About 180 employees join 95,000-strong union
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) welcomed about 180 employees from Chartwell Griesbach Retirement Residence, Chartwell Heritage Valley Retirement Residence and Chartwell Wild Rose Retirement Residence, all in Edmonton, after the majority voted in favour of joining Alberta’s largest union on Nov. 21 and 22.
“In a strong show of solidarity, Chartwell nursing care and support staff banded together across worksites to organize,” said James Hart, AUPE vice-president. “Now they can start the process of negotiating a first collective agreement to get their protections in writing.”
Staff at the Retirement Residences work as licensed practical nurses (LPN) and health-care aides (HCA), as well as in recreation, housekeeping and maintenance, assisting seniors who either live independently or need assisted living care, said the union.
The employer, Chartwell Master Care LP, is one of many private, for-profit seniors-care operators in the province.
Chartwell staff are hoping to raise their working conditions to match other similar seniors care facilities in the province, so they can improve their quality of life as well as that of the people they support daily, said the union.
AUPE represents more than 95,000 workers across Alberta. Over half work in health care, including private for-profit, not-for-profit and public seniors care.
