1. I was told that if we organize a union my wages will be frozen or “red-circled” until the wages at other school divisions catch up. Is that true?
This isn’t true. It’s a tactic to dissuade workers from organizing a union and win improvements. CUPE education workers make different rates of pay across the province and none of the wage rates are frozen waiting for others to catch up. When CUPE education workers win wage increases, it helps all CUPE education workers to push for rates increases at the bargaining table.
When you win a union at Rocky View Schools and negotiate a first contract, the bargaining committee would table wage increase proposals to receive the same wage increases that other education workers received going forward.
2. Why should we unionize when we get paid similar rates as other Educational Assistants in Alberta, have decent benefits and do not pay union dues?
Right now, the employer makes all the decisions. They can make changes to our wages and working conditions whenever they want.
Education workers want the security of a legally binding contract. Education workers at RVS are organizing a union to have the power to voice concerns about workload, staffing and health and safety and get those concerns addressed.
Education workers want the power to negotiate improvements to working conditions. Education workers want job security, just cause protection and representation in the event of discipline or termination and a fair job posting and hiring process.
Education workers at RVS want access to the specialist services CUPE has available to their members including legal specialists, researchers, communications and media specialists through their union dues.
3. Can the employer freeze our wages during negotiations?
The employer can freeze your wages now. They can also change your working conditions at any time, because you are not unionized.
A ‘statutory freeze’ or ‘stat freeze’ is a law preventing the employer from making changes to employment conditions pending a union certification.
From the period that a union starts to sign up members, until a first contract is negotiated, employers cannot change wages or conditions of employment without agreement of the union.
The ‘stat freeze’ exists so that employers cannot try to destabilize or erode employee support for the union.
Without this rule in place, employers have been known to increase wages to non-union supporters, while finding many ways to punish the supporters.
However, even during a ‘stat freeze’, an Employer cannot delay or withhold an expected wage increase or a remove or change benefits.
Some RVS workers may be concerned that the ‘stat freeze’ limits the Employer from giving perks like wage increases. This is untrue. Should RVS want to provide wage increases to the education workers during the ‘stat freeze’ period, RVS need only negotiate the proposed wage increase with the union.
The union will say yes. That’s what we do. As long as the perks are fairly and evenly distributed, CUPE would never say no to better wages.
Having a union means the employer can no longer provide benefits to some and not others.
If RVS wants to increase wages for education workers, they can do it right now.
Instead of asking yourself what if they do, you should ask yourself why haven’t they?
4. What would happen to my pension if I join CUPE?
Rocky View Schools education workers are in the same LAPP pension plan as other education workers in the province, and you would continue to have your LAPP pension plan. You would be stronger united with CUPE education workers across the province to defend your pension plan should it be threatened with cuts.
5. What would happen to my benefits if I join CUPE?
Currently, Rocky View Schools offers a full benefits plan through Manulife Financial. When you are successful in union certification, the full benefits plan would be “frozen” during the statutory freeze period.
Should seeking out alternative benefits be a bargaining priority set by RVS employees, the bargaining committee will review alternatives that are broadly similar to the current plan and of equivalent or greater value.
CUPE does not bargain concessions; we do not to bargain less than what workers came in with.
6. What about vacation pay? How would that change when we are unionized?
Your current vacation entitlement would be preserved. Any increases to vacation entitlements are negotiated and would become legally enforceable by the Collective Agreement.
With a union you and your coworkers can make vacation improvements a priority and fight for improvements through bargaining. Without a union the employer can change your vacation entitlements at any time.
7. I’m a single parent and worried about the employer finding out I signed a union card; I can’t afford to lose my job.
At no point in the campaign does the employer see a list of which workers signed cards. It is illegal in Alberta for an employer to intimidate or interfere with workers organizing a union.
Section 149(1) of the Alberta Labour Relations Code says that no employer can refuse to employ or fire any person because the person has singed a union card. Additionally, no employer can intimidate, threaten, or compel an employee to refrain from becoming a member of a union.
If a management representative or someone acting on behalf of the employer approaches you or one of your coworkers and threatens or intimidates you, please let us know. Contact Brigitte Benoit at bbenoit@cupe.ca
8. I had to take paid sick days to deal with a serious health issue and didn’t feel supported when I returned to work.
When you are unionized you have representation and support around sick leave and accommodation in the workplace. When you have a union contract there is a process and representation to be able to file a grievance if a leave or accommodation is denied.