Staff at the Sundre Seniors' Supportive Living facility recently voted in favour of joining the province's largest union.
Earlier this month, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees added about 90 new members from the new, state-of-the-art $26.5-million campus of care, which is owned and administered by Mountain View Seniors' Housing.
The union, which is the largest in the province with more than 90,000 members, now represents all employees at the 40-bed supportive living campus of care, including nursing care staff, health-care aides, recreation staff, and general support services staff, said a press release.
"We're pleased Mountain View seniors' care staff chose to join AUPE. We're ready to work with them to negotiate a fair first collective agreement with the employer that values them for the important work they do for seniors in the Sundre community every day," said AUPE vice-president Glen Scott, adding fair agreements benefit not only employees but also the residents.
"An equitable contract helps secure safe and quality care by ensuring staff are attracted to and retained at the worksite."
But Mountain View Seniors' Housing administrator Sam Smalldon told the Round Up last week the non-profit organization has always endeavoured to provide the best possible care for its residents by accommodating staff and addressing any concerns their employees might have.
"The way we best take care of residents is to take care of the staff ó that's been our delivery model and philosophy," he said last Tuesday during a phone interview.
"We'll continue to address concerns as they're raised as we always have. We've always treated staff as a priority," he said, adding the vote to join AUPE was decided by a "slim majority."
"Our preference is not to have a union, but staff there wish to organize and have a union ó that's the choice they made," he said.
MVSH was as of last week in a period of waiting for the union to indicate what issues to discuss, and in the meantime, operations at the Sundre facility remain "business as usual."
The non-profit organization administers and manages the admission, application as well as maintenance of about 12 provincially owned sites in Mountain View County through Alberta Seniors and Housing programs. MVSH also owns and operates four supportive living centres in Sundre, Olds, Didsbury and Carstairs, he said.
"Sundre's campus is our new standard," and efforts are underway to expand, build or upgrade the other three facilities to match the level of service offered in Sundre, he said.
When he spoke with the Round Up last week, Smalldon said none of the staff working at other facilities owned or operated by MVSH were planning to seek membership with AUPE.
