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TuesdayMarch1020159NOTICETOFORTSMITHRESIDENTSHalfDayCivicHolidayWoodBuffaloFrolics2015BEITRESOLVEDthattheafternoonofFridayMarch132015bedeclaredahalf-daycivicholidayinconjunctionwiththeWoodBuffaloFrolicsactivities.MayorCouncilTownofFortSmithByDALICARMICHAELBargainingteamsforstaffatYellowknifesAVENSseniorscommunityandtheirem-ployerswereabletosigninanewcollectiveagreementfortheUNWLocal25membersfollowingconciliationdiscussionslastweek.MemberssupportedbytheUnionofNorth-ernWorkersUNWandthePublicServiceAllianceofCanadaPSACmulledoverthetentativeagreementontheweekendnallyratifyingSundaymorning.OnlyafewdaysearlieronMar.596percentofstaffhadvotedinfavouroftakingstrikeac-tionhadconciliationeffortsprovedineffective.Howeverthevoteprovedtobeunnecessary.Thenewcontractcontainsgoodimprove-mentstowagesbenetsandconditionsofem-ploymentsaidunionpresidentToddParsons.CollectiveagreementnegotiationsbrokedowninDecemberafterthepreviouscon-tractexpiredinMarch2014.Currentlythereareabout100employeesatAVENScoveringawide-rangeofrolesinclud-ingresidentcarekitchenandhousekeepingstaffmaintenanceandrecreation.Togethertheyserveabout60patientstotalmanywhosufferfromdementiaandotherailmentsrelatedtoaging.KeyneedsmetbyemployersOneofthetopprioritiesforworkerswasmodi-fyinglanguageintheagreementtopreventcon-tractingoutworktoprivatenon-unionizedstaff.Caretakingroleslikethosecoveredbykitchenstaffmaintenanceandhousekeepingwereidentiedasthepositionsmostlikelytobecontractedout.TheresnotalargepercentofcontractworkersbutwebelievetheemployersintentionAVENSstaffmembersreachcollectiveagreementwastocontinuewiththiscontractingoutofbargainingunitworkParsonssaid.Man-agementandsupervisorypositionsarecon-tractedoutrightnowandtherewereindica-tionsthatwouldspreadtothebargainingunit.Themembersalsoaskedforimprovementstothelayoffandjobsecuritylanguageintheircontractwhichtheyweregiven.Amendmentswerealsomadetomaternityandpaternitybenets.Staffarenowallot-ted75percentoftheirsalaryduringleavewithinsixmonthsofhiringknockeddownfromaone-yearperiod.MemberswillseeanincreaseinNortherntravelallowanceof2.2percentthisyearandin2016.InadditionalltrainingcostsforrstaidandCPRwillnowbereimbursedbytheemployers.Staffwillalsoreceiveanallow-anceforworkshoesandattire.Finallyoverthecourseoftheagreementstaffwillseeawageincreaseof2percent2.2percentand2.2percentoverathree-yearpe-riod.AllamendmentsmadetotheagreementwillberetroactiveParsonssaid.PhotocourtesyofAVENSSeniorsCommunityPOLITICSLABOURAVENSseniorscommunitystaffwereabletonegotiatewiththeiremployeestoavoidastrikelastweek.