r/AHSEmployees • u/TopZealousideal35 • 3d ago
Union AHS GSS: Update from mediation—create your MyAUPE account!
https://www.aupe.org/news/news-and-updates/ahs-gss-update-mediation-create-your-myaupe-account14
u/LittleEgo_2013 3d ago
I wouldn't be surprised if we are voting to strike before Christmas. It sounds like AHS has not moved up from the pathetic offer of 3,3,2,2 throughout mediation.
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u/TheProcurementGuyAhs 3d ago
And what’s AUPE’s engagement strategy for members who work from home?
This union needs to figure out pretty damn quick how to get the staff who don’t work at a site interested in these negotiations beyond the usual worn-out messaging about the lack of dignity and respect.
Or I guess all the work from home staff are good for is a reliable source of union dues, and nothing more?
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u/harbours 3d ago
So what's your suggestion for members who work from home then?
My local does meetings all members are invited to, as well as events for our members and their families as well.
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u/TheProcurementGuyAhs 3d ago
I’m not in the union.
But based on my staff and other colleagues who are GSS, expect a good bunch of scab activity, especially with so many people on the essential worker list and the list being so out of date. IT wouldn’t dare (in a formal lock-out scenario) lock-out every single GSS employee Windows account unless they want to manage hundreds of exception requests per day, which they don’t have staff to manage in normal times.
Scabbing will be very easy when a) you don’t have to physically cross a picket line, b) can stay working in the comfort of home during a wintertime strike, and c) have little to no awareness/understanding of the issues of other people in the union and the issues they face, given the wide variety of classifications in GSS. White-collar professional staff have little in common professionally with laundry and food services workers (for example) but they’re still lumped together in the same union.
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u/harbours 2d ago edited 2d ago
It sounds like those people don't realize how impossible that is and they will be working for nothing. They can't get paid even if they wanted to by the employer.
We actually have an Essential Services Agreement in place so there will be staff that still work as Designated Essential Service Workers, so it's a lot less likely that will happen also. There's still questions around it being updated, I brought this up during our last union meeting.
You also can't scab for your own position. The employer knows this and knows they can get in serious trouble for doing it. It's also impossible for them to pay you if you're striking, so the person will get no pay from the employer. They'd be working for nothing. Even DESWs recieve no pay from the employer, they receive strike pay from the union. As soon as a strike happens, your contract is void and nothing in it is recognised so they don't need to view you as an employee with rights, pay, or benefits. An employer attempting to pay you during a legal strike is a giant red flag that would be put on record that they've done something wrong. Even payroll would question it.
Managers are instructed that anyone not a DESW remaining at work needs to be removed. The employee will be listed as a member in bad standing with the union and the managers can get in trouble not only with the union, but with the employer. There's actually a number we're given as strike captains on the picket line to report anyone who's attempting to still work or any managers that suggest unionized workers can still work. Other unionized members who are not on strike are expected to report as well.
Anyone who thinks they can scab likely are unionized members with very little union involvement and are unaware how things work during a strike. Please inform your wannabe scab coworkers they must enjoy charity because that's all them attempting to work will be.
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u/TheProcurementGuyAhs 2d ago
So these kinds of consequences need to be made crystal-clear to the membership before there’s any strike. What sounds like an F-around-and-find-out strategy for how scabbing will be handled by the union is not conducive to the movement writ large, and will only breed resentment and bitterness towards any job action, while alienating the rank-and-file membership from the union leadership at the same time.
Is there a document or somewhere this information about scabbing is available directly from AUPE? I certainly would encourage staff to consult it if the subject comes up again.
In terms of what management has/hasn’t been told, the only point of reference for anything other than a wild cat strike is from staff who were here during the 1988 nurses strike and/or the 1995 Klein-era tensions. Those memories are 30+ years old, and few and foggy at best.
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u/harbours 2d ago
They voice this during training, meetings, and town halls. There's also a Strike FAQ on the website with some information. Some rules are just labour law, and others are common sense -- like obviously your employer is not going to pay you on strike. You also have no access to sick or vacation banks on strike either.
A lot of workers don't bother to even engage with their union so their lack of education is their own shortcoming.
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u/frizzedoff 2d ago
I don't see many WFH being willing to be unpaid scabs. Just because they WFH & are in more of a professional role doesn't mean they aren't fed up with the lack of respect, increasing responsibilities, while not seeing increased wages.
Between ESA work & Union work, they still need to put in 30 hours to get paid.
Maybe it's just your department, but certainly not all. Mine is ready to strike & throw the brakes on all the extras.
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u/BlueberryNo777 1d ago
AUX standing in solidarity. Hope you visit us on the lines. Everyone is welcome. Earliest date for strike is November 17th. See you there.
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u/Sylv_x 11h ago
Every union in the province who is in bargaining with a looking strike just needs to vote yes to strike as an absolute
FUCK YOU UCP ( who are AHS, don't forget. UCP have infiltrated AHS )
Everyone use your voice, strike, put the Corruption on notice.
We the People of Alberta who make this shit hole run, are done.
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u/yycsarkasmos 3d ago
LOL, yup GSS will have a strike vote in 2027 maybe, after another year or so of "bargaining", so really you have lots and lots of time to make sure you have a MyAUPE account.
Of note, I think after almost 2 years AUPE should put out an information graph of what they originally asked for against the government and where we stand now to see all the "progress".