If the General Support Services workers employed by Alberta Health Services felt they weren’t being taken seriously in their contract negotiations with AHS, a wildcat strike held Feb. 16 at hospitals across the province (including as many as 60 GSS workers  in three facilities in Claresholm) sure got the attention of AHS.

So much so, AHS and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) had an agreement in place the same day to end the strike before things got out of hand.

Promising to return to the negotiating table and begin a binding mediation/ arbitration process, AHS also promised that no legal action or workplace discipline will be taken on striking workers. In return, GSS workers had to agree to end the strike and return to work.
By 4:45 p.m. on Feb. 16, the AUPE agreed to call off the strike. During the strike, AHS responded to the sudden lack of support staff by enacting emergency measures in order to protect patients’ health and safety.

“We are focused on taking care of our patients,” said Chris Mazurkewich, executive vice president and chief operating officer for AHS via an AHS news release. “That is our priority as we reach out to workers to encourage them to return to work.”

A mediator’s recommendation for settlement was rejected by 95 per cent of GSS members in a January vote. AHS returned to the bargaining table, but last week tabled a final offer lower than what was recommended by the mediator.

“Every one of these members lost something in their collective agreement when the health regions were collapsed into AHS,”  said Guy Smith, AUPE president. “They’ve been trying to get some of that back in bargaining, and be treated as equals in the health-care system.
“These members are mostly women, employed part-time and struggling to make ends meet. They are among the lowest paid employees in the health-care system, but they are the backbone of health care and deserve to be treated better by AHS.”

Locally, Claresholm picketers were well-behaved but determined to get their message across.

“I’m so happy with the support of everybody here. We all feel the same. We just want equal treatment,” said Connie Quayle, a member of the bargaining team for the GSS and a scheduler at the Claresholm Centre for Mental Health and Addictions.

“We feel bad for whoever’s left at the hospital, it’s not their fault, but the message has to get through to Alberta Health Services.”

AHS was unavailable for comment at press time.

Under the Alberta Labour Relations Code, employees of health authorities do not have the legal ability to strike. Rather, the method for resolving contract disputes is binding arbitration.