Alberta’s largest union will vote on a new collective agreement as mediation with the Government Services Bargaining Committee (GSBC) commenced Wednesday afternoon. Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) will have from Aug. 29 to Sept. 3 to approve or strike down recommendations made by a third party mediator. Some of the mediator’s recommendations include a general salary increase of three per cent per year over four years; weekend shift premiums on evenings and nights while working overtime; recognition of all provincially and federally named holidays; new mental health supports; and more. The recommendations also propose pay increases for seasonal wildfire personnel ranging from 19 to 31 per cent over the life of the agreement. “These recommendations are a result of months of dedicated negotiations between two parties and I want to thank the AUPE for their collaboration in working to bring a resolution to this round of bargaining,” said Treasury Board and Finance Minister Nate Horner in a statement. The term of the agreement will be from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2028. AUPE will be holding two telephone town hall meetings on Thursday at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. “We want you to be fully informed when casting your vote and making this critical decision,” said AUPE’s statement. If the majority of members vote against the recommendations, they will go on strike before Sept. 9. Voting is available to AUPE members online.
