Edmonton hospital workers end wildcat strike
Royal Alexandra, University of Alberta hospitals were hit by wildcat strike
CBC News
Posted: Feb 16, 2012 8:41 AM MT
Last Updated: Feb 16, 2012 6:56 PM MT
Hospital service workers picket in front of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Thursday morning after negotiations with the province broke down. (Andrea Huncar/CBC News)
A one-day walkout by health support workers in Edmonton has ended and AUPE has agreed to send the contract dispute with Alberta Health Services to binding arbitration, health officials announced late Thursday afternoon.
"Staff involved in the wildcat strike should be back at work within two hours," said Chris Mazurkewich, chief operating officer and executive vice-president with Alberta Health Services.
The agreement between AUPE and AHS guarantees that workers will not be disciplined or face legal action for walking off the job on Thursday.
In a news release, AUPE President Guy Smith called on workers to return to work immediately to "ensure they are protected."
Hundreds of service workers at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital started their strike at 7 a.m. Thursday. They were followed by about 40 workers at the University of Alberta Hospital and others at the Northeast Community Health Centre.
Managers soon started performing duties like meal delivery, portering and room cleaning.
The job action forced the Royal Alexandra Hospital to cancel about 68 procedures. Mazurkewich says those procedures will be rescheduled immediately.
AHS officials scheduled a hearing with the Labour Relations Board on Thursday afternoon to force employees back to work. But an agreement to start binding arbitration was reached with AHS as the hearing began.
Negotiations are set to start next week.
Contract expired last spring
The walkout caught union leaders by surprise, pre-empting a series of rotating information pickets scheduled for Thursday around the province.
About 22,000 General Support Services employees have been negotiating with Alberta Health Services after their contract expired last spring.
General Support Services employees manage health records, prepare meals, manage finances, maintain facilities, assist in therapy, sterilize surgical tools, assist pharmacists and provide security.
In January, the workers' bargaining unit rejected a mediator's contract recommendations by an overwhelming 95 per cent, prompting Alberta Health Services to come back to the bargaining table, said the union.
The two sides met last week to resume negotiations.
"We were very hopeful a fair agreement could be reached with AHS last week, what we got was nothing short of insulting," Smith said in a press release.
"AHS's final position was even less than what was recommended in the rejected mediator's report."
AUPE walked away from mediated negotiations last week, after AHS tabled an offer of a two-per-cent lump sum payment for 2011, a two-per-cent increase for 2012 and a cost of living increase for 2013, said Joanna Pawlyshyn, vice-president, Royal Alexandra Hospital.
The negotiations are the first for the service workers since the amalgamation of the province's health regions in 2009.
AUPE is Alberta's largest union, with almost half of its 80,000 members working in health care.
Share Tools
Latest Edmonton News Headlines
- Deficit focus of Smith's first question in legislature
- Opposition leader and newly elected MLA Danielle Smith used the first question period of her political career on Monday to query the government about its budget forecasts. more »
- Alberta standoff ends with Stettler shooter's suicide
- The man suspected of shooting a woman near Stettler, Alta., this morning shot and killed himself after a eight-hour standoff. more »
- Leduc expected to approve upgrades to troubled condo
- The city of Leduc is expected to sign off on upgrades this week that will finally bring the troubled Bellavera Green condo in line with building codes. more »
- Alberta to meet with Chinese dance show organizers
- Alberta Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk says her staff will meet with organizers in a dispute over cancelled performances of a controversial anti-government Chinese dance troupe. more »
Top News Headlines
- B.C. police shooting video sparks calls for new probe
- Amateur video of the shooting of a mentally ill Vancouver man five years ago has prompted calls for B.C.'s police complaint commissioner and Crown prosecutors to take another look at the case. more »
- 'Engine shutdown' forced Air Canada jet to land
- A Japan-bound Air Canada Boeing 777 jet had to make an emergency landing at Toronto's Pearson airport on Monday, after one of its engines failed. more »
- CP Rail union, Tories battle over collective bargaining
- The federal Conservatives defended their plan to force striking Canadian Pacific Railway employees back to work as a way to keep the economy on track, while the union representing 4,800 workers said their collective bargaining rights are under attack. more »
- Quebec student talks resume amid continuing protests
- A new round of negotiations between students and Quebec's Liberal government over the province's tuition-fee crisis extended into the night, while thousands took to the street in protest, leading to dozens of arrests. more »
- Alberta RCMP in standoff near Stettler after woman shot
- Garbage truck lands on Saturn
- Accused in blast that killed Alberta mom handled her funds
- Edmonton's top 10 worst roads
- Bodies of boaters recovered at Coal Lake
- Alberta looks to curb excessive speeding on highways
- Occupy Edmonton rallies in solidarity with Quebec students
- Artist captures chalk notes to inmates
- Teen charged with drunk driving in Drayton Valley death
