Alberta health-care workers walk off job to protest cuts during pandemic
By Lethbridge Herald on October 26, 2020.
AUPE members and supporters march along the sidewalk Monday in front of Chinook Regional Hospital as they protest job cuts and the threat of privatization in the province's health-care system. Herald photo by Ian Martens @IMartensHeraldColette Derworiz
THE CANADIAN PRESS — EDMONTON
Hospital and other health-care workers across Alberta, including Lethbridge, walked off the job Monday to protest recent cuts by the United Conservative government during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guy Smith, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, said in a news release that members are trying to defend jobs and protect the public health-care system.
“Anger has been building among members for months,” said Smith. “The recent announcement by Health Minister Tyler Shandro of 11,000 jobs being cut in the middle of a global deadly pandemic was the last straw for them.”
Earlier this month, Shandro announced the government would be cutting up to 11,000 health jobs to save money during the pandemic, but he said nurses and front-line clinical staff would not be affected. Some of the cuts are to come from further contracting out of laundry and lab services.
Karen Weiers, vice-president of AUPE, was in Lethbridge to offer support to about 70 workers who participated in a protest at Chinook Regional Hospital.
“The reason that we’re looking at this protest is, number one, they’re very concerned about their jobs and they’re also very concerned about the privatization of the public health-care system,” said Weiers. “Also we want to find some kind of resolve to being shortstaffed with what’s happening inside that building.
“Meanwhile they go in every day, each and every day, day in, day out. They work hard, they work short staffed, they wonder each day when they go in the building whether they will come out with COVID or not and bring it back to their families. And again now they not only have that concern they also have the concern about now whether they will have a job.
“And it’s looking like they won’t have a job so the only people that can stand up is themselves for their job. They need to make sure that their job is there and not privatize it.”
Shandro’s office declined to comment on the walkouts, noting Finance Minister Travis Toews and Alberta Health Services would provide information.
Toews said in a statement later Monday that he’s aware of “a number of illegal strikes taking place in hospitals and health-care settings across the province.”
The government’s primary concern, he said, is ensuring the health and well-being of patients.
“Alberta Health Services is taking immediate action with the Alberta Labour Relations Board (to) end this illegal activity,” said Toews. “Those involved in this illegal action will be held accountable.
“My expectation is that all unions respect the bargaining process, stop putting Albertans’ safety at risk and abide by the law.”
The labour relations board hearing Monday directed employees involved in illegal strike activity to return to work and to cease and desist further strike activity.
AHS, which delivers health care in the province, said it’s also responding to the walkout in their facilities.
“We are doing all we can to address any interruptions to patient care caused by this illegal job action,” said a statement. “Our focus is on ensuring patients continue to receive the care and treatment they need.
“AHS is enacting contingency plans to redeploy non-union staff, including managers, wherever possible to cover for missing staff.”
The statement said some surgeries and ambulatory care clinics were being delayed across the province due to the strike. A spokesman later confirmed this is in addition to the elective surgeries already postponed in Edmonton late last week due to COVID-19.
Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the “wildcat strikes” across Alberta are deeply concerning.
“Like all Albertans, our caucus believes patient safety must always be the top priority,” she said in a statement.
Notley added, however, that the government’s proposal to privatize the work of 11,000 workers in the middle of a pandemic will result in poorer care for Albertans.
“This reckless plan must stop,” she said.
The AUPE said nursing care and support workers decided Monday there was no other option than a walkout to address their concerns.
“This government is pushing our members to the breaking point exactly when Albertans need them most,” said Smith.
The union represents about 58,000 health-care workers, although it wasn’t clear how many have walked off the job. There were reports of picketing outside the Royal Alexandra Hospital and University of Alberta in Edmonton, Foothills Hospital and the South Health Campus in Calgary, as well as at many other facilities across the province.
Smith said the workers are committed to making sure patients remain safe during any labour dispute.
The Health Sciences Association of Alberta, which represents 27,000 health-care professionals, and the United Nurses of Alberta said in separate statements that their members won’t do the work of other union members.
“HSAA supports AUPE workers who are standing up against (Premier Jason) Kenney’s health-care cuts,” said Mike Parker, president of the health sciences association.
“Health-care workers have been working tirelessly to keep Albertans safe and they have been rewarded with threats to their jobs by a government that is hell-bent on ripping apart our public health-care system. The blame for any disruption to patient care that may occur today needs to land squarely at the feet of Jason Kenney and the UCP.”
The Alberta Federation of Labour and its affiliated unions said they will also join picket lines across the province to show their support for striking health-care workers.
The workers have also received support from the Alberta Teachers Association and Friends of Medicare.
— With files from Ian Martens, Lethbridge Herald
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This blog today spells thing out well re: the wildcat strike and Alberta’s COVID woes:
“UCP plan to lay of 11,000 public sector health workers sparks wildcat walkout at 45 Alberta health facilities.”
http://www.albertapolitics.ca
And, from Twitter,amazingly, an Alberta Labour Relations Board Notice to Employers and Employees is posted indicating that Alberta Health Services applied for the order to stop the strike 11 days before (on Oct 15). The poster “wonders why is appears to be unclear why they acted like they had to unexpectedly cancel surgeries, and why they hastily trained health workers to do housekeeping duties.” The poster also says: “when did AUPE find out about this hearing?…it is generally the case that both parties to a dispute are entitled to notice.”