Bargaining Update - GSBC update #30

Where Things Stand – Mediation, Why We Don’t Yet Have a Tentative Agreement, and Upcoming Telephone Town Halls 

We want to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude for your patience and unwavering support during this challenging time. Since the strong strike mandate was delivered on May 13th, we’ve returned to the bargaining table for 12 days of formal mediation with the employer.

We understand the frustration that comes with the lack of regular updates. Mediation is a fluid and often confidential process, where positions shift regularly as both sides work toward a settlement. Despite this complexity, we are committed to keeping you as informed as possible during these crucial final stages.

Our goal remains clear: to ensure every member understands what’s been agreed to, what remains unresolved, and what we’re still working toward. Thank you again for your trust and your commitment to each other. Your solidarity continues to guide us, whether this process leads to a negotiated settlement or requires us to consider further action.

Where We Stand on Monetary Issues

Pay increases are our number one goal and priority in this round of bargaining. This is the issue we are pushing the Employer the hardest on. There has been agreement in principle on other areas of improving the collective agreement; but pay increases need to be resolved before we finalize agreement in those other areas.

Union Proposal

Early in mediation, we made a meaningful shift in our monetary position. We proposed a four-year deal with general wage increases of 3% per year, consistent with pattern agreements across the province, including the recent settlement with the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA).

In addition, we proposed:

• A 0.5% increase to each step of the wage grid;

• All members advancing one step on the wage grid;

• The creation of a new top step with an additional 4% increase.

This structure mirrors the UNA settlement and would provide approximately a 20% increase over four years for most members. Read more about Bargaining Update #30

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