The AAHP offers a range of formal and informal services and resources to assist and represent our Members in addressing workplace concerns. This includes times when:
- their employment rights are being violated;
- their employer is not following the Collective Agreement;
- their working conditions are unsafe and unproductive;
- they are being harassed, or accused of harassment;
- special workplace accomodations are required;
- they are injured at the workplace;
- their employers want to discipline them;
- workplace conflicts arise;
- they have questions about their employment conditions; and
- they have ideas or proposals they would like to put forward to support a healthy workplace.
Grievances
A grievance is a formal complaint by an AAHP Member against their employer for an alleged violation of the Collective Agreement. The formal Grievance Process is explained and laid out in Article 9 of the Collective Agreement.
Members who enter into a grievance process can rely on our AAHP Labour Relations Officer (LRO) and/or their On-Site Representative who are well versed in our contract language and have the experience as well as the expertise needed to help members through the process.
There are times that the AAHP may pursue grievances on behalf of a group of Members or the whole Membership, such as when new recruitment practices are introduced that violate the tenants of seniority in the Collective Agreement.
As per the Collective Agreement and legislation in place, the Union must consent before a grievance can be filed.
Arbitrations
While most issues can be resolved during the grievance process, some will need to advance to the formal arbitration stage. In this process, a third party called an arbitrator is brought in to hear both sides of the issue and provide a ruling. Details around this process are laid out in Article 9 of AAHP’s Collective Agreement.
In situations that call for an arbitration, the AAHP relies on the advice and support of legal counsel with a background and experience focused on arbitrations. While we always strive to get a resolution before arriving at this stage – the AAHP has won many of its arbitrations and is willing to use this process to defend the collectively bargained rights of our Members when we need to!
The decision to refer a grievance to arbitration rests with the Union after a careful review of the facts and law.
Other Labour Relations Supports and Services
AAHP Members do not have to go through formal processes to have their issues resolved. Our LRO and On-Site Representatives provide support and assistance to our Members in addressing workplace concerns and labour relations issues on daily basis. Most times, they are successful in helping resolve issues without ever entering into more formal processes such as a grievance or arbitration. For example, some matters can be resolved with a clarification of contract language, with the Member or employer. In other situations, a pre-emptive meeting with employers can help avoid more formal processes.
The background and decisions from major grievances and arbitrations undertaken by the AAHP and frequent questions and the answers for frequent issues Members bring forward are outlined in the Members’ Area.
Members’ Responsibilities
Our Members also have responsibilities when it comes to labour relations and responding to workplace issues!
It’s very important for our Members who feel their collectively bargained rights have been violated to come forward and contact their LRO or On-Site Representative. Otherwise the practice in question could result in the loss of rights which had been previously bargained – commonly called “past practice” – for themselves and/or the whole Membership. It also means an arbitrator could lose the authority to decide on the issue in question.