Your July 2022 Update!
July 15, 2022
Hello AUNP Members,
This is a report back to the membership from the Bargaining Committee, to ensure that all members are apprised of the progress in the bargaining process.
The Bargaining Committee completed two days of bargaining on July 11th and 12th. Bargaining is a back-and-forth process, with both groups proposing and counter proposing language in order to reach consensus on the key intent of each article.
Bargaining continues to be positive, and we are pleased to report that the employers came prepared to the session with significant counter proposals on about 17 articles (you may recall that the draft Collective Bargaining Agreement – CBA – contained approximately 65 articles). Currently, as we let you know previously, the negotiation is addressing non-monetary articles, saving any articles pertaining to payment for later in the process. This approach allows for smooth negotiation on a large part of the CBA before the really hard work begins. The progress thus far will support a prompt movement forward on more challenging items when the bargaining process resumes in September.
As is common, negotiating vacations is challenging, and is the key reason for a brief hiatus in the process until the fall. However, dates for September and October have been set up to resume the work in earnest.
We have heard from all of you regarding the recent approach to salary restraint that AHS has adopted. The AUNP does NOT object to NPs receiving increments and have advocated for such to AHS leadership. There is no legal reason that prohibits AHS from providing NPs with increments, as AUNP has clearly voiced their support of such an action. We have requested a meeting with whomever is in authority to address this issue, and we will inform you of any developments.
As expressed in previous updates, the AUNP Board and Bargaining Committee are open to your questions and feedback and are deeply committed to moving this process forward. We encourage you to review the agreement summary via the following link AUNP Draft Collective Agreement Summary and provide any feedback that may be helpful to the bargaining team. Thank you for your ongoing support throughout this important process. Please reach out at any time – [email protected], [email protected].
Sincerely, your Bargaining Committee.
Lesley Lapierre, AUNP Vice President, Bargaining Committee Chair
David Froelich, AUNP Labour Advisor
Anne Summach, AUNP President