandzura spent the next five
days maintaining the diesel generator that
was powering the city’s 9-1-1 call centre.
By the end of the month the waters were
receding across southern Alberta, and the
scale of the damage started becoming clear.
Wandzura booked vacation time and
joined the clean up effort in High River.
He and a team of more than a dozen Local
003 members spent Canada Day clearing
muck and debris out of the basements of
elderly homeowners.
He downplays the suggestion that
anything he did was heroic.
“It was the right thing to do, is all,”
Wandzura said. “These people needed
help more than I needed a vacation. I like
to think they would have done the same
thing for me, had I needed it.”
Denise
Denise Ney and her husband spent the rest
of the summer living in their motorhome.
They found a new house for September and
are now picking up the pieces of their lives.
“It’s been a real emotional roller
coaster for everyone,” she said. “But the
way everyone pitched in and helped one
another, it was really heartwarming. It was
a disaster, but through it you could a see a
lot of good happening.”
14 DIRECT IMPACT
Above and right: Rescuers used any means necessary, including front-end
loaders and boats, to navigate the streets of High River and move people to
safety (photo: Jordan Verlage).
Bottom: A Local 005 member (rear) and an RCMP officer patrol the streets of
High River, looking for stranded residents (photo: Jason Cadzow, Local 005).
AUPE EXECUTIVE GETS
FIRST HAND LOOK AT
DEVASTATION CAUSED
BY FLOODING
Susan Slade still can’t believe
the extent of the destruction
in High River.
other hand, the way people
pulled together to help was
amazing, too.”
“I was shocked,” the AUPE
Vice-President said. “The
pictures in the media did not
do justice to how devastating
it was. There were homes that
had been lifted right off their
foundations.”
Slade lives in Claresholm,
80 km south of High River
and out of the flood zone.
All of her hometown’s hotels
and motels, along with most
residents’ homes, were filled
with displaced flood victims.
Slade, along with President
Guy Smith and VicePresidents Jason Heistad and
Glen Scott, toured the town
south of Calgary and spent
some time helping with the
clean-up.
“It was the same thing in all the
towns in the area,” she said.
“I’ve never seen anything
like it,” she said. “But on the
“And when we toured High
River, we couldn’t believe how
may people came to town to
help out,” Slade said. “It was
really heartwarming to see.
The outpouring of volunteers
and donations was amazing.”
When Executive Committee
members arrived at High
River’s volunteer centre, they
were handed overalls, boots
and equipment — all donated.
AUPE donated $25,000 to
Red Cross to help with flood
relief efforts.
“We’re happy to assist our
fellow Albertans in any way
we can. We encourage all
AUPE members and the
public to donate, volunteer
and to do whatever is
necessary to help get
southern Alberta back up and
running,” Smith said at the
time.
DIRECT IMPACT 15
Labour News
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Communities join
post-secondary
campaign effort
The campaign to fight the cuts to postsecondary funding is spreading across
northern Alberta and working its way south.
Volunteers have been mobilized in
Athabasca, Bonnyville, Lac La Biche, Cold
Lake and other communities to get the
word out about the full impact the cuts
will have on communities.
“The response from the public and
local politicians has been extremely
encouraging,” said Vice-President Erez
Raz. “We’ve taken our message to local
businesses, town councils and even
door-to-door, and the support people
are showing us is remarkable. They get it.
These cuts don’t just hurt the employees
whose jobs have been affected; they hurt
students, their families, staff and the entire
community. They can also see the longterm damage the provincial economy will
suffer if this funding isn’t restored.”
The post-secondary cuts are one of the
most blatant examples of the Redford
government’s
utter disregard
for its own
promises.
During the
2012 election
campaign,
the Tories
promised
to increase
funding to the
21 publicly
funded postsecondary
institutions
by two per
cent. But
once elected,
Premier Alison
Redford and
Advanced
Education
Minister
Thomas
Lukaszuk
announced a
7.3 per cent
16 DIRECT IMPACT
funding cut ($147 million in total), leaving
institutions scrambling to balance their
budgets.
The result has been chaos. Across the
province, jobs have been lost, student
spaces shut down and programs reduced
or canceled.
Portage College (in northeast Alberta),
for example, has been forced to close
satellite campuses in small communities,
severely limiting access for people trying
to upgrade their qualifications to get into
job training programs.
AUPE has launched the “Stop the
Attack on Post-Secondary” campaign to
pressure the government to restore the
funding. It’s locally based, with volunteers
working in communities directly affected.
Their message is tailored specifically for
the community they’re working in. For
example, cuts to Athabasca University will
have significant impact on the town of
Athabasca, where approximately 40 jobs
have been eliminated, draining nearly $4
million a year from the local economy.
The same story is playing out across
the province. At Olds College, 25 jobs
have been eliminated, a massive blow
to the economy in a community with a
population of 8,235. Red Deer College was
also dealt a major blow, with 32 positions
slashed. At the Universtity of Lethbridge,
AUPE’s 490 members are bracing
themselves for an 11-day lay off, which
the union is grieving as a violation of the
collective agreement. The common thread
between the cuts is that they have hit
Alberta’s rural communities and mid-sized
cities the hardest and fastest. But cities
have not been spared. Norquest College
saw 50 positions eliminated, 18 of those
AUPE members; these job losses follow on
the heels of a 37-position reduction just
two years ago.
“As everyone settles into the new school
year and sees how their institution has
been affected, we expect the campaign to
spread to more communities,” said Raz.
“When you show them the hard facts, they
see how shortsighted this government
really is in terms of keeping Alberta
competitive in the global economy.”
Meanwhile, AUPE continues to attract
more participants in the campaign though
its www.albertapostsecondary.com
website. So far, 1,500 people have signed
up to get more information and help out
in their communities.
Labour News
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Carmangay to
Strathmore,
long-term care
shutdowns
accelerate
The pattern is clear, and the threat is very
real.
In rural and small-town facilities across
the province, Alberta Health Services
has been closing long-term care beds.
Typically, the closures have coincided with
the opening of nearby private, for-profit
seniors facilities.
The two highest-profile cases have been
in southern Alberta. In 2012 the Little
Bow Care Centre, a 20-bed facility for
people with high medical needs in the
village of Carmangay, was abruptly shut
down and its residents, some in their 90s
with severe dementia, moved to other
communities.
This year, AHS announced plans to
shutter the 23-bed long-term care unit
at Strathmore General Hospital. The
residents will all be moved to a brandnew, private LTC ward that is part of a
large private seniors complex owned by
AgeCare, when it opens this fall.
Similar closures of public beds have
been imposed recently in Stettler, and
before that, in Red Deer.
Even flood-ravaged High River was put
on the chopping block. After the local
hospital’s 75-bed LTC was evacuated, it
came to light that AHS planned to close 25
of those beds. Health Minister Fred Horne
rationalized the move by saying a private
facility is opening in town, and therefore
the community isn’t losing any service.
But at the same time, he couldn’t say
how many of the 80 beds in the new
private facility were actually designated
for round-the-clock care, which is what
patients in LTC receive.
“I don’t know exactly what the mix is
going to be,” he was quoted in the Calgary
Herald. “But the point is we’re not losing
spaces in High River, we’re adding to
them.”
That kind of equivocation doesn’t hold
water with AUPE Vice-President Glen
Scott.
“The government is outsourcing
seniors care in smaller communities,”
said Scott, who’s working with residents,
families and AUPE members in
Strathmore to fight the closure. “They’re
handing out hundreds of millions in
subsidies to corporations to build new
facilities, while at the same time shutting
down AHS beds. ”
Scott said it makes no sense to close
beds when hundreds of senior citizens
languish on wait lists to get into care.
Meanwhile, the closures and changes of
environment have put residents and their
families under tremendous stress.
“This is just a bad plan, period,” he said.
AHS operates long-term care beds in
approximately 75 small communities
around the province, and AUPE expects
more to be placed on the chopping block.
That’s why the union’s AntiPrivatization Committee is working on
producing an in-house video that shows
the impact of the scheme on Carmangay
and Strathmore.
“So far, AHS hasn’t given a lot of notice
when they decide to close beds,” said
Vice-President Karen Weiers, who chairs
AUPE
EXECUTIVE
ELECTION
The 37th annual AUPE
Convention is almost here and
once again it is an election year.
See page 33 for statements
from the candidates listed
below.
Guy Smith
Local 006, Edmonton
Candidate for President
Bill Dechant
Local 004, Edmonton
Candidate for
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Jason Heistad
Local 071, Innisfail
Candidate for
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
“The government is
outsourcing seniors
care in smaller
communities. They’re
handing out hundreds
of millions in subsidies
to corporations to
build new facilities,
while at the same time
shutting down AHS
beds.”
Shamanthi Cooray
the committee. “We want to warn our
members and the communities to be
aware that this could be coming, so if it
does, they’ll be ready to fight back.”
The video, to be produced this fall,
will be used in community mobilization
meetings around the province.
“These closures don’t just affect the staff
and residents,” she said. “They affect the
whole community.”
Susan Slade
Local 006, Edmonton
Candidate for Vice-President
Tonya Malo
Local 054, Edmonton
Candidate for Vice-President
Erez Raz
Local 003, Edmonton
Candidate for Vice-President
Carrie-Lynn Rusznak
Local 001, Calgary
Candidate for Vice-President
Glen Scott
Local 045, Calgary
Candidate for Vice-President
Local 045, Claresholm
Candidate for Vice-President
Karen Weiers
Local 095, Airdrie
Candidate for Vice-President
DIRECT IMPACT 17
Labour News
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Extendicare
bargaining rests
on knife-edge of
strike vote
In all of the continuing care worksites
AUPE represents there is one common
thread that ties all workers together:
quality seniors care comes first.
When bargaining for 1,200 AUPE
members at eight Extendicare Canada Inc.
worksites from Athabasca to Lethbridge
began in January, the bargaining
committee’s goal was to reach a fair
collective agreement in a timely matter with
the private, for-profit employer. Quality of
care was their number one issue.
In bargaining, it quickly became clear
that Extendicare’s primary focus was
on profits, not on care. As negotiations
morphed into mediation, Extendicare
stood firm on net earnings rollbacks,
drastic reductions in sick time, and forcing
the lowest number of named holidays in
any health-care agreement in the province.
Members didn’t react well. The pay
roll back and holiday reduction alone
would force many employees to leave,
diminishing the quality and stability of the
workforce. Reductions in sick days would
force employees to come to work with
illnesses that could be easily passed on to
the seniors they care for.
“Extendicare’s positions would seriously
harm the quality care Extendicare staff
work so hard to provide and protect and
we are not okay with that,” said AUPE
President Guy Smith.
“We are seeing dispute after dispute in private
seniors care and it needs to be addressed.
Something must be done about this. It’s unsettling
to seniors, their families and staff.”
AUPE President Guy Smith
“Extendicare is trying to maximize profits
on the backs of seniors and those who care
for them. It’s not right,” said Smith.
As summer dawned and mediation
crumbled, members at Extendicare
worksites in Athabasca, Mayerthorpe,
Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary and
Call for Review
Three days after the disputes inquiry board was ordered, AUPE
President Guy Smith called on Alberta’s health minister Fred Horne to
order a review of private sector involvement in long-term care.
Smith told the media that during the past two years there have been
seven major labour disruptions at private, for-profit seniors care
facilities in Alberta.
There have been no labour disruptions at public or not-for-profit sites.
AUPE’s suggested solutions in the letter to Health Minister
Fred Horne:
• Wage and benefit rates bargained at one table with AHS, providing
uniformity throughout the system
• Increase the regulatory framework so all AHS funding for wages and
benefits, as established by the unified AHS funding template, be
actually paid to staff at the rates specified
• Clawback funding allocated for employee wages and benefits
operators did not spend on that purpose
• Establish enforceable regulations to ensure standardized levels of
care and staff ratios in all seniors care centres
18 DIRECT IMPACT
Lethbridge, which account for about 1,000
care beds, voted heavily in favour of strike
action if necessary. At some sites the vote
was 100 per cent. Extendicare pulled out of
last-ditch-effort mediation dates set for July
2 and 5, and AUPE served the employer
with 72-hour strike notice the morning of
July 5, setting the stage for the largest legal
seniors care strike in Alberta’s history.
Hours after strike notice was served,
Human Services Minister Dave Hancock
stepped in with a disputes inquiry board,
preventing any legal strike action. The
situation rattled not just the corporate
offices of Extendicare, but the government.
The disputes inquiry board sets out a
process to reach a collective agreement
with the help of a third party. If an
agreement is not reached voluntarily, a
settlement is recommended that members
can vote to accept or reject.
“The appointment of the disputes
inquiry board suggests Extendicare
pushed staff into a strike position without
a contingency plan in place to protect
residents. That’s irresponsible and
dangerous,” said AUPE Negotiator Kevin
Davediuk.
The employer appointed a law firm
out of Ontario to handle their side of the
disputes inquiry board. Formal hearings
held Aug 7 – 9 failed to produce a
resolution. At press deadline, the Minister
granted an extension to the process, and
the parties were scheduled to meet again
Sept 7, 8 and 9.
If members vote to accept the dispute
inquiry board recommendations, the
committee will move on to discuss other
outstanding issues with a mediator.
If members vote to reject the
recommendations, the stage is set once
again for the largest seniors care strike in
Alberta history.
{
EDUCATIONAL PULL-OUT
Steward Notes
VOL. 6 • ISSUE 4 • FALL 2013
}
UNION STEWARDS ARE THE
FRONT LINE OF DEFENCE
FOR UNION MEMBERS IN THE
WORKPLACE. STEWARDS
PLAY ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ROLES IN THE
LABOUR MOVEMENT.
Evidence collection
Helpful tips for complete grievance files
by Jan Goodwin
AUPE Research Officer
Stewards and MSOs are the front line for the union at the
worksite. The information you gather regarding a grievance is
vital. It cannot be emphasized enough how important the work
you do is and how critical the evidence you collect can be. It can
easily be two years between the events that led to the grievance
being filed and the matter being heard at arbitration. Memories
fade over time, so the information gathered as things unfold may
be the only evidence the union has to take a matter forward. Here
are some suggestions on what information to get.
Get the full and proper name of the grievor. If it is not clear,
specify which is the last and which is the first name. If it is difficult
to tell if the grievor is male or female from the name, please
make it clear. Some people are very sensitive about their gender
identification.
STEWARD NOTES 1
Evidence collection
Correctly identify the grievor’s
classification. We prefer the classification
as identified in the collective agreement.
If you are using a working title, say so.
If you are using a title the grievor likes
to use, say so. Many issues are related
to classification and its associated
pay. It saves time if we know the right
classification.
Identify if the member is fulltime, part-time, wage, temporary,
probationary, term or casual. Different
provisions of the collective agreement
will apply to members of different
statuses. As well, provisions do not
apply to members under agreements
negotiated by unions other than
AUPE. No AUPE collective agreement
Continued
have died, unless the grievance arose
while they were both a member and
alive. Twice we have had the wrong
information concerning whether a
grievor was alive or not. Don’t write in
your notes that the member is deceased
unless you are absolutely sure.
Also, we may not know all the
acronyms you know. In addition,
different worksites may use the same
acronym to mean different things. The
first time the acronym appears in your
notes, please write out the full meaning
to help avoid confusion.
Number of years of service is also
a good thing to know, especially with
discipline cases or cases where seniority
is at issue.
Memories fade over time, so the
information gathered as things
unfold may be the only evidence the
union has to take a matter forward.
provisions apply to people who are not
AUPE members - or who have never
been members - or to members who
Identify all the people your notes
refer to. We understand that you, the
steward, and the employer both know the
grieving member well. However, when
you are collecting information, please
keep in mind that the MSO or Union
Representative who will eventually
handle the file will have only the grievors’
most basic information. Their ability to
represent the grievor may depend in part
on the quality of the information you
collect in your notes. Like a house, the
strength of the grievor’s case depends on a
sturdy foundation.
Lastly, the employer may reference
a document like a policy or procedure,
saying, “Well, our policy says [whatever
it is the employer wants the policy to
say this time].” Whenever the employer
references any document you don’t have
in your hands, ask for a copy of it for the
grievance file. While this may come as a
surprise, sometimes the employer does
not apply policies exactly as written, or
even more shocking, applies a policy that
does not actually exist on paper. If the
employer refuses to produce a copy of
document they are relying on, please put
that in your notes.
In the next issue, we will talk about
issue identification and what constitutes
relevant evidence for grievance files.
PEACE RIVER
HAVE QUESTIONS?
GRANDE PRAIRIE
CONTACT YOUR
MEMBER SERVICES OFFICER
CALL 1-800-232-7284
ATHABASCA
EDMONTON
CAMROSE
RED DEER
CALGARY
LETHBRIDGE
Have your local/chapter number and worksite
location ready so your call can be directed quickly.
2 STEWARD NOTES
Employer
requirements for
medical or illness leave
by Wendy Webber
Membership Services Officer
In most Collective Agreements, the
employer may require proof before
granting illness leave. In such cases the
employer has the ability to request a
doctor’s note as proof that the member/
employee is eligible for payment of that
benefit.
As a Union Steward, you may be asked
what information is necessary. What
does the member have to give to the
employer and how much does a member
have to tell the employer? Everyone has
heard that your medical information is
confidential, so why does the employer
have access to it?
The answer is that the employer has
the right to request to have access only
to the prognosis, not the diagnosis of the
illness or injury.
need only know the employee is off
under medical care.
However, the prognosis may contain
the following:
• How long the employee will be off
• When the next appointment is
• If the employee can do any work, and
if not, when they can be expected to
do some work
• What hours they can work
• If the employee can work every day
• If they can do all duties but work part
of a day
• Physical limitations
• Mental limitations
• If the employee getting help from a
specialist
The employer has the right to request
to have access only to the prognosis,
not the diagnosis of the illness or injury.
It’s important to understand the
difference. A prognosis is a forecasting
of the probable course and outcome
of a disease, especially the chances of
recovery. A diagnosis is the process
of determining by examination the
nature and circumstances of a diseased
condition. For example the employer
does not need to know if the member
suffering from migraines, a gall bladder
surgery or a mental illness; the employer
This along with other information,
will help the employer manipulate the
workforce to make sure all the work gets
done. As well the employer may use this
information to help with a modified
return to work, so the employee may
return in a safe and healthy manner.
The employer does not have the right
to speak with your doctor or have the
occupational health nurse speak with
your doctor, unless you give your express
permission to have that happen. Then,
even with permission, they should only
be allowed to consult about the current
illness or condition.
The Alberta Human Rights Act has
suggestions and sample forms that
contain the information the employer
should or could have access to. Many
employers are adopting this type of
form. If a member is asked to sign a
form regarding access to such health
information, they should contact the
union and ask to speak with their
Membership Services Officer (MSO) to
ensure the employer is not asking for too
much information, or information that is
not relevant to the current illness.
Finally, Union Stewards are often
asked, “Who pays for the note?” The
answer to that question is usually found
in the collective agreement.
Some collective agreements contain
language in which all doctor’s/illness
notes are paid for by the employer. In
other collective agreements, the employer
only has to pay for doctors’ notes where
the employer requires, or wants, more
information, or have a form that they
deem necessary for the employee’s doctor
to fill out. Some collective agreements
require a note for the employee to actually
get the benefit and it is unclear who must
pay the cost for this.
If you have questions regarding these
issues, please check with your MSO
and they will help check the collective
agreement and walk you through the
articles that pertain to this issue.
STEWARD NOTES 3
{
Labour
Education
Upcoming courses and training
For information on any of these courses or
to register please call 1-800-232-7284
Edmonton
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Red Deer
Respect in the
Workplace
Respect in the
Workplace
Respect in the
Workplace
Introduction to
Your Union
Introduction to
Your Union
Introduction to
Your Union
Union Steward
Level 1
Union Steward
Level 1
Union Steward
Level 1
Union Steward
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Union Steward
Level 2
Union Steward
Level 2
Union Officer
Training
Union Officer
Training
Union Officer
Training
Nov 13
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Steward Notes is published by the Alberta
Union of Provincial Employees to provide
information of technical interest to AUPE
Union Stewards, worksite contacts and
other members. Topics deal with training
for union activists, worksite issues, disputes
and arbitrations, health and safety, trends in
labour law, bargaining and related material.
For more information, contact the editor.
President
Guy Smith
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Bill Dechant
Vice-Presidents
Jason Heistad
Erez Raz
Carrie-Lynn Rusznak
Glen Scott
Susan Slade
Karen Weiers
Executive Director
Ron Hodgins
Editor
Mark Wells
[email protected]
Writers
Tyler Bedford
[email protected]
Wendy Webber
[email protected]
Jan Goodwin
[email protected]
Design
Jon Olsen
The goal of Steward Notes is to help
today’s AUPE union stewards do their
jobs effectively. To help us, we encourage
readers to submit story ideas that deserve
exposure among all AUPE stewards.
Story suggestions for Steward Notes
may be submitted for consideration
to Communications Staff Writer Tyler
Bedford by e-mail at t.bedford@aupe.
org or by mail. Please include names and
contact information for yourself and
potential story sources.
Alberta Union of
Provincial Employees
10451 - 170 Street NW
Edmonton, AB T5P 4S7
T: 1-800-232-7284
F: (780) 930-3392
[email protected]
www.aupe.org
4 STEWARD NOTES
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Land titles
privatization
‘mortgaging the
future’
Raby, a Past President of the Law Society
of Alberta told the Calgary Herald.
Privatizing the Land Titles Office is like
“mortgaging the future for a quick cash
payment today,” he said.
Behind the scenes, everyone who relies
on Land Titles knows there is just one
Shadowy rumors of plans to privatize
company in Canada with the capacity to
Alberta’s Land Titles Office have circulated
take over the system – an Ontario-based
for years. They were shoved into the light
company called Teranet. Any problems
of day last spring during provincial budget
with titles would undoubtedly be paid for
estimate debates when PC MLA Manmeet
out of the public purse.
Bhullar, Minister of Service Alberta, let
“Wildrose supports government
slip plans to put Land Titles Office services
services remaining publicly administered
out to an “RFP” - a request for proposals
when they
from the private
are efficiently
sector.
run and meet
AUPE members in
public demand.
the Land Titles Office
The current
aren’t smiling about
public land
Bhullar’s move. The
title system in
plan would axe dozens
Alberta meets
of skilled jobs and
both of these
upset one of the most
requirements,”
trusted and efficient
said Wildrose
07-1970
tles Office, 19
Ti
land titles systems in
nd
La
y
MLA Rod
ies
ar
rar
lg
Ca
erta Lib
the University of Alb
Photo provided by
the world.
Fox.
After the story hit the
“There is virtually no evidence that
newspapers, Land Titles employees packed
the public land title system is poorly run
AUPE headquarters to make a plan to
and needs reform. Stakeholder groups
raise public awareness. The members
– those who use the land title system
agreed that they needed to reach out to
the most and rely on it to do business –
MLAs and the public. Their exemplary
overwhelmingly support maintaining the
service spoke for itself, and their best
public system. Also, I am unenthusiastic
allies would be the people who rely on the
about Albertans losing control over a
security of the Land Titles Office: lawyers,
service that is the ultimate guarantor of
real estate industry professionals, and land
their property rights,” Fox said.
surveyors.
Opposition NDP MLA Deron Bilous
Luckily, those groups don’t need
said his caucus believes the benefits
persuading. The Alberta Land Surveyors’
of keeping the service “in house” are
Association, the Real Estate Council
clear. He was quoted in the Herald: “No
of Alberta, the Alberta Real Estate
corporation or private business is going
Association, the Alberta Mortgage Brokers
to go near this if they can’t turn a profit so
Association, and the Law Society of
why are we handing this over to private
Alberta have all sent their concerns with
industry?”
the plan to Minister Bhullar. The groups
“It’s another case of a government
all worry about maintaining the security
privatizing profits and making the public
and integrity of each land title, which is
pay for the losses,” said AUPE Viceguaranteed by the Government of Alberta
President Karen Weiers.
through the Assurance Fund, and the
“It’s a real eye-opener,” said Weiers, who
likelihood that the low fees Albertans pay
is involved in the effort to protect Land
will escalate if a private provider takes
Titles. “We take our property rights for
over.
granted, but they are only as secure as the
“It is a cornerstone of a free and
documents guaranteed by the government.
democratic society that you can have
To the title-holder, it’s now a transparent
property rights you can rely on,” Steven
and affordable system. But if you bring in
a private, for-profit operator, that security
and affordability could quickly disappear.
“Last year the office added $69 million
in profit to the province’s revenues. It’s
crazy to privatize a money-maker at
the same time you’re cutting jobs and
services,” she said.
AUPE is taking those arguments to a
larger audience with a website promoting
the Land Titles Office and opposing
privatization, and online advertising
targeting the people who will be most
affected – those involved in real estate
transactions. Check the AUPE website for
more details.
AUPE finds
“Common Ground”
with Alberta’s
cooperative past
More than 200 people were on hand
for the July 4 premiere of AUPE’s latest
documentary film at Edmonton’s Metro
Cinema.
The film, titled “Common Ground,”
examines the extent of corporate influence
in Alberta, and the negative impact that
influence has on public services. After
the packed film premiere in Edmonton,
it was broadcast the following evening to
thousands of Albertans on CBC television.
The work of renowned Alberta
documentary film maker Tom Radford,
the 45-minute film explores the province’s
often ignored history of trade unionism
and community activism. Radford draws
parallels between that past and today’s
fight to preserve high quality seniors care
while the Redford government rushes
headlong into handing the sector over to
corporate interests.
The wide-ranging story begins with
the AUPE seniors care strikes in the
summer of 2012, before revisiting the
struggles between Crowsnest-area mining
corporations and their workers at the
turn of the 20th century, looking at one of
Canada’s last farmer-owned, cooperative
railways in the Battle River region, and
ending up back on the AUPE picket lines.
The historical journey provides an
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alternative view of Albertan’s fundamental
values. Rather than a province built by
individuals looking out for their own
interests, Alberta’s development is revealed
as the product of families, communities
and co-workers pulling together to build a
better life for everyone.
AUPE is now working with Radford
developing plans to show the film around
the province.
In the meantime, it is available for
viewing at the online video-sharing
website, Vimeo. Just retype the link below
into your web browser’s address bar.
http://bit.ly/19Ep8E9
Michener campaign
‘monumental’
When you reach 20,000 feet in an airplane,
you’ve hit minimum cruising altitude for
most flights. In mountaineering terms,
you’re thousands of feet higher than the
base camp at Mt. Everest.
And, it’s roughly the distance you would
cover if you strung every line together
from end to end on the petition urging the
Redford government to keep Red Deer’s
Michener Centre open.
The petition for the 125
developmentally disabled adults and
seniors who have called Michener home
for decades officially hit 20,000 signatures
on July 31.
AUPE President Guy Smith described
the campaign milestone as monumental.
“More petition signatures have been
collected than votes were cast for both
Red Deer Progressive Conservative MLAs
combined in the last provincial election,”
said Smith. “The vast majority of petition
signatures have come from the Red Deer
community.
“The support for Keep Michener Open
is among the largest I’ve seen in my time
as AUPE president.
“When you mention Michener Centre,
the community knows the issue and
understands the need for a home like this
to be there for those who require it,” said
Smith. “It takes no convincing, they sign
the petition right away.
“Michener has won numerous
provincial awards for the services it
24 DIRECT IMPACT
provides. Closing it is about money, not
about care, and that’s not right.”
Smith said it’s time the Premier listened
to the community and reverse the decision
to close Michener.
The petition will be tabled in the
Alberta legislature and will become
an official record of opposition to the
Michener Centre closure. All three
opposition parties tabled around 8,500
signatures before session ended in May.
Petition signature collection will
continue into the fall.
Part of the parade
A parade is a chance for people to come
together to celebrate all that makes them
a community. During Red Deer’s annual
parade this summer, Keep Michener Open
was there as part of the community.
In July, Keep Michener Open
volunteers, with members of AUPE’s
executive, marched in the Westerner Days
parade, which kicks-off Westerner Days,
central Alberta’s largest summer fair.
“Marching in the parade, hearing the
cheers and seeing the waves from the
community along the route was something
I won’t soon forget,” said AUPE VicePresident Jason Heistad.
“They know there’s a need for Michener
Centre in their community and they want
to see it remain in place until those who
live there no longer require it.
“The movement is big enough to deserve
a place in Red Deer’s parade. The Redford
government’s decision to shut down this
home has united central Albertans against
Michener’s closure. The government needs
to listen to the community and reverse the
closure,” said Heistad.
A place in Red Deer’s history
From dinosaurs to Monets to Laura
Secord, when you enter a museum you
know the displays are of significant
historical importance.
At the beginning of June, Keep
Michener Open volunteer Jenna Baynes
was contacted by staff at the Red Deer
Museum asking for Keep Michener Open
material to add to the museum’s Michener
Centre collection.
“The museum recognized the historic
relevance of the Keep Michener Open
campaign,” said Baynes, who has been
organizing volunteers in central Alberta
since the Michener Centre closure
announcement was made.
“To have our fight archived in the
museum is a huge acknowledgement of
the significance of Keep Michener Open.
People care deeply about Michener Centre
and its residents and it shows,” said Baynes.
Keep Michener Open is a part of Red
Deer’s community and its history. It’s a
story the community will read about for
decades to come. How this story ends,
however, is up to the government.
EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE
Michener supporters with the “Keep Michener Open” float in Red Deer’s
summer parade. The team has distributed more than 1,500 lawn signs to
supporters.
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Staying strong
at Waterford
Workers at the Waterford of Summerlea
seniors home in Edmonton marked
Labour Day in the most appropriate way
possible — by ratifying their first collective
agreement after 150 days on strike.
It’s been a long haul for the members
of Local 047 Chapter 044 who endured
a five-month-long dispute with the
Waterford’s owner, B.C.-based Chantelle
Management, but members say the
struggle brought them closer together.
The group of support and nursing staff
joined AUPE in 2011 and had been trying
to negotiate a first collective agreement ever
since. On April 5, 2013, after months of
delays by the employer, they went on strike.
The issues in the dispute are all too
familiar to AUPE members working for
private, for-profit seniors care sector.
Chantelle insisted on keeping its profit
margins by exploiting its workforce with
substandard compensation and working
conditions.
But the new three-year collective
agreement gives the members a three-percent wage increase each year, improved
sick leave provisions and improvements to
their health benefits.
Many of the Waterford’s residents chose
to live there because of onsite nursing
services. But mid-way through the
labour dispute, the employer’s contract
with Alberta Health Services to provide
Designated Assisted Living beds ended,
leading to the layoff of all nursing staff.
And as a result, shortly afterward, AHS
cancelled its contract with the Waterford
to provide onsite nursing care for residents
as part of its consolidation of service
providers in Edmonton.
AUPE secured a provision in the
collective agreement guaranteeing that
the laid-off nursing staff will be recalled
in order of their seniority, should the
Waterford provide nursing services in the
next eight months.
Throughout the strike, the members
remained united, even those who were
laid off.
“We’re all together on this. That’s all that
matters,” says health care aide Sharron
Peters.
Delilah Domingo, another HCA, agrees.
“We’re all getting to know each other
better, and it’s drawing us closer,” she says.
On the job, Domingo explains, people
don’t get a lot of time to get to know their
coworkers, especially if they work in a
different part of the facility.
“The kitchen staff, I only knew them
enough to say hello, but on the picket line
I’m really getting to know them.”
STAY
INFORMED
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PAPER
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YOUR
EMAIL
TODAY
UPDATE YOUR INFO AT
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deals for
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members
AUPE members save
on everything from
fuel to fitness classes
to financial products.
SOUND THE ALARM
HCA Sharron Peters shows the Waterford picketers’ latest tool in their fivemonth strike: a screeching hand siren.
www.aupe.org/discounts
DIRECT IMPACT 25
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Government
bargaining mired in
legal obstacles
Government of Alberta negotiators have
bogged down bargaining with AUPE’s
General Services Bargaining Committee
with a remarkable claim. They say “there
has not been a conscientious effort by
AUPE to engage in bargaining.”
The accusation appears in the
government’s legal response objecting to
AUPE’s July 15 application for interest
arbitration – a binding process in which
both sides of the bargaining table make
their case to an independent third party,
who in turn writes a report that would
form the collective agreement.
To justify its claim, the government
states “there has been insubstantial
movement from the AUPE position from
the start of bargaining.”
“It’s completely brazen,” said AUPE’s
GSBC negotiator Dale Perry. “The
government isn’t budging on its demand
for a wage freeze for three years, vacation
roll-backs for new hires, and the reduction
of special leave for major life events, like
attending funerals. And they accuse us of
‘insubstantial movement’ in bargaining.”
At the bargaining table the government
also insisted that in return for the few
improvements attached to the wage freeze
– primarily vacation accrual increases for
long-service employees and improved
Christmas leave – AUPE had to drop
its demand for fair hearings in front of
an arbitrator when a member makes a
grievance about sexual harassment or
discrimination. A decades-old provision
in the collective agreement gives the
employer, the one accused of the
misconduct, the final say.
“It has no place in a modern working
environment. We’re fighting for the
equal treatment of women, people with
disabilities, and minorities. There is no
reason a victim of discrimination should
have the deck stacked against her,” said
Perry.
$275 Million Smile
Constitutional arguments
The government’s objection also claimed
that the union’s proposals on job
competitions, classifications and pensions
are prohibited from being arbitrated by the
Public Service Employee Relations Act.
AUPE has responded with notification
that the union will challenge those
government objections with arguments
that PSERA violates the union’s freedom of
association rights to collective bargaining
guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms.
At stake are the union’s proposals for
a new article that would prevent the
employer from filling vacant positions
on the basis of an applicant’s popularity,
looks, or compliance with management,
but instead set out criteria based on
applicants’ skills, knowledge and
experience. Currently if a manager hires
someone based on irrelevant criteria,
unsuccessful applicants only have access to
a “level 2” grievance, where management
gets the final say about their complaint.
Without exception, management rules
Austerity for employees,
billions for builders
While cutting jobs and services, the Redford
government plans to spend $5 billion on
infrastructure this year, and $15 billion total
over three years. Here are some highlights from
the three-year capital plan:
Area2013-16
Thomas Lukaszuk (centre) smiles for a photo on the
rooftop of the Federal Building renovation project,
which will cost the province $275 million.
Progressive Conservative politicians will be moving into
their new offices at the Federal Building and enjoying
spacious parking in the new 600-stall parkade below
the building, at the same time as they make massive
cuts to post-secondary education and insist on a threeyear wage freeze for government employees.
While cutting services and jobs in an effort to balance
the province’s “operational” budget, they are also
borrowing $4.3 billion for such infrastructure projects.
26 DIRECT IMPACT
K-12 schools
Carbon Capture & Storage
Post-secondary buildings
Municipal infrastructure
Municipal transportation
Ring roads
Highway twinning
Highway rehabilitation
Private continuing care facilities
Bridges $1,380 million
$580 million
$490 million
$2,540 million
$1,015 million
$1,310 million
$190 million
$860 million
$230 million
$103 million
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in management’s favour. Similarly,
another new article proposed by AUPE’s
bargaining committee would require the
government to communicate with the
union about newly created positions,
including the position’s classification and
pay levels.
“These are standard provisions in
any major collective agreement, but
the government takes the position that
because PSERA protects these issues from
arbitration, they don’t need to negotiate
them,” said Perry.
“Arguments about whether the existing
provisions are fair, contemporary, or
even competitive, don’t persuade the
government negotiators as long as they
can hide behind PSERA. In bargaining
they didn’t engage us on these issues
except to say they are ‘comfortable’ with
the current language.”
No shame
But perhaps the most egregious government
objection is to the union’s proposal for new
letters of understanding on pensions. The
union has proposed a pension LOU that
would require the government to cover the
unfunded liability in the PSPP, as they did
for the teachers’ union in their previous
collective agreement.
“Dealing with the unfunded liability
would immediately give our members a
financial benefit and end perceptions that
the teachers received special treatment,”
said Perry.
A second pension LOU would end
the practice of front-line employees
topping up managers’ pensions. When
a front-line employee is promoted into
management, the government dips into
his old colleagues’ Public Sector Pension
Plan fund to pay for the higher benefit
pay-outs in the Management Employees
Pension Plan.
“The proposals boil down to simple
fairness in pensions. If the government is
reasonable, they will drop their objection
to the letters of understanding,” said Perry.
At press time the Alberta Labour
Relations Board was attempting to
set hearing dates to deal with the
government’s objections to arbitration,
and AUPE’s arguments against those
objections.
FIT FOR DUTY
ONLY A FEW HAVE WHAT IT TAKES
TO WEAR THE UNIFORM
Provincial peace officers have some of the most
demanding jobs in Alberta. Keeping correctional
facilities and courthouses secure, supervising offenders
in the community, patrolling our highways or ensuring
commercial vehicles are operated properly, they put
their lives on the line every day to keep the rest of us
safe. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees salutes
their dedication.
IT’S YOUR PROVINCE. WE KEEP IT SAFE FOR YOU.
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
Your working people.
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One Year, 84,000
Calls: Member
Resource Centre
celebrates first
anniversary
“Can’t believe it’s been a year already,”
says Stephanie MacDuff, the Resource
Centre Team Coordinator. Heads nod in
agreement as AUPE’s five Resource Centre
agents sat down on the July afternoon to
discuss the one-year anniversary of the
centre opening.
Since June 20, 2012, the agents have
been on the phone lines, taking calls
from members and non-members alike
and streamlining the services the union
delivers.
“It was a steep learning curve those first
few months,” said MacDuff. “We
came online just
as the strikes
were starting,
and there were a
lot of questions
and concerns
about them.”
The labour
actions at
Hardisty, Devonshire, Revera Riverbend,
and Monterey Care Centre formed the
backdrop of the Resource Centre’s first
summer, but the experience served them
well to deal with subsequent issues, like
the correctional wildcat strike in April
2013.
Despite the steep learning curve, the
Resource Centre agents say the most
rewarding part of their jobs has been
helping members. Despite some initial
trepidation, members are finding value
in the services the agents deliver: quick
answers, connections to the services
AUPE offers, and above all, a real person
at the other end of the phone line.
“We always invite members to visit
us here at Headquarters and see what
we’re doing,” said MacDuff. “We’ve had
lots of people ask what country we’re in,
and they’re surprised that we’re based
right here in Edmonton. But when you
think about it, the best way to serve our
members and keep our agents’ skills
growing is to have them right here at the
centre of the action.”
Resource Centre agents have begun
taking AUPE’s core courses and
shadowing Membership Services Officers,
to increase their knowledge and see the
work that is done for members after the
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Member Resource Centre agents (L to R), (back) Sarah Peters, Stephanie MacDuff,
Rhea Balascak, IT Director Mike Mosulak, (front) Kim Lockert, Megan Johnston
28 DIRECT IMPACT
call leaves the centre. This professional
development has the added benefit of
increasing the number of issues Resource
Centre agents can help members with as
soon as they call.
And the calls have been pouring in. In
the Centre’s first year, 84,366 calls were
received, with an answer percentage of
99.11 per cent.
“The industry benchmark is to answer
80 per cent of calls in 30 seconds,” said
MacDuff. “We’re achieving 97 per cent
within ten seconds. It’s really rewarding
for us to look at those numbers and know
how well we’re doing.”
But the Resource Centre isn’t just doing
well by the numbers. Members have been
taking the time to send in accolades and
praise for individual agents by the dozens.
But for the agents, it’s all in a day’s work.
“Looking back on this year, I think
the most rewarding change has been the
trust that members put in us now,” said
MacDuff. “They use us and our knowledge
more, and we’re able to help them faster
and more efficiently than if they just left a
voicemail with their MSO. We’ve earned
the members’ trust by doing our jobs
and improving their experience with the
union, and that makes each day a great
day to come to work.”
Tips from the MRC Agents
Here are some tips from the
agents to help improve your
experience with the MRC:
•If you are a steward, tell the
agent at the beginning of your
conversation.
•If you can, have your member
number ready, or be ready to
spell your first and last names.
•If you are leaving a message
on our nightline, please
provide your member number.
If you do not have your
member number, please spell
your first and last name. Most
importantly: please leave us a
telephone number that we can
call you back at!
•Please remember that text-toland-line does not work with
our telephone system.
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Municipal
elections... one
of your most
important votes
As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em,
join ‘em.
And nowhere does that adage ring more
true than in civic politics. Local government
— city, town and county councils, school
boards — has more direct impact on
individuals’ quality of life than any other
level. They set the atmosphere in your
children’s schools, set the schedule for your
garbage pickup and decide where the parks
and sidewalks will be in your community.
But more and more, local governments
are also becoming some of the most
important advocates for the value of
public services delivered by the federal
and provincial governments. That’s why
AUPE and its Committee On Political
Action (COPA) are doing everything they
can to encourage members to be active in
this fall’s civic elections.
“We’ve seen over the past couple
of years just how much municipal
governments have become staunch
defenders of public services,” said VicePresident Glen Scott, who chairs COPA.
“This election is huge opportunity for our
members to turn out in force and elect
local representatives who will work to
maintain those services.”
In recent years, AUPE has built strong
alliances with local councils and boards to
fight for those services.
This summer, AUPE worked with
local politicians in several northern
Alberta communities to fight the Redford
government’s cuts to post-secondary
education. AUPE’s members who work
in those institutions have clearly been
affected by the cuts, but so have the
communities. Athabasca town council, for
example, is very worried about millions
being drained from the local economy by
40 job losses at Athabasca University.
Red Deer council and the local school
boards have endorsed AUPE’s drive to
stop the government’s planned closure
of the Michener Centre, a facility that is
home to 125 adults with developmental
disabilities.
Big-city politicians have also come to
the defence of public services. Edmonton
Mayor Stephen Mandel called out
Advanced Education Minister Thomas
Lukaszuk, a city MLA, on the postsecondary cuts, while Calgary Mayor
Naheed Nenshi, a professor at Mt. Royal
University, has defended the importance
of public investment in post-secondary,
and most recently heaped praise on public
service employees for their willingness to
go above and beyond in the flood response
effort.
“We’re encouraging our members to
make their presence known by turning
out in high numbers on Oct. 21, election
day across Alberta,” said Scott. “Do your
homework and learn the candidates’
platforms. Go to candidate forums and
grill them on their views.”
COPA will also help out those members
who want a direct hand in local decisions.
“There’s a lot of interest in local politics
among our members,” said Scott. “We
have several currently holding office, and
nearly two dozen attended our municipal
campaign seminar in the spring. We’d love
to see even more get involved.”
COPA administers two programs to
encourage just that.
The first gives direct financial support
to members who choose to run for office.
Candidates must be an AUPE member in
good standing, and their platform must be
labour-friendly and support the delivery
of public services to Albertans.
The second offers time off for union
business to AUPE members to volunteer
on labour-friendly civic election
campaigns. Individual volunteers can
have up to two days’ time off for union
business.
“Despite their importance, municipal
elections often have a very low turnout.
Calgary had 53 per cent last election, but
Edmonton only turned out 33 per cent of
eligible voters and Grande Prairie and Red
Deer were each slightly below 25 per cent,”
said Scott.
“The upshot of those statistics is that a
motivated candidate with an experienced
team can really challenge the status quo,
much like Mayor Nenshi did in Calgary’s
last election.”
To find out more about these programs,
contact Glen Scott at [email protected].
DIRECT IMPACT 29
LABOUR RELATIONS BRIEFS
News on Local Bargaining
June 3 - August 16, 2013
support in helping them deal with issues
in their workplace. Bargaining for a new
collective agreement will begin shortly.
The new bargaining unit will represent
all ANC employees at the care facility.
Leduc is approximately 20 kilometres
south of Edmonton.
Local 048/022
LOCALS: 060, 071/012, 047/025, 047/024, 040/011, 047/001, 118/020, 056/013,
048/022, 118/017
Local 060
AITF: Application for mediation
Following only one day of meetings on
Aug. 20, AUPE broke off negotiations with
Alberta Innovates Technology Futures and
applied for mediation.
The employer tabled an initial salary
position of zero per cent in 2013, followed
by two reopeners in the remaining two
years, which was unacceptable to the
bargaining committee. Staff of AITF
were previously informed by the CEO
that he had been assured by government
ministers that Crown corporations like
AITF were not bound by the zero-percent wage freeze policy maintained by the
government.
Mediation will commence in the fall.
Local 060 represents over 300 employees
of Alberta Innovates Technology Futures
across the province.
Local 118/017
Alberta Livestock & Meat
Agency: Bargaining begins
The AUPE bargaining committee of the
Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency met
for negotiations with their employer twice
in August, after previous meetings in April
and May.
The union and management have
managed to settle all non-monetary items
in the collective agreement but have been
unable to achieve consensus on wages,
vacation and other monetary articles.
The ALMA is primarily funded by
Government of Alberta grants. In the
last financial year the agency recorded
a $242,000 surplus, up from a $64,000
surplus in the previous year.
Local 071/012
Living Waters Catholic Regional
Division No. 42: Strike vote
Support staff at Living Waters Catholic
Regional Division schools in Edson, Slave
30 DIRECT IMPACT
Lake and Whitecourt voted in favour of
legal strike action Aug. 28 following strike
votes in each community.
The employer met with school
employees on the bargaining committee
to negotiate just twice in eight months
and offered members zero-per-cent wage
increases at a time when there’s a yearover-year rise of more than three per cent
in average weekly earnings, and a cost of
living in those communities that continues
to increase.
The approximately 100 support staff
work in areas such as maintenance, trades,
administrative support and as educational
assistants. Members have been without a
contract since Aug. 31, 2012.
Living Waters Catholic School Division
serves approximately 1,800 students.
Chantelle Management Sunset
Manor and Innisfail Country
Manor: Bargaining begins
The bargaining committee for employees
of Chantelle Management’s Innisfail
seniors facilities held meetings in July in
preparation for bargaining. The bargaining
unit is seeking industry-standard wages
for the seniors care employees of the
private-for-profit facility.
The bargaining committee was
scheduled to exchange proposals with
the employer on August 26. Employees
of Chantelle Management’s Waterford of
Summerlea facility in Edmonton recently
settled a five-month strike.
Sunset Manor staff provide care to
seniors in 102 supportive living beds,
while Innisfail Country Manor provides
57 independent living suites.
Local 040/011
St. Therese Villa: Agreement to
arbitration
Approximately 15 employees at the St.
Michael’s Health Care Group Vegreville
Manor designated assisted living facility
joined AUPE in a workplace vote on Aug. 12.
The employees wanted a strong union
to help them change their workplace
culture, to make it more responsive and
understanding of the needs of the people
who work there. After seeing what AUPE
had done for their coworkers at Grove
Manor in Spruce Grove, they decided
to approach AUPE to represent them.
Bargaining for a new collective agreement
will begin shortly.
After formal mediation failed, Covenant
Health offered to enter into voluntary
interest arbitration with the employees of
St. Therese Villa. The employees accepted
this offer in early July, and arbitration will
take place in mid-September.
In voluntary interest arbitration, a
three-member arbitration board hears
arguments from both the Employer and
the Union on the remaining items in
dispute. The panel will then render a final
and binding decision and that decision
will result in a first collective agreement
between the parties.
St. Therese Villa is a Covenant Health
designated assisted living facility in
Lethbridge. AUPE represents over 140
employees at the facility.
Local 047/024
Local 047/001
Local 047/025
Vegreville Manor: Employees
join AUPE
Salem Manor Society:
Employees join AUPE
Staff at the Salem Manor in Leduc joined
AUPE on July 23 following a successful
vote at the worksite.
The new members were looking for a
union who would provide them with more
Brazeau Seniors Foundation:
Agreement ratified
Employees at the Brazeau Seniors
Foundation in Drayton Valley voted to
accept a tentative agreement in a worksite
vote on June 26.
The four-year agreement includes 3 per
cent wage increases in each of the first
three years and 4 per cent in the fourth
year and significant increases to the shift
differentials.
AUPE represents over 30 employees of
the Brazeau Seniors Foundation. Drayton
Valley is located approximately 150
kilometres east of Edmonton.
Local 118/020
Special Areas Board: Agreement
ratified
Special Areas Board employees in Hanna
ratified a mediator’s recommendation for
a new three-year agreement that reflects
compensation trends in the sector on
June 6.
The agreement provides 2.75-percent wage increases effective Jan. 1 of
2013, 2014, and 2015, as well as market
adjustments that will ensure employees’
wages keep pace with projected increases
in Alberta Average Weekly Earnings.
Market adjustments for various
classifications were also agreed upon, as
well as a new boot allowance, a new step
to the wage grid, and a $250 increase to
the health spending account.
The Special Areas Board is a rural
municipality in southeastern Alberta,
comprising over 5 million acres of land.
AUPE represents over 100 employees of
the municipality.
Local 056/013
Ft. McMurray AHS Trades
and Utility Employees: Vote
successful
In a vote May 28 for AHS Trades and
Utility employees in Fort McMurray, 15
employees joined their coworkers as part
of Local 056. The reconsideration vote was
prompted by the employees, who wished
to join the collective agreement to have
access to union services like the grievance
procedure.
The employees were some of the
many small and widely scattered nonunion AHS worksites, which date back
to 2003. In April that year, the Alberta
government passed legislation that
combined all Auxiliary Nursing Care
(ANC) and General Support Services
(GSS) bargaining units into two single
region-wide units that corresponded to
the Health Regions.
The few worksites that were without
union representation before 2003 had
their non-union status “grandfathered”
in the legislation until such time as the
employees voted to join their ANC and
GSS bargaining unit’s union. Over the
last three years, AUPE has brought union
representation to over 20 such worksites
across the province.
INFO PICKET PREPARATION
LOCAL 047/011 SHEPHERD’S CARE FOUNDATION
Shepherd’s Care Foundation workers prepare signs for the July 30 information picket in support of the Vanguard
site’s bargaining committee. The employer is attempting to impose a substandard first contract on 90 Vanguard
workers to set a precedent for bargaining with other units.
DIRECT IMPACT 31
S
FO CUP
ON AU E
Nine teams competed in the Young Activists Committee
Slowpitch tournament in Blackfalds July 13-14. The Central PDD
Beavers came out the champions, going undefeated through the
tournament and beating the Calgary Corrections team 12-7.
Peace River Area Council, along with Peace Country
Co-op, hosted the annual PeaceFest Pancake Breakfast
on July 14. The Rotary House building fund was the
charity recipient this year, receiving a $2,000 donation of
proceeds.
Locals 095 and
04
Peter Lougheed 5 held their annual BBQ at
the
Centre on June
members part
26. Over 450
icipated in the
event.
AUPE’s Anti-Privatization Committee stopped by the
Waterford of Summerlea picket line with lunch on July 9 as
the strike closed in on 100 days on the line.
32 DIRECT IMPACT
2013
AUPE EXECUTIVE
ELECTION
CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
AUPE’s 2013 Annual Convention will see the election of a full slate of executive officers to twoyear terms.
In this edition of Direct Impact, as in each election year, AUPE publishes platform statements*
for each candidate for President, Executive Secretary-Treasurer and Vice-Presidents who
chooses to submit one.
The statements are for the use of Convention delegates, who will vote for the various Executive
Committee positions, and for the information of all members.
Candidates who have made submissions to this section may not be the only candidates for
these offices, as nominations may be taken from the floor during Convention, and often are.
*Candidate statements appear as submitted.
Guy
Smith
Bill
Dechant
Jason
Heistad
Candidate for
President
Candidate for
Executive
SecretaryTreasurer
Candidate for
Executive
SecretaryTreasurer
Shamanthi
Cooray
Tonya
Malo
Erez
Raz
Candidate for
Vice-President
Candidate for
Vice-President
Candidate for
Vice-President
Carrie-Lynn
Rusznak
Glen
Scott
Susan
Slade
Candidate for
Vice-President
Candidate for
Vice-President
Candidate for
Vice-President
Local 006
Edmonton
Local 006
Edmonton
Local 001
Calgary
Local 004
Edmonton
Local 054
Edmonton
Local 045
Calgary
Local 071
Innisfail
Local 003
Edmonton
Local 045
Claresholm
Karen
Weiers
Local 095
Airdrie
Candidate for
Vice-President
DIRECT IMPACT 33
CANDIDATES FOR
PRESIDENT
Guy Smith
Local 006
Edmonton
Let’s take a moment to reflect. I know the
opportunities to do so are few and far
between, but lets grab them when we can;
it’s important to know where we are so we
can keep moving forward.
I know things have been extremely
challenging over the past year, and we’ve
all certainly been busy. We have had to
deal with a Government that has been
unable, or unwilling, to keep its word
and follow through on commitments
it has made to our members and other
Albertans. We’ve had to take a stand
against employers who have forced our
members onto the picket lines, and
we have had to respond to the worst
Government budget cuts in 20 years.
I know that all of you proudly provide
services to the people of Alberta from
one corner of the Province to the other.
But your ability to provide those services
is being undermined by a Government
and other employers that, despite huge
economic and population growth, are
intent on rolling us back instead of
moving the province forward.
So lets look at how we’ve dealt with
this. We have pulled together, supported
each other, fought hard and stood strong
together. This takes leadership and
teamwork. This relies upon tenacity,
strength and organization. This requires
vision and commitment. This is the time
that leadership has to prove itself; when
stated objectives and goals can be put to
the test; when a vision can be realized.
We have focused on and put into action
my long standing vision and commitment
to move forward and build a stronger
membership, a stronger voice, a stronger
organization, in other words a stronger
AUPE.
Regardless of the reality we have been
in, are in, and will be facing, this was my
stated objective when I first got elected
President in 2009.
Will this work ever cease? Not as long as
I am President. Because as new situations
34 DIRECT IMPACT
challenges, and political environments
arise I commit to the renewed and
ongoing principles to enhancing and
maintaining a stronger AUPE.
It is essential to be prepared in
anticipation of future struggles, so the
daily work of building the strength of
the membership is paramount. So too
is continuing to accentuate AUPE’s
credibility and respect with the public.
Our current level of media and public
awareness is unprecedented and we are
regarded as a legitimate and relevant voice
on numerous issues of concern to our
members and all Albertans.
We’ve come a long way yet there’s much
further to go. I have been an AUPE activist
for 25 years including eight years as a vicepresident and, of course, the last four years
as President. I am passionate about and
committed to the work I do and what we
achieve collectively as a union on behalf of
our 82,000 members. It will be an honour
to continue to serve as your President.
In Solidarity
Guy Smith
CANDIDATES FOR
EXECUTIVE
SECRETARYTREASURER
Bill Dechant
Local 004
Edmonton
Dear Delegates and Members,
Once again I seek your support for
re-election as Executive SecretaryTreasurer of AUPE.
During the past eight years I have
enjoyed working with members, the
executive team and staff for the benefit of
all our members. In this extremely busy
position, I have managed to fit in a great
number of activities, meetings, social
events and celebrations, including:
•Worksite tours
•Hundreds of meetings of Locals,
Chapters and Area Councils
•Information pickets/days alongside our
members on Strike, including Wildcats
•Member of Union Negotiating Team
for 4 Rounds & Staff Selection Team on
numerous occasions for all positions.
•Chaired 3 Standing Committees:
Finance, Member Benefits and Pensions
for all eight years.
Getting to know you, discussing your
concerns and receiving your feedback has
been enjoyable and interesting. I look forward
to more of the same in the years ahead.
During the past eight years I’ve
provided leadership in many of AUPE’s
accomplishments. My Number one
priority has been to ensure we have
financial resources to meet the needs
of our members. Our Reserve Funds
are now larger than ever. We have
considerably increased our Defence Fund
& Members’ Benefit Funds. This allows
us to bargain from a position of greater
strength, provide superior services and
educational programs and be prepared
to deal with any potential crises, such as
the aftermath we may face for this year’s
Wildcat. We also have additional funds to
help members in special times of need.
We are Alberta’s Largest Union, the
Union of Choice! We can all be proud to
be members of AUPE. My unrelenting
commitment is to work hard for this
continued success.
I have developed policies and guidelines
to assist Local and Chapter Treasurers.
In the coming year, one of my goals is
to continue working more with Area
Councils and top priority is to get settled
in our new office space in Calgary.
I have a long record of service to
AUPE — over 45 years. Like many of
you, I began as a steward and progressed
through Chapter and Local positions. This
has taught me to work hard for members
in a spirit of friendship and collaboration.
I am a Unionist because I believe in
strength through unity. Accountability,
proven experience and performance are
the strengths I offer you.
I will continue to dedicate my skills
and experience to sound management
of our finances and resources. As
Executive Secretary-Treasurer, you
know my commitment is to remain fully
accountable to our members.
Please call me with your questions and
issues at 780-930-3302 (office) or (cell) 780232-3870. You may also reach me by email
at [email protected]. Of course, I am
ready to answer questions at Convention
and meet with Locals as requested.
I look forward to the weeks ahead as
we prepare for Convention which I’m
confident will be a productive time. With
your support, I also look forward to the
privilege of continuing to represent you in
the future.
In solidarity,
Bill Dechant
Jason Heistad
Local 071
Innisfail
Greetings, Sisters and Brothers. My name
is Jason Heistad of Local 071/002 from
Olds College.
I am seeking the position of Executive
Secretary Treasurer at this 2013 Fall
Convention. I will engage you during my
campaign via my website, Facebook, Twitter
accounts and personal contact. My goal is to
talk to you; the elected membership. Leading
up to Convention, I will provide information
showing I have the abilities, background and
commitment to be the Executive SecretaryTreasurer & Steward of AUPE Finances. I ask
for your vote - Jason Heistad-X.
I have used my Leadership abilities as
Vice-President to become the first male
chair of the Women’s Committee. Over the
past eight years I have chaired the Human
Rights, COPA, Membership Services and
the Young Activist Committees. During
the past 11 years I have also sat as a Town
Councillor in my home community of
Innisfail. The service of Councillor has
provided many educational and finance
based roles which will serve me well when
elected as Executive Secretary-Treasurer.
My background includes four terms as
an AUPE Vice-President. The 2013-2015
Executive will face many challenges as
the Government continues to decimate
programs in all four sectors. Cut backs
do not equal quality public service. The
Bargaining process will always be AUPE’s
main mechanism to educate and inform
its members. We as Executive need to
continue to educate Albertans on the
important role we play as we provide timely
services for the citizens of Alberta.
The elected Executive this fall will
need to be able to lead the ever evolving
Community Based Mobilization. We
need to Communicate and engage new
worksites for this great province. The next
two years, we will continue to deal with the
results of the current March 2013 budget.
We continue each week to see cutbacks in
Health, Education, Government Services
and Boards/Agencies. The roles of Elected
Executive members have evolved over the last
four years. The membership needs to review
how we allocate these positions. My goal is to
work in co-operation with our President and
Vice-Presidents. I will as Treasurer, provide
economic stability with our budgets. We need
to stand strong in Solidarity.
My Commitment is evident as over
the last six months I have worked
right alongside the Michener Center
Campaign as an Elected AUPE Executive
Member. We garnered more than 20,000
signatures, held 3 rallies and continue
to place pressure on the Government to
re- evaluate their decision. The past six
months have been the most hectic as we
have faced budget cuts, the Provincial
Corrections wildcat strike in April 2013
and continue to see service reductions. I
ask for your Vote - Jason Heistad-X.
My abilities, elected service background,
commitment as a four time AUPE VicePresident and 11 years as a Municipal Town
Councillor the experience to be elected the
next Executive Secretary-Treasurer.
Visit My website @ voteforjason.ca &
search me on Youtube
Twitter me at Jason Heistad. Email me
at [email protected]
“Elect Jason Heistad Executive
Secretary-Treasurer.”
In Solidarity,
Jason Heistad
CANDIDATES FOR
VICEPRESIDENT
Shamanthi
Cooray
Local 006
Edmonton
Greetings Brothers and Sisters:
I have 23 years of experience in Human
Services and been an AUPE member
since 2001. After a year of employment,
I was instrumental in obtaining five new
positions by taking collective action to
address the workload. Due to unfair
labour practices in 1994, I organized
and unionized the Camrose Women’s
shelter with no experience and called for
a government inquiry. When there is
injustice and a violation of basic human
rights, I take action. I have been the
Mobilization Chair, Vice Chair and Chair
of the largest Chapter in Local 6, being
an alternate to Provincial Executive, the
Vice Chair and the Chair of Local 6, sat
on various local committees and serve on
the standing committee of AUPE Human
Rights with great pride. I hold a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Psychology with a
minor in Business. I am a registered social
worker with the Alberta College of Social
Workers.
I am respectfully seeking your support
for the position of AUPE Vice-President
at Convention. I recognize that intent is
merely desire and action is commitment.
It is by taking action that we overcome
barriers that improve the lives of working
Albertans. We must recognize that
there is a growing diversity amongst our
grassroots and we need to find ways of
engaging our new members. To unite is
to believe deeply that working together
means putting aside our differences
and setting an example, ones that build
solidarity and participation. I understand
that leadership is not position; it is action
by ordinary people doing extraordinary
things, everyone plays a role. When we
honour the cultural diversity, value and
worth of the individual, we begin to
understand how each and every member
contributes to our great Union.
I will take the necessary steps to
improve the lives of our grassroots,
bringing balance, unity and positive
change for AUPE members. Being the
largest union is not enough, working
together, mobilizing and advocating in
our communities is critical to our survival.
Being a stronger, pro-active Union is
vital in this current political climate to
protect our jobs, salaries, benefits and
future pension guarantees. I believe that
clear communication, transparency and
setting an example are important qualities
of a leader. It is essential to ensure that
all our members and job sites are fairly
represented and minorities have more
than a voice amongst the larger majority.
An avenue to problem solve must be
established for smaller locals and diverse
groups so they also have a sense of
belonging within the democratic majority.
It is through discussing and debating
DIRECT IMPACT 35
the most difficult issues that we begin
to understand each other and establish
policies that work.
If elected, I would build upon the
contributions of AUPE executive
members and bring forth a new, energetic
perspective, passion and dedication to
the position. We can work together to
achieve the best collective agreements and
pressure this government to become more
labour friendly.
In Solidarity,
Shamanthi
Tonya Malo
Local 054
Edmonton
Brothers and Sisters:
My name is Tonya Malo, and I am
announcing my candidacy for the position
of AUPE Vice-President. For the past 14
years I have been an active voice within this
union, participating at various levels. I look
forward to your support in allowing me to
bring my experience, passion and strengths
to the work of the Executive Committee.
From an early age and defined by
personal experience, I learned that we
must be responsible to take action to
correct what is wrong, and work to create
equality. We must also empower others
to work in solidarity to do the same. It is
important to identify the strengths in each
individual and use those strengths to get
the work done by all. As a Union we have
many struggles and challenges, which
we are all too familiar with. By working
together, pursuing every avenue whether
it be social, local, or political we have and
can be successful.
My employment began at the Royal
Alexandra Hospital and shortly after
I moved to the University Hospital.
Quickly following, I was elected as a
union steward, where I began helping my
co-workers with workplace issues, and
empowering them to speak up for what
was just and right. Stewarding provides
me many rewards, both personal and
professional. I embrace the challenge,
and recognize the importance of not only
enforcing a hard sought after collective
agreement but as well as educating and
encouraging others to speak up and
protect what we deserve.
36 DIRECT IMPACT
Currently, I am the Chairperson for
Local 54 one of the largest Locals with just
over 7,400 members. I have held almost
all Chapter positions, Local Provincial
Executive Representative, Local Council
Representative and served on 5 Bargaining
teams. Further to this, I have contributed
to various worksite committees, as well
as AUPE Standing Committees. Under
my leadership our Local has sought to be
recognized, and we have provided every
possible opportunity for membership
involvement. Creativity, flexibility and
a willingness to try something new
have helped us achieve many successes.
Sometimes we need to realize that when
something is not working or we can do
better, we need be bold and try something
new.
My belief in building strong stewards
and leadership has been well demonstrated
through my commitment to mentorship,
and by providing continued learning
through the organizing of courses,
conferences and seminars for our
Local activists. Adding to my personal
development I continue to perfect my
skills and knowledge through studies in
Business and Labour Relations, an ongoing
adventure to obtain a degree.
My sincere belief is in direct action, not
so much talking about it. Setting achievable
goals, with measurable outcomes and
building on those. As a Vice-President I
will bring my leadership of experience,
accountability, creativity and ability to get
the job done. Contributing to our work to
build and foster lasting relationships within
the union and the communities in which
we live and work.
In solidarity,
Tonya Malo
[email protected]
Erez Raz
Local 003
Edmonton
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
My name is Erez Raz and I am a proud
member of Local 003 Chapter 008, working
as a Correctional Peace Officer 2 at the New
Edmonton Remand Center. I am coming
to you this year, asking for your support
in re-election so that I may continue being
one of your Vice-Presidents for another
term. It’s been an honor to be part of such a
diverse union where we all have a common
goal, Respect & Equality to all. It has been
my privilege to work along side you, the
members, leaders, activists and staff and
I have grown so much from all of your
knowledge, experiences, dedication and
passion.
During the past term I have chaired
the Legislative Committee and the
Occupational Health and Safety Committee
which have both done a tremendous
amount of work and I am very proud of
the members who sit on these committees.
As many of you know, with the position of
Vice-President can come great challenges
with balancing the meetings, events and
activities as well as home and work but
with the loving support of my Family
and you the members, I have been able to
keep the commitment that I made, to you
the members when you elected me to be
the most Visible, Approachable, Down to
Earth, Passionate and Transparent VicePresident that I can be. I have attended
many work sites, area council events,
AGM’s, Local and Chapter meetings,
Bargaining meetings, and have taken part
in many Information pickets, rallies and
Strikes.
I have been very fortunate to work with
the members and staff of the Northern
Alberta Area as assigned by our President
and I have enjoyed it immensely. I look
forward to continuing the relationships
already built with the members and staff
in those areas as well as the new ones to
be built. I am a firm believer in mobilizing
our members within their communities
for a stronger voice for our union and
for the future of our families and vibrant
communities. Knowledge is power and
therefore, as I meet members I encourage
them to enroll in the education provided
by AUPE so that they can increase their
own level of comfort when dealing with
the Employer. My philosophy is that
AUPE can assist in each member bettering
themselves in whatever path it is that they
may choose to take their careers on. In
the next term, if elected, it is my promise
to you that I will continue to put in the
time, effort , passion and dedication
deserving of you all in the same manner as
I have in the past. In closing, I am asking
for your support at this years upcoming
Convention to be re-elected as one of your
Vice-Presidents to represent and support
you through mobilization, strength and
solidarity. Respectfully submitted, In
solidarity, Erez Raz
Carrie-Lynn
Rusznak
Local 001
Calgary
Sisters, Brothers and fellow Trade Union
activists,
My name is Carrie-Lynn Rusznak
and am a member of Local 001. I work
as a Legal Administrator, in the Calgary
Crown Prosecutors office. I am seeking
support for re-election at Convention, so
that I may continue the honour of being
one of your Vice-Presidents.
Since being elected in last year’s byelection, you have all welcomed me with
open arms and I am so proud of how we
have come together as the AUPE family.
When elected, I was assigned the privilege
of Chairing the Environment Committee
and I would like to thank you for your
commitment to our Environment as a
union and encourage you to continue that
commitment. After Convention, we were
assigned our areas and I was fortunate to
get the Central North area and it has been
inspirational to gain the perspective from
all sectors, in that area.
We have had a busy year but have stood
together in the toughest of times. I am
so proud of the solidarity shown on our
picket lines that we have had ongoing for
a solid year. As Alberta’s largest trade
union we have seen the rights of Albertans
almost destroyed, as well as the rights
to safe worksites being dismissed by the
current Government. I would like to say
thank you to our sisters and brothers of
Local 003 for taking a stand for all of us
when it comes to Occupational Health
and Safety. I am also proud to see that
Albertans have come to rely on AUPE to
stand up and be the voice for those who
are not able to say ‘enough is enough’.
Recently, I was asked why I fight so hard
when I know that the Alberta Government
wants to destroy Public Services and
the answer is simple…AUPE members
take the initiative to educate ourselves
in front line positions and graduate with
Certificates, Diplomas and even Degrees
to work in Public Services, not for the
money, because most times it isn’t much,
but because we want to make a difference
and AUPE members make a difference
to all Albertans, every day that they go to
work and that is why I have fought and
will continue to fight for all of you.
We are fighting for the survival
of labour in this province and the
mobilization and solidarity that we
undertake over the next two years,
protects the faith of the generation to
follow. We will watch as Alison Redford
faces her Leadership Review in November
and while I believe she will survive that
review, I am confident that it will be, with
less support that she believes she has. We
need to continue to hold this Government
accountable for the decisions that they
make, as they affect all Albertans as well as
the labour movement and I would love to
continue as a part of the leadership team
that takes AUPE into the coming years.
Yours in Solidarity,
Carrie-Lynn Rusznak
Glen Scott
Local 045
Calgary
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
My name is Glen Scott. I am a member
of Local 45/08 and a Licensed Practical
Nurse from Calgary. The last 48 months
have educated me in the mega-local
we call AUPE. I hope your summer
has given you the opportunity to spend
some down time with family, and some
time to recharge. It was 48 months ago I
was first elected, and I remember more
experienced VPs telling me it would slow
down during the summer. It did a bit the
summer of 2010, but since then it has been
a crazy ride. (I have repeated those words
to our newer VPs as recent summers have
approached and I don’t think they believe
me anymore.) I would like to thank every
member of this Union for the opportunity
to represent you every day. You have given
me your trust to be a leader and helped me
grow as a person. That humbles me and it
is something that has governed my actions
as one of your VPs. I don’t take this
responsibility lightly, so a lot of thought
and consideration has gone into my
decision to ask for your support as I seek
reelection as one of your VPs. I have been
given a chance to grow as a person, gain
knowledge and become the VP I am today.
I am prepared to use this experience to
continue defending the work you do every
day. Since 1996, when I joined AUPE, I
have been involved as a council member
of a few Locals, Chapter Chair, Local
Treasurer, Shop Steward attended every
Labour School I could. And then I became
VP. I have continued to become a better
leader because I am passionate about the
work we do. I have always been aware
that this position is a privilege. The last 12
months have been a wild ride for many of
our members and the executive as well.
I anticipate the next term will continue
to challenge us all and we are up for the
task. I also believe in teamwork and will
continue to work with the executive team
whomever you choose for the next term.
On this subject, I would like to express
my gratitude to all the members of the
executive from the President, Executive
Secretary and the six VPs who have been
a team for the last 24 months. I wish them
well and look forward to working with all
of them again. I also would like to thank
all the members who inspire me every
day at meetings, rallies, sending letters
or emails to politicians, donating money
to other members in need, on strike,
cooking hotdogs, knocking on doors,
marching in parades, joining committees,
becoming union stewards. Your actions
inspire others, and myself and make
AUPE the success it is. I will continue to
promote and support all our members in
their endeavors through experience and
commitment, education and engagement.
I humbly solicit your support for VP.
In Solidarity
Glen Scott
VICEPRESIDENT
STATEMENTS CONTINUE ON
THE FOLLOWING PAGE
DIRECT IMPACT 37
Susan Slade
Local 045
Claresholm
Greetings Brothers and Sisters,
My name is Susan Slade. I wish to
announce my bid for re-election for
the role of Vice-President at the 2013
AUPE Convention. I am a proud AUPE
member and have been an activist since
1999, currently living in Claresholm and
working as a LPN.
It has been an incredible learning
opportunity this past year as a VicePresident. I have spent numerous hours
with members, attending meetings and
supporting members at the picket lines
and rallies. Last year during my campaign,
I promised that I would bring a strong
voice, a strong conviction for right and
wrong as well as the ability to mobilize. I
believe I have proven and fulfilled those
statements. I will continue to be a strong
voice to the membership, standing up and
fighting for what is right, mobilizing and
encouraging members to get involved.
My past experience as a local chair,
chapter chair and activist has also helped
me to make the transition to VicePresident. My experience has allowed
me to speak with confidence to both
members and the public. This past year, I
was privileged to be able to attend Labour
School as a member taking the Advanced
Steward course. As a Vice-President we
are responsible for making decisions at
the Grievance Review Board. Completing
Level 3 Steward has helped me greatly in
making decisions because I now have a
better understanding of the process.
This has been a challenging year for
AUPE as the cuts to all sectors have
been continual due to the Broken
Promises made by the current Provincial
Government. As a Vice-President, I have
worked hard to make sure that I am
aware of the issues affecting our members
by meeting to brainstorm solutions
to counteract or minimize the recent
cutbacks. Therefore, I am able to speak out
in order to ensure that public is aware of
the injustices that happen on a daily basis
to the membership because of the blatant
disregard that this government has for the
work that public sector workers do every
day.
38 DIRECT IMPACT
This past year we have experienced
countless displays of solidarity throughout
the membership. As a leader, I have and
will continue to support the members of
this union in anyway that is necessary. I
believe in this union and I stand proud
along side my Brothers and Sisters during
times of strife and times of celebration.
We Are Stronger When We Work
Together!
In closing I want to graciously thank
the membership for putting their trust
and faith in me this past year, the AUPE
executive team for allowing me to learn
and grow as a leader, but most importantly
my family who supports and encourages
me 100%.
I am asking for your continued support
in my bid for re-election and look forward
to speaking or sharing opinions and
stories with each of this year’s convention
delegates. Please feel free to contact me
with any questions that you have prior to
convention © 403-554-4198 or s.slade@
aupe.org.
Karen Weiers
Local 095
Airdrie
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
My name is Karen Weiers. I am from
Local 95, General Support Services –
Healthcare, and I am once again seeking
your support to represent you as VicePresident.
I have been a union member for 34
years and since joining AUPE, have held
many positions within my Chapter, Local
and Area Council including Level III
Steward. For four years I have had the
honour to Chair the Anti-Privatization
Standing Committee, providing education,
communication, and taking action around
issues of privatization and contracting out
in every sector of our union.
This past term as Vice-President has
been an incredible journey. We have
faced challenges and struggles as a union
together, and I see compassion and
conviction from all of you that reminds
me why I am so proud to be out there as
one of your representatives.
Our strength as a union will continue
to come from the activism and hard work
from all members, and I will continue to
lead by example. I have a proven track
record of dedicated activism and my
commitment to you will always be to serve
the membership and protect our rights.
Over the past two years I have worked
to improve two-way communications,
bringing information out to the members
and presenting their concerns within all
levels of AUPE. I have stood proudly in
support with the members of our union
on the many picket lines we’ve walked.
Because of our work together, the
public is identifying AUPE as a credible
organization acting in the public interest.
Our leadership is strong, and becomes
even stronger when backed by well over
80,000 members. With your support I will
continue that leadership, with a continued
focus on education and communication.
We know that knowledge is power, and I
will continue to build a union culture that
gives us knowledge that:
• empowers us to defend our rights • enables us to build our strengths
• informs us of political outcomes
that could affect jobs, families and
communities
• builds solidarity within our union by
highlighting issues across all sectors
I will always speak up loud and proud
for us, for the work that we do and for
the services that we provide to Albertans
on a daily basis, and I will never stop
prioritizing our rights and quality of life in
my decision making within our union.
Our Convention theme this year
is “We’re Stronger When We Work
Together”, and with the political climate
of cutbacks, layoffs and closures, we have
a lot to overcome as a union. I believe
we can win many fights we will face if
we work together. With your support, I
look forward to working with you all for
another 2 years.
I have a strong work ethic and I will
bring all my experience and commitment
to serving you as a Vice-President. I look
forward to seeing you in your community,
on your picket lines, and at Convention
2013!
In Solidarity,
Karen Weiers
Social Workers: Advocating for Albertans
Across Alberta, Registered Social
Workers can be found helping others.
Often, you will find us advocating for
those who are not able to speak for
themselves.
As social workers, we are on the front
lines, urging government to repair major
cracks in our social infrastructure and to
adopt social polices that look after the
needs of vulnerable Albertans.
Alberta’s income disparity gap is a good
example. A growing gap between the
haves and have nots has resulted in more
homelessness, more working poor, an
affordable housing crisis and many other
social problems.
Access to resources to meet basic human
needs is every person’s right. Alberta’s
6000 Registered Social Workers are
advocates for fairness and social justice.
Advocacy is a fundamental aspect of our
professional ethics and at the heart of
what we do.
WEAR YOUR
UNION PRIDE
Registered Social Workers (RSW):
The professional standard in social work
Visit the AUPE PUB online store today at
http://store.aupe.org
The Alberta college of Social Workers regulates social work practice in Alberta. Its primary
focus is to serve and protect the public interest by promoting skilled and ethical social work.
www.acsw.ab.ca
SOLIDARITY IS ALWAYS IN STYLE!
Support Social Justice Education in Our Schools
The Aspen Foundation brings community values of social justice and a respect for
fairness and equality to the classroom. The Foundation for Labour Education works to
educate youth to allow them to work, live, and participate fully in a democratic society.
AFLE encourages the use of materials, resources, and speakers in our schools that reflect
the best traditions in community values and democratic principles of our society.
How can I contribute?
Please mail your charitable donation to:
Aspen Foundation for Labour Education
11 Bonin Place, Leduc AB T9E 6H6
Charitable donations can be made online:
www.canadahelps.org
“Supporting
Labour and Social
Justice Education
in our Schools”
For more information:
Phone: 780-986-1745
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.afle.ca
The Aspen Foundation for Labour Education is now a recognized charity by Canada
Customs and Revenue Agency (BN 881720510RR0001). You can support labour and
social justice education in our schools with your charitable donation.
MEMBER ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM (MAP)
Confidential Counselling Services for
AUPE General Service Members
and Their Families
What is MAP? MAP is an AUPE sponsored program
of confidential counselling, designed to help
members and their families resolve their personal
and professional issues, stresses, and traumas and
thus improve their overall health, well-being, and job
performance.
Counselling services covered by this program
To arrange counselling or receive more
information contact CMR Canada at:
1-800-567-9953 or
by e-mail: [email protected] or
find us on the web at
www.cmrcanada.ca/AUPEmap.htm
All arrangements will be made for you.
Your confidentiality is guaranteed.
CMR Canada
•Aging Parents
•Anger Management
•Bereavement
•Career Issues
•Emotional Problems
•Family Problems
•Fatigue
•Harassment
•Health Concerns
•Marriage Preparation
•Marital Problems
•Physical or Sexual Abuse
•Relationship Issues
•Single Parenting
•Stress
•Substance Abuse/Addiction
•Trauma
www.aupe.org
Publications Mail Agreement: 40065207
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO
ALBERTA UNION OF PROVINCIAL EMPLOYEES,
10451 170 St. NW, Edmonton, AB T5P 4S7