CUPE members working at the Lethbridge Extendicare have rejected the latest contract offer in their ongoing negotiations.
This latest offer was simply not good enough for our members at Extendicare, said CUPE Local 408 Vice-President, Marie Lundgren. Support staff working at this Extendicare facility do the same job as those at St. Michaels Health Centre but they do not get the same pay and benefits, she said.
CUPE 408 members working at Extendicare will be meeting on December 19 to consider their next steps including the possibility of strike action.
Negotiations broke down last month for 425 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees who provide services at seven Extendicare facilities across Alberta. All seven of the locals involved in these negotiations staged information pickets on November 21, to stress the importance of the work they do and the need for fairness in this contract. The latest offer is the result of mediation.
The contract offer provided for wage increases over two years, weekend shift premiums and improved benefits. The contract was accepted by CUPE locals in Bonnyville, Vulcan, Fort Macleod, St. Paul, Viking, and Leduc.
In Lethbridge, with the health centre right down the street, the situation is quite different. We do the same job at Extendicare as is done at St. Michaels. Our members are saying loud and clear that fairness is not a lot to ask for, said Lundgren.
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CUPE is Canada’s largest union with over half a million women and men who provide public services. In Alberta, CUPEs 31,000 members work in health care, municipalities, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, emergency medical services, social services and now casinos. Visit our CUPE websites for more information cupe.ca and cupealberta.ab.ca
For further information:
Pam Beattie, CUPE Communications
(780) 484-7644 - (780) 288-1230 (cellular)