Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Information
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT HOW THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE GOIN G FOR OUR AREA, #56 GENERAL SUPPORT STAFF AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. THANKS
Alberta Clerical Staff
Alberta Clerical Staff
My name is Kathy Olsen and I work at the Centennial Centre in the Halvar Jonson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka. Below is a message that I sent to Mac McNaughton - our contract negotiator. It is very important that all clerical stick together and vote NO unless we get the 10% market rate adjustment we so richly deserve. If we can get all clerical staff to vote we will outnumber Maintenance, Housekeeping and Dietary and will be successful in voting down a contract that is not favorable to us. If we don't all take the time to vote they will outnumber us and can most likely vote in a contract we are unhappy with. Please take the time to forward this to other clerical staff to help me get the word out. Thank you.
Dear Mr. McNaughton
WOW, disgusting, hurtful, pathetic unforgivable etc etc etc. These are just a few words that I would use to describe the treatment that Clerical is receiving during our contract negotiations. We are not just "Secretaries" and should not be treated as such - as they were in days gone by. We are a pivotal part of the DTHR and deserve to be recognized as such.
The Clerical group of the AUPE GSS have been meeting and have come to the conclusion that we will vote NO every time until we get what we deserve in regards to our wages. We have been informed that we will NOT be getting what Calgary and Edmonton received for two very ridiculous reasons. 1. The cost of living is greater in the cities and 2. the cities have retention issues. NOT.
Cost of living - It is just as expensive to live in a rural setting as it is a city. We do not have access to a bus system to help save in the fuel costs. We do not have all the stores at our fingertips and if we do the prices are higher than in the city because their clientele is less and therefore must charge more to make ends meet. Most small towns do not have all the facilities required for day to day living and in these circumstance we must travel to the cities thus increasing our costs in fuel. Not to mention that our gas prices are darn near the same as in the cities. A number of staff live in the country and must commute miles to and from work each day. Cost of living is not a good enough excuse for not giving us a decent market rate adjustment. Our cost of living has increased just as much as they have increased in the cities.
Job Retention - I will have you know that in my department alone in The Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury that there have been 3 people hired into my position as Secretary II in the last 2-3 years. Before I was hired my position remained unoccupied for three months as they could not get anyone to accept the position at the wage being offered. This was the same situation for the Secretary I position in my department. Every time they hired someone it was a matter of months before they would quite as they found a better paying position. I have to admit I nearly declined my offer due to the wage and 6 months later have been actively looking for another job. I love my job, I love the people I work with and I really love my department, however, I struggle each and every day to make ends meet. I would really like to remain where I am. Seniors Mental Health has also been experiencing the same issues with job retention. They were weeks trying to fill the Secretary I position as offers were constantly turned down when they found out what the wage was. Two departments in one facility suffering from retention issues. I also want you to stop and think about all the clerical staff currently over 50 years in age. They have stayed in their current position not because of the wage but because of the years of service they have in. It would be financial suicide for them to try and start over at another job. When these people retire I can guarantee that you will witness a crisis as it will be near to impossible to fill these positions at such a pathetic wage.
I have personally decided to do my best to rally ALL the Clerical staff to vote NO unless we are offered the 10% market rate adjustment that we so richly deserve. To be offered less is a slap in the face and we have decided not to accept that kind of treatment anymore. I find it interesting that the pot for Nursing gets sweeter and sweeter each year, when ours gets more and more sour as the days go by. It takes a team to make DTHR run the way it does and when you remove even one small part of that team it will crumble - even a small group like us. Nursing always threatens to walk out and everyone jumps through hoops to get them what they want. We are not nearly asking for what nursing does on a yearly basis. We just want what we deserve.
How well would you survive Mr. McNaughton without your clerical staff, how much do you respect and count on them? What would you do to keep your Secretary from leaving? Think about it please.
My name is Kathy Olsen and I work at the Centennial Centre in the Halvar Jonson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka. Below is a message that I sent to Mac McNaughton - our contract negotiator. It is very important that all clerical stick together and vote NO unless we get the 10% market rate adjustment we so richly deserve. If we can get all clerical staff to vote we will outnumber Maintenance, Housekeeping and Dietary and will be successful in voting down a contract that is not favorable to us. If we don't all take the time to vote they will outnumber us and can most likely vote in a contract we are unhappy with. Please take the time to forward this to other clerical staff to help me get the word out. Thank you.
Dear Mr. McNaughton
WOW, disgusting, hurtful, pathetic unforgivable etc etc etc. These are just a few words that I would use to describe the treatment that Clerical is receiving during our contract negotiations. We are not just "Secretaries" and should not be treated as such - as they were in days gone by. We are a pivotal part of the DTHR and deserve to be recognized as such.
The Clerical group of the AUPE GSS have been meeting and have come to the conclusion that we will vote NO every time until we get what we deserve in regards to our wages. We have been informed that we will NOT be getting what Calgary and Edmonton received for two very ridiculous reasons. 1. The cost of living is greater in the cities and 2. the cities have retention issues. NOT.
Cost of living - It is just as expensive to live in a rural setting as it is a city. We do not have access to a bus system to help save in the fuel costs. We do not have all the stores at our fingertips and if we do the prices are higher than in the city because their clientele is less and therefore must charge more to make ends meet. Most small towns do not have all the facilities required for day to day living and in these circumstance we must travel to the cities thus increasing our costs in fuel. Not to mention that our gas prices are darn near the same as in the cities. A number of staff live in the country and must commute miles to and from work each day. Cost of living is not a good enough excuse for not giving us a decent market rate adjustment. Our cost of living has increased just as much as they have increased in the cities.
Job Retention - I will have you know that in my department alone in The Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury that there have been 3 people hired into my position as Secretary II in the last 2-3 years. Before I was hired my position remained unoccupied for three months as they could not get anyone to accept the position at the wage being offered. This was the same situation for the Secretary I position in my department. Every time they hired someone it was a matter of months before they would quite as they found a better paying position. I have to admit I nearly declined my offer due to the wage and 6 months later have been actively looking for another job. I love my job, I love the people I work with and I really love my department, however, I struggle each and every day to make ends meet. I would really like to remain where I am. Seniors Mental Health has also been experiencing the same issues with job retention. They were weeks trying to fill the Secretary I position as offers were constantly turned down when they found out what the wage was. Two departments in one facility suffering from retention issues. I also want you to stop and think about all the clerical staff currently over 50 years in age. They have stayed in their current position not because of the wage but because of the years of service they have in. It would be financial suicide for them to try and start over at another job. When these people retire I can guarantee that you will witness a crisis as it will be near to impossible to fill these positions at such a pathetic wage.
I have personally decided to do my best to rally ALL the Clerical staff to vote NO unless we are offered the 10% market rate adjustment that we so richly deserve. To be offered less is a slap in the face and we have decided not to accept that kind of treatment anymore. I find it interesting that the pot for Nursing gets sweeter and sweeter each year, when ours gets more and more sour as the days go by. It takes a team to make DTHR run the way it does and when you remove even one small part of that team it will crumble - even a small group like us. Nursing always threatens to walk out and everyone jumps through hoops to get them what they want. We are not nearly asking for what nursing does on a yearly basis. We just want what we deserve.
How well would you survive Mr. McNaughton without your clerical staff, how much do you respect and count on them? What would you do to keep your Secretary from leaving? Think about it please.
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March 06, 2008
Members of the Local 056 and Local 057 Multi-Employer Bargaining Committee met recently at AUPE Headquarters in Edmonton to finalize proposals for upcoming negotiations with the employer.