gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
Nursing care staff at Masterpiece Southland Meadows seniors’ residence have joined the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
About 90 health-care workers at Masterpiece took part in a mail-in vote ordered by the Alberta Labour Relations Board. The certification has now been granted, an AUPE press release states.
“These new AUPE members were seeing declines in their working conditions and wanted job protection and accountability from the employer, and they know that AUPE will stand up with them,” said Karen Weiers, vice president AUPE. “While it normally requires patience to become union members, these new members have shown exceptional persistence through the organizing process in the middle of a global pandemic. Health-care workers know that AUPE will fight with them and for Albertans receiving care.”
The president of Masterpiece Care Corporation, Tim Garforth-Bles, told the News on Thursday that he had no comment.
Weiers says the workers care deeply about the residents and want to provide quality care but “private for-profit employers often make decisions based on their bottom lines rather than care.”
She said working conditions directly impact the living conditions of the residents.
“We look forward to working with all of these Nursing Care members to successfully negotiate their first collective agreement.”
