I have not worked for a union in the past by choice. I would consider it an infringment on my working agreement to change the terms of employment after the fact without giving me an option to vote on it.

Bringing AHS IT in-scope will ultimitely increase cost and decrease service levels for the patients of Alberta. AHS IT analysts and engineers have a say in the direction of their careers and the gross majority of positions do not belong in the AUPE GSS barganing unit at the very least.

I've been an IT Professional, with great influence in management and governance, for over 25 years. Being Unionized without having any input is so far from reality it is ludicrous. If the negotiators don't see the light I'll have to have the MLA's change the rules.

They say No Salary cuts due to this, however over all take home pay will go down. The point we wil now have added costs to pay for benfits so our take home pay will drop. Basic calculation show approx. $3,000 in lost benfits or extra cost just to JOIN the Union,.

Had AUPE approached IT employees directly with clear, understandable terms and conditions (advantages?) of membership in their union I might have entertained the notion but having it foisted on us in this way is not acceptable. I vote for informed choice.

I do not appreciate this choice being forced on our staff. Many of us with existing conditions use our benefits to the full extent because it is needed. The AUPE benefits will have a significant impact on our overall healthcare as employees

Mr. Hope claims IT staff were always intended to be included in the GSS bargaining unit and that decision was clear to the Board, AHS and AUPE back in 2009 so why wasn’t it communicated to all affected employees at that time? And moving forward why weren’t all employees hired into IT position after that decision date informed that their positions would eventually be transitioned into the GSS Bargaining Unit? Or for that matter, why were all provincial health employees, regardless of their determination in 2003 not informed that with the passing of Bill 27 they would eventually have to be included in one of the four region wide bargaining units since the intention was for them to be “wall to wall”? We weren’t informed that our positions were to be reviewed for inclusion until this year. I wasn’t hired into a union position. I certainly didn’t get a say in whether or not I wanted to assume a role within the collective bargaining unit. A transition to the collective bargaining unit results in a net loss in benefits and monetary compensation for me. How exactly is that not constructive dismissal?

“for the establishment of region-wide functional bargaining units as bargaining units for the purposes of this Act for all regional health authorities and their employees who are represented by a bargaining agent”. (s. 162.1(1) (a)) Pursuant to s.162.1(a) of the Labour Relations Code, the Lieutenant Governor and Council issued the Regional Health Authority Collective Bargaining Regulation AR80/2003. Among other things, this Regulation provides as follows: “2(1) Bargaining units for employees of a regional health authority shall consist of all employees in the health region who are represented by a bargaining agent and are employed in one of the following functional groups: (a) direct nursing care or nursing instruction; (b) auxiliary nursing care; (c) paramedical professional or technical services; (d) general support services.”