UCP introduces private, for-profit hospitals

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EDMONTON, AB – A bill before the Alberta Legislature will, if passed, allow for the operation and funding of hospitals by private, for-profit entities.

Bill 55, The Health Statutes Amendment Act, lets the Health Minister turn hospitals over to private interests, and private operators and charge fees for services.

CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal joined NDP MLAs and other health care union leaders at the Alberta Legislature to call on the United Conservative Party (UCP) government to scrap the bill.

“Danielle Smith needs to keep her election promise to stay away from private hospitals,” said Uppal. “Charging fees for health care is mean, and it does nothing to bring down our already high cost of living.”

Uppal said the quality of health care has “dropped off a cliff” under the UCP’s watch, adding that reorganization, scandals like corrupt care, and underfunding “have added multi levels of chaos” to the system.

“Alberta health care needs stable funding, and quiet, competent management, not American style private hospitals and extra fees.”

Public Interest Alberta – People’s Bus

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Click on the link below to sign up and join.

https://www.pialberta.org/peoples_bus

JOIN US ON THE People’s Bus May 15th

TO TAKE THE MESSAGE RIGHT TO ADRIANA 

LAGRANGE’S  CONSTITUENCY OF RED DEER NORTH

The scandals, corruption, and lies have gone on for too long. Our healthcare system is collapsing from UCP cuts and privatization. We need to increase the pressure on Adriana LaGrange and the UCP and we need your help to do it.   

We’ll provide the bus ride, the food, the training, and materials for an afternoon of action, community building, and GOING DOOR to DOOR in Red Deer North. Please Join Us!

WHEN: 

Thursday, May 15 – Buses leave Edmonton and Calgary at 10 a.m. 

Edmonton: Catch the People’s Bus at 9:45 am at Kingsway Mall, 109 Kingsway NW, Edmonton, AB T5G 3A6 (South of the NAIT LRT Station beside the Boston Pizza in the mall parking lot)

Calgary – Catch the People’s Bus at 9:45 am at Sunridge Mall, 2525 36 St NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 5T4 (West side of the Rundle LRT Station in the mall parking lot behind the Petro Canada)  

WHY:

Healthcare is under attack. The Corruption and Cuts must end and LaGrange must resign. Help send the message! 

ITINERARY: May 15, 2025

10:00 am         Buses depart Edmonton and Calgary (see above where to catch buses)

11:30 am         Lunch (buses arrive in Red Deer)

1:00 pm           Training for canvassing

1:30 pm           Door knocking (going door to door with leaflets in Red Deer North)

4:00 pm           Depart Red Deer for Calgary and Edmonton

Support staff at Northern Lights School Division join CUPE

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A group of over 400 support staff in the Northern Lights Public School Division have voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 2559.

The employees voted 76% in favour of joining CUPE. The group includes clerical staff, educational assistants, cafeteria workers, library workers and other specialists. Custodial workers in the district already belong to CUPE Local 1098.

CUPE Local 2559 President Danielle Danis said the employees unionized to have a stronger voice in their workplace. The district has been hit with over 130 layoffs of educational assistants in recent weeks due to the cutting of “Jordan’s Principal” funding.

“These workers join the largest union of education workers in Canada,” said Danis. “We’re happy to have them in the family, and we look forward to helping them with their many workplace issues.”

Northern Lights School Division covers a large geographic area of over 14,000 square kilometres from the Saskatchewan border to Highway 63. The district has 28 schools and 5,800 students.

Raj Uppal elected President of CUPE Alberta

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EDMONTON – Health care worker Raj Uppal has been elected President of CUPE Alberta. The forty-one-year-old mother of two was selected on Friday as the new leader of the 40,000-member strong organization, defeating incumbent Rory Gill.

Uppal appears to be the first woman of colour to lead a major union in Alberta.

Uppal has been the President of CUPE 41 for six years, representing 1,400 members at Grey Nuns and Edmonton General Hospitals. During her time as Local President, CUPE 41 focused on multiple health and safety improvements, with a successful push for better equipment and improved employer policies and practices.

“I’m honoured and humbled to gain the trust of CUPE activists,” said Uppal. “I’m excited to get started and to keep building our union as a strong force for working people.”

Uppal says as President she will work to improve ties with other unions. “We need to have strong working relationships with other unions, especially in the public sector, to build solidarity and win gains for working people.”

Uppal has served on the CUPE Alberta executive board for two terms as the Diversity Vice President.  She is a former mortgage broker and previous member of UFCW 401.

CUPE releases summaries of education settlements

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EDMONTON, ALBERTA – The Canadian Union of Public Employees released summaries of the nine settled and ratified agreements in the education support workers’ strike.

CUPE 40 (Calgary Board of Education)
Term: 2024-2028

Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $3.65-$4.97
Percentage range improvement – 12.55%-17.81%

Subforman rate moved to Forman rate.

 

CUPE 520 (Calgary Catholic)
Term: 2024-2028

Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $4.03-$5.76
Percentage range improvement – 12.45%-20.04%

Health Spending Account increased by $300 per year.

 

CUPE 2559 (Fort McMurray Catholic)
Term: 2020-2028

Sept 1, 2023      1.25%
Feb   1, 2024     1.5%
Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $4.03-$5.76
Percentage range improvement – 16.1%-27.9%

Increase in health benefits premiums – employer coverage goes from 80% – 100% by 2028.

CUPE 2545 (Fort McMurray Public)
Term: 2020-2028

Sept 1, 2023      1.25%
Feb  1,  2024     1.5%
Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $4.50-$6.24
Percentage range improvement – 15.2%-19.9%

Increase of $125 in health spending account.

 

CUPE 3484 (Black Gold School Division)
Term: 2024-2028

Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $3.76-$6.62
Percentage range improvement – 14.3%-27.8%

Minimum 197 paid days.

Market adjustment for Educational Assistants (8%-9.6%)

Market adjustment for secretaries – all move to the head secretary rate.

Health spending account – $600-650

 

CUPE 3550 (Edmonton Public Schools)
Term: 2020-2028

Jun 1, 2023        1.25%
Feb 1, 2024       1.5%
Aug 31, 2024     0.5%
Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.10/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $4.03-$5.92
Percentage range improvement – 16%-20.87%

Removal of bottom two steps in the pay grid.

Certification bonus, $0.50/hour for “Certification 1”, $1.00/hour for “Certification 2”.

 

CUPE 4625 (Sturgeon School Division)
Term: 2020-2028

Feb 1,  2024      2.75%
Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $4.85-$6.37
Percentage range improvement – 20.40%-25.76%

3% market adjustment upon ratification.

Step 1 of the wage grid removed.

Health spending account increased by $100

 

CUPE 5040 (Foothills School Division)
Term: 2024-2028

Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $3.80-$6.16
Percentage range improvement – 13.9%-28.5%

Secretary rate moved to level 2 one month after ratification.

Addition of one paid family sick day.

 

CUPE 5543 (Parkland School Division)
Term: 2024-2028

Sept 1, 2024      3%
Sept 1, 2025      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)
Sept 1, 2026      3%
Sept 1, 2027      $1.25/hr or 3% (whichever is higher)

Dollar range improvement – $3.77-$8.86
Percentage range improvement – 12.55%-29.42%

Market adjustments for Educational Assistants (result is wage increases for EAs are 22-29%).

Minimum 200 days of work.

$400 vision plan.

CUPE AB Convention 2025 Election Results

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TABLE OFFICERS ELECTED 2025
President Raj Uppal L41
Recording Secretary Kelly Spence L8
Young Workers Vice President Katey Schmidt L1825
General Vice President (South) Jason Fenske L46
Diversity Vice President Abbie Mitchell L40
   
AREA VICE PRESIDENT – CALGARY Cherise Stock L38
   
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Raj Uppal L41
   
TRUSTEE (3-YEAR TERM) Ryan Lauder L784
   
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Raj Uppal L41
   
ALTERNATE AREA VP  
Peace River Vacant
Fort McMurray Lynn Fleet L2545
North West Vacant
North East Mary Morin L2550
Edmonton Shelly Lavallee L3550
Calgary Vacant
Red Deer Joan Keough L838
Lethbridge Lynda Easthope L408
Medicine Hat Tabatha Williams L1032

Education workers in Calgary, Sturgeon accept settlements

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CALGARY, ALBERTA – Two more CUPE locals have voted to accept tentative agreements, ending strikes at the Calgary Catholic and Sturgeon School Divisions.

CUPE 520 members at the Calgary Catholic School Division voted 93% to accept their settlement. CUPE 4625 members at Sturgeon School Division voted 80% in favour. Return to work is scheduled for Monday at Calgary Catholic schools and March 31 at Sturgeon schools.

There is now only one group of striking education support workers left to ratify an agreement. CUPE Local 5040 members will vote tomorrow on their settlement with the Foothills School Division.

Two more CUPE locals vote to accept settlements

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CALGARY, ALBERTA  – Two more CUPE locals have voted to accept tentative agreements, ending strikes at the Calgary Board of Education and the Black Gold School Division.

CUPE 40 members at the Calgary Board of Education voted 92% to accept their settlement. CUPE 3484 members at Black Gold Division voted 87% in favour. Return to work is scheduled for tomorrow at Black Gold and Friday at the Calgary Board.

There are now ratified agreements at:

Calgary Board of Education (CUPE 40)
Fort McMurray Public Schools (CUPE 2545)
Fort McMurray Catholic Schools (CUPE 2559)
Black Gold School Division (CUPE 3484)
Edmonton Public Schools (CUPE 3550)
Parkland School Division (CUPE 5543)

There are tentative settlements in the following districts:

Calgary Catholic School District (CUPE 520)
Sturgeon Public Schools (CUPE 4625)
Foothills School Division (CUPE 5040)

Deal at Foothills Schools, two CUPE locals vote to accept settlements

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Calgary – CUPE Local 5040 has reached a tentative agreement with Foothills School Division, marking the last of nine striking school divisions to reach settlements.

Meanwhile, two other CUPE locals have voted to accept tentative agreements, ending strikes at the Edmonton Public School District and the Parkland School District.

CUPE 3550 members at Edmonton Public School District voted 93% to accept their settlement. CUPE 5543 members at Parkland Division voted 97% in favour. Both groups will return to work tomorrow.

CUPE 5040 expects to hold ratification votes tomorrow and Friday. If the agreement is accepted by members, they will return to work Monday.

Later today, CUPE will release the results of voting on tentative agreements with Local 40 (Calgary Board of Education) and Local 3484 (Black Gold School Division).

There are now ratified agreements at:

Fort McMurray Catholic Schools (CUPE 2559).
Fort McMurray Public Schools (CUPE 2545).
Edmonton Public Schools (CUPE 3550)
Parkland School Division (CUPE 5543)

There are tentative settlements in the following districts:

Calgary Board of Education (CUPE 40)
Calgary Catholic School District (CUPE 520)
Black Gold School Division (CUPE 3484)
Foothills School Division (CUPE 5040)
Sturgeon School Division (CUPE 4625)