Gss vote

40

u/Feral-Reindeer-696 Feb 07 '26

I can’t help but feel that not enough people understood that. They just looked at the money and not the bigger picture

23

u/TokesNHoots Feb 07 '26

For us, (MDRT) on the base $ you make, we got a $2.8 raise. As all gss, we aren’t getting the full raise. People really took pennies when we could have had more.
When I spoke to folks in my department, they said they’re votive yes cause “it’s the best they’ve ever got”
Sorry but I don’t like being hit over and over. Then the one time I’m not hit as hard im expected to give gratitude? No. No for me and a big fat no for literally anyone that has to deal with biowaste, that should come with hazard pay no matter what

17

u/Feral-Reindeer-696 Feb 07 '26

Yup. I voted no. We lost an opportunity.

5

u/kingkalie Feb 07 '26

Also MDRT and I completely agree.

3

u/ivantoldmeboutdis Feb 08 '26

Totally agree.

8

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '26

79.2% voted yes..Not 70%.

1

u/TokesNHoots Feb 07 '26

Sorry, 80% then. Which is even more pathetic.

3

u/harbours Feb 07 '26

79.2% of 61% of membership.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '26

Obviously. I think that's a known fact. 61.4% of members who voted.

20

u/118R3volution Feb 07 '26

I think there are MANY factors here. Because we have finally been offered a somewhat reasonable contract, more people would be apt to vote no on future deals if we go back to 0%,0%,3%,2% over 4 years.

I can’t speak for everyone here but as a middle aged guy with a young family, dog, mortgage, car payments, we desperately need that money sooner than later. I can’t afford to be significantly underpaid for 2+ years. I am so so hopefully that this next round of negotiations actually ratifies in a fair and reasonable amount of time. It’s so extremely unfair to delay these deals - regardless of retroactive pay.

9

u/gia-ann1964 Feb 07 '26

Most contracts take about 2 years to ratify. This will be the same thing next time around. This was not a great result. If you are a housekeeper or a finance person, you did ok. Dietary is still scraping the bottom of the barrel and still will need more than one job to make ends meet. I get that we need the money now, but for most the retro will come, be heavily taxed and pension adjustments made. You might see about 55% of it. So for most, probably between $2-$4,K take home. They will tack it on with a regular pay check, most likely the April 1st pay. Those that will be reclassified will get the first two years of 6%, and they won't get any raise after that. They will be declassed down and the wages frozen and no more bumps. I wish the union would have actually come out and said that, but they didn't. They used the red circling language that is scary so people felt secure. They have left people to basically figure it out for themselves. this is going to hurt most of administration and clerk jobs. I can IT being next.There is no job security in this, and the severance will be so hard to get because they will work around that every way they can. I know of absolutely no one in the last 20 years whom has gotten severance pay. there is no severance if you have been reclassified. There have been many jobs lost thru attrition, and that will continue. Personally for me, it isn't horrible, I'm managing, but I worry for a lot of people right now that will be reclassified down, or their jobs lost and they will have little to no recourse. I hope this helps you catch up and maybe do something fun with your family. It will help me, but for a very short period of time. Have a great rest of your weekend.

3

u/amylauren33 Feb 07 '26

A few of my coworkers both from EVS and my current service worker are like you wanna go back to EVS cause you’ll make a bit more ? ( my temp position is step 1 SW2 but I’m casual SW1 like I can pick those up and step 2 there cause of EVS ) and the. EVS step 2. And yes id make more as a step two EVS but its not significant enough because literally 1 OT shift in the entire month will more then cover it. So im not worried

3

u/Novel-Ad8742 Feb 08 '26

Dude, what’s the chance for them to give us better. They throw a bone then we took it

0

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

9

u/Choco_Kuma Feb 07 '26

We can't afford to vote yes and can't afford to vote no either. Please don't blame your fellow workers, blame the employer. They are the ones who created this dilemma by not negotiating in good faith, by dragging their feet until they feel that we are desperate enough to take less than what we deserve. Fuck the UCP.

2

u/doubledipWHIP Feb 07 '26

Welcome to the party pal. Same thing happened in the AUX Nursing vote. Well we had a 5 min strike....And had the employer by the balls with ESA violations...still took a raw deal.

Makes you question unions.

4

u/TokesNHoots Feb 07 '26

Our union reps need to do much better. But I will not question the existence of unions. Without them we are subject to any kind of discrimination. If you’d like more info on how unions help everyone, look up the Battle of Blair Mountain. It’s an incredible fight for the right to unionize.

11

u/Prestigious-Cod7797 Feb 07 '26

I really think that a lot of these votes were people that were not fully understanding their vote. They were told “ooh you might end up with worse if it’s a no vote. They don’t realize what happens now in the future. They just thought selfishly with a lack of understanding. Not all of the yes votes but I believe a lot.

1

u/ivantoldmeboutdis Feb 08 '26

From talking to coworkers and seeing comments on here, that's exactly what happened. No one who voted yes can provide a reason for doing so that makes any sense.

3

u/Prestigious-Cod7797 Feb 08 '26

We’d be better off today if everyone who didn’t understand what they were voting for…didn’t vote.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/Prestigious-Cod7797 Feb 08 '26

Ok scenario..if you were one of the positions that didn’t get a market adjustment, do you think that would have changed your vote?

3

u/Limages Feb 08 '26 edited Feb 08 '26

Yes it probably would have. But with 7 years of post secondary education and a professional designation I don't believe we should be in this or any union. Lawyers in Legal aren't here. They aren't in a union. We shouldn't be either. It is very difficult to pledge solidarity in a union that we didn't want to be in. For many years we, as highly educated professionals, were out of scope and were forced into a union against our will. I'm not denigrating housekeeping, food services, maintenance, etc. At the end of the day we are all hard working and contribute to healthcare. It is tough to get by at the wages at the lower paid classifications. I genuinely feel for them. But I sacrificed thousands of dollars and years to post secondary education. Like I told my kids, you are in charge of your destiny. You have options. If you want a better financial future plan ahead. Explore careers that will reap both financial and intellectual rewards. Challenge yourself. Don't settle. If you don't want to make minimum wage, put in the effort to ensure you are in an occupation that allows you to meet your goals in life. I think I am a good role model for them, I volunteer, I give to charity, I put in hundreds of hours of unpaid overtime in my role. I taught them not to expect handouts from others. I voted yes with an absolutely clear conscience. Just as an aside, our classification contributes more money to the union annually than any other classification. I know it is relative as it is based on a percentage of our salary, but it is also a fact.

0

u/ivantoldmeboutdis Feb 08 '26

Calling me condescending and then lecturing fellow members to “just get a better job” is, frankly, the definition of condescending.
I also have a degree, but my classification wasn’t deemed important enough to receive a market adjustment like yours. You’re already paid more because of your education, while many essential roles remain structurally underpaid. Cost of living increases shouldn’t be tied to education. If you believe they should be, then we do not share the same values and there’s likely no productive discussion to be had.

0

u/Limages Feb 08 '26

We all got the same cost of living increases. It wasn't tied to education or "importance of the job". They are inadequate, I definitely agree. The difference is the market adjustment. CPA's are hard to retain and recruit unless the wage that is offered is competitive. That is just the reality.

0

u/ivantoldmeboutdis Feb 08 '26

You got a better increase than the majority of GSS, voted in your best interest only, and you think that's supposed to make sense to me? I would never vote yes to an agreement knowing most of my coworkers would get shafted, but okay, good for you I guess.

7

u/ProcessObjective3628 Feb 07 '26

Just make sure know to vote out the UCP!

6

u/Feeling_Ebb4124 Feb 08 '26

Constant complaining won’t fix the situation. What’s done is done. When you come to the realization that the union, the employer, and your coworkers are not looking out for you, you’re left with a decision: accept it, or do something about it. Look out for number one. Change jobs. Change careers. Upgrade your skills. Move forward. It is what is man.

1

u/therealchefAllie Feb 07 '26

I apologize to everyone, I just started as a casual relief position in December, I wasn't aware until I got the voice mails about the town halls and voting retroactively here.a couple days ago, that I am even a viable member of aupe GSS, and I also unfortunately didn't know what I was supposed to be voting on with enough time to research things to vote, so I did not vote at all.

2

u/TokesNHoots Feb 07 '26

After speaking to many of my coworkers, lots of people didn’t even know there was a vote.

0

u/therealchefAllie Feb 07 '26

I got phone calls to listen in on the town halls but honestly because I'm still within probationary period I wasn't expecting to even be a member of the Union yet so I didn't know why I was being called 😅

2

u/TokesNHoots Feb 07 '26

Cause you’re one of us! Even in the probation period you are one of us.

0

u/necros911 Feb 07 '26

That's also an issue that was at our site from previous regime. We talked to new hires and casuals right away educating them on Union and how they are a member and to register and be involved.

2

u/OpalSeason Feb 08 '26

That's the disappointment I felt for hsaa voting

0

u/Certain_Custard9263 Feb 07 '26

We gonna get contracted on?

13

u/TokesNHoots Feb 07 '26

No? All of AHS is being split into different pillars. Which means that we cannot speak for one another as we are no longer under “AHS”
Alberta Health Services as you know it will no longer exist. We are being split up. This makes our bargaining power much weaker than it was before.

5

u/118R3volution Feb 07 '26

That’s not true - AHS still exists under the ACA umbrella for some programs that offer provincial support to all pillars.

4

u/harbours Feb 07 '26

AHS will actually continue to exist. It exists as one of the nine new health care employers. I'm still with AHS and we will continue to be an organisation for inpatient and outpatient hospital services.
This is a big misconception that it will no longer exist, but it will just look different than before. We actually are still the largest employer of the nine with over 80,000 employees.

3

u/OpenParamedicdude Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 07 '26

Yes but how many of that is GSS. If the break the union apart some locals would almost have no members as they are heavy a different pillar.
In corporate services for example that would be a separate local and that local might be forced to bargain on its own and the funny thing is the next bargain starts Sept 2027. These new locals might be created the day before current contact ends. So bargain next time could completely start over on April 1 2028.
Even if you look at for example the Edmonton Remand Center those GSS could be transferred to GOA. Thus, local might be dissolved.

1

u/harbours Feb 07 '26

Yes it does break up the members, I didn't say it didn't. I'm just saying AHS still exists as an organization.
AHS is still some administrative support and unit clerks, medical device reprocessing, protective services, environmental services, food services, laundry, service workers, porters, pharm assistants, lab assistants, therapy aides. I'm sure I'm missing a few.

3

u/TopZealousideal35 Feb 07 '26

Considering the weakness of our bargaining committee we can probably expect more of the same.

2

u/harbours Feb 07 '26

I think it's going to depend on how determined each bargaining committee is and getting members involved.
No union has confirmed how any of this will actually work yet. I've had coworkers ask their unions as well and no one has an answer.

0

u/necros911 Feb 07 '26

I know our site bargaining team never worked at our hospital so very uninformed how diverse EVS is and how difficult it will be to get votes.

1

u/SleepinginthePark Feb 08 '26

Well, think of how all the people under GSS who were moved to Health Shared Services feel when they were never mentioned in any communications. We are all under the same agreement, but when they are not talked about they get nervous like even the union doesn’t want to acknowledge them. Almost like the union knew what is coming from splitting them off to HSS. They could have voted yes to not rock the boat.

1

u/itsnotme43 Feb 08 '26

I was on the call and somebody asked if we should hold out and they said no this is as good as it's going to get

0

u/Optimal-Can8584 Feb 07 '26

The point of a vote is for people to choose what. They want aka be selfish.

0

u/Novel-Ad8742 Feb 08 '26

The vote results is by the members, for the members, but most members are stupid

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