The union that was recently elected to represent about 100 support staff at an assisted living complex in Innisfail will push for higher wages as it begins to develop a collective agreement with Langley-based Chantelle Management Ltd.
Employees at Sunset Manor and Country Manor voted to become part of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) May 9, joining about 8,500 workers in private and not-for-profit continuing care homes across the province. The union will cover licensed practical nurses, maintenance employees, kitchen workers, housekeeping staff and health care aides.
“Our goal is to get these people industry standard wages,” said Jason Heistad, vice-president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. “The people there understand that they're well below industry standards.”
Employees at the Innisfail site make 30-40 per cent less than the industry standard for private for-profit homes, according to the union.
A Sunset Manor staff member who gave her name as Valerie said about six months after she started working at the facility two years ago Eugene Skoretz, president of Chantelle Management and executive director Gord van der Eerden showed up to announce a pay hike was on its way once the facility filled up.
Following the group staff meeting when the private for-profit home did attract more residents, she received a four per cent wage increase, through a cost-of-living hike and worked her way up the standard pay grid.
The wage increase, which was to include benefits, was never promised in writing.
She said the purpose of joining a union was “to ensure our staff is protected” and that there is stability in the workplace.
Van der Eerden was unavailable for comment by deadline.
A year after the facility was full, the employees were still without their promised benefits and increased wages, according to AUPE.
“Many of our members felt they were being taken advantage of,” Heistad said. “They deserve to be treated fairly by their employer.”
Registered nurses at the Innisfail facility will not be part of the AUPE bargaining unit. David Harrigan, director of labour relations with United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), said it does not represent registered nurses at the Chantelle Management workplace. He stressed it's generally harder for employers to lean on registered nurses even without a union.
“They'll usually pay the same rate as a UNA agreement,” he said. “For a registered nurse there's a really strong industry standard in place.”
Lloyd Reberger, a resident of Sunset Manor, said he's not a fan of unions and is worried it will cost him more to live in his home now that support staff members are part of AUPE.
“I think our price is going to go up for living here,” he said. “Unions are practically running the country. It's gotta stop somewhere.”
Heistad said the union will negotiate in good faith.
“Our relationships are key not only for our members but also for those membership services officers who need to deal with worksite issues,” he said. “The first step is that first collective agreement.”
