MEDIA RELEASE: Health Administrative Professionals Ratify Collective Agreement

Members of the Health Administrative Professionals bargaining unit have voted to accept a tentative agreement brought forward by their bargaining committee by 77 per cent.

The offer that was brought forward was a five-year deal which included cumulative wage increases totaling between 15.15 to 22.75 per cent within the life of the agreement. Specifically, the contract includes pattern economic adjustments totaling 6.5% over the first three years of the agreement (Nov. 1st, 2020 to October 31st, 2023) as follows:

• Increase of 1.5% to all pay grades on November 1st, 2020;
• Increase of 1.5% to all pay grades on November 1st, 2021;
• Increase of 3.0% to all pay grades on November 1st, 2022;
• Increase of 0.5% to all pay grades on October 31st, 2023;

PLUS new economic adjustments will be applied as follows:

• All classifications with a top rate of less than $20 per hour as of October 31st, 2022 will receive an extra $1 per hour increase at each step prior to the 3.0% increase effective November 1st, 2022;
• All classifications will receive an extra $0.80 per hour increase, effective November 1st, 2023, prior to the 3% general economic increase on November 1st, 2023.
• Increase of 3.0% to all pay grades on November 1st, 2023;
• Increase of 2.0% to all pay grades on November 1st, 2024

 The contract also includes significantly increased shift and weekend premiums, as well as substantive improvements in various leave provisions.

 We are pleased to have concluded this lengthy round of bargaining and to have achieved a much-improved collective agreement for the Health Administrative Professionals. It is important to note, however, that even with the significant financial gains achieved here, there are members of this bargaining unit who will still be earning less than what is considered to be a living wage, and we will be looking to rectify that during the next round of bargaining.

30-

For more information, contact:

Karen MacKenzie, CUPE National Representative, Lead Negotiator, 902-890-0840

Holly Fraughton, NSGEU Communications Officer, 902-471-1781, hfraughton@nsgeu.ca

Shelley Amyotte, Unifor National Communications Representative, 902-717-7491, Shelley.Amyotte@unifor.org

Taylor Johnston, CUPE Atlantic Communications Representative, tjohnston@cupe.ca