BULLSHIT
Offer to health support workers 'fair, reasonable' in light of fiscal problems, finance minister saysFIRST THEY CONTRACT OUT THEIR JOBS THEN CUT THEIR WAGES
AUPE says government negotiators want 4 per cent pay cut
AUPE says government negotiators want 4 per cent pay cut
Michelle Bellefontaine · CBC News · Posted: Jul 16, 2021
UNA and AUPE members protested possible health care cuts and privatization at rallies across Alberta last year. (Trevor Wilson/CBC)
Alberta Finance Minster Travis Toews is defending his government's offer to health care support workers as fair and reasonable, while the union calls it disrespectful to the people who have kept hospitals functioning during the pandemic.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees said Alberta Health Services negotiators have tabled an offer of a four per cent wage rollback for one year, followed by three years of zero increases in the latest round of contract talks.
Toews says AUPE was asking for a five per cent increase in salaries over the next two years, which he said is an increase of $105 million. He said Alberta can't afford wage increases while it faces down $93 billion in debt.
Alberta finance minister pushes salary rollback for nurses
"Our proposal is fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of all Albertans," Toews said in a news release Friday.
"AHS is offering job security to employees in exchange for the one-time wage reduction. This is a fair and equitable trade."
AUPE vice-president Susan Slade said the offer is disrespectful to the cleaning, laundry and food services staff who kept hospitals functioning during the pandemic. She said workers in the General Support Services unit are among the lowest paid health care workers.
"It's absolutely shameful that this government thinks that this is an appropriate thing to do after given the amount of hard work that everybody has done this last 16 months in this pandemic," Slade said in an interview with CBC News.
"Members are rightfully angry. They're disappointed."
The government's latest offer to AUPE comes less than two weeks after government negotiators tabled an offer to Alberta nurses that would force them to take a three per cent salary rollback.
NDP health critic David Shepherd said Premier Jason Kenney is trying to balance his budget on the back of health care workers. The Edmonton-Centre MLA said Kenney has spent millions on the Canadian Energy Centre, commonly known as the war room, and lost $1.3 billion of taxpayer money in the cancelled Keystone XL project.
"The premier has many, many areas where he has chosen to gamble and waste Alberta's tax dollars," Shepherd said.
"For him then to turn to our frontline health care workers who got us through this pandemic and say, you are going to pay for my mistakes and to try to attack and vilify them. It's unacceptable."
Emergency rooms and hospitals across the province are facing bed closures due to staffing shortages.
Alberta Health Services confirmed that 18 spaces at the Royal Alexandra Hospital emergency department were closed for four hours early Friday morning.
Twelve beds reopened at 7 a.m., leaving six beds closed due to "short-term staffing coverage issues," the health authority said via its Twitter account.
At an unrelated news conference earlier on Friday, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said Alberta's situation isn't any different from the pressures faced by health care systems in Canada and across the world due to COVID-19.
Toews calls proposed cuts to health-care workers' salaries 'reasonable'
Author of the article:Ashley Joannou
Publishing date:Jul 16, 2021 •
Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews delivers the 2021 provincial budget at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021.
PHOTO BY DAVID BLOOM /Postmedia
Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews is defending a proposal to cut the salaries of health-care staff, including cleaning, laundry and lab workers, saying it is reasonable and in the best interest of Albertans.
On Thursday, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) said the government was proposing a four per cent wage cut for its general support services workers effective immediately after a new agreement is ratified, followed by a three-year wage freeze.
In a statement Friday, Toews said the government has to keep spending under control when the province is facing $93 billion in debt. He said Albertans pay more than most Canadians for public services including health care.
“Our proposal is fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of all Albertans. AHS is offering job security to employees in exchange for the one-time wage reduction. This is a fair and equitable trade,” he said.
“AHS is meeting with AUPE later today to continue negotiations. I’m confident both parties can work together to reach a fair and equitable settlement that respects the fiscal situation of the province.”
AUPE vice-president Susan Slade confirmed in an interview Friday that the union’s current proposal would maintain the status quo during Year 1 followed by a 2.5 per cent salary increase in each of years 2 and 3.
AHS initially proposed a one-per cent cut in February 2020 but contract talks were stalled amid the pandemic.
Slade the one per cent cut would have taken back an increase received through arbitration and that there have been very little increases in these employees’ salaries the last five years.
“I think given the fact that these employees have been working for the last 16 months in horrible conditions given the pandemic, him asking for a four per cent decrease is extremely shameful, disrespectful and unreasonable,” she said.
The government’s latest offer to AUPE comes after negotiators offered Alberta nurses a three per cent salary rollback as part of their latest round of contract talks.
Toews said the United Nurses of Alberta want a four per cent raise over two years.
At a press conference Friday, NDP health critic David Shepherd said the burnout and low morale staff are feeling from COVID-19 is being worsened by the suggestion of wage rollbacks.
Shepherd said that if the province wanted to save money it could choose not to fund the government’s energy war room or could have decided not to spend $1.3 billion on the now-cancelled Keystone XL pipeline.
He said the government needs to recognize the pressure health-care workers are facing and “start negotiating respectfully and bring forward a plan to address critical staffing shortages.”
The province continues to face bed closures due to staffing shortages at both rural and urban hospitals.
AHS said six of 50 emergency room beds are temporarily closed due to staffing issues at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Another 12 were closed for four hours Friday morning. Those 12 reopened at 7 a.m.
At an unrelated event on Friday, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said similar pressures are being faced by health-care systems in Canada and across the world because of COVID-19.
“AHS has done an amazing job for a year and a half, they continue to do it, to make sure that people are going to get the care that they need,” he said.
“Sometimes that means making dynamic decisions and responding to pressures on human resources or equipment issues because they’re doing the right things to make sure that people are getting the care that they need.”
ajoannou@postmedia.com
twitter.com/ashleyjoannou
Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews is defending a proposal to cut the salaries of health-care staff, including cleaning, laundry and lab workers, saying it is reasonable and in the best interest of Albertans.
On Thursday, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) said the government was proposing a four per cent wage cut for its general support services workers effective immediately after a new agreement is ratified, followed by a three-year wage freeze.
In a statement Friday, Toews said the government has to keep spending under control when the province is facing $93 billion in debt. He said Albertans pay more than most Canadians for public services including health care.
“Our proposal is fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of all Albertans. AHS is offering job security to employees in exchange for the one-time wage reduction. This is a fair and equitable trade,” he said.
“AHS is meeting with AUPE later today to continue negotiations. I’m confident both parties can work together to reach a fair and equitable settlement that respects the fiscal situation of the province.”
AUPE vice-president Susan Slade confirmed in an interview Friday that the union’s current proposal would maintain the status quo during Year 1 followed by a 2.5 per cent salary increase in each of years 2 and 3.
AHS initially proposed a one-per cent cut in February 2020 but contract talks were stalled amid the pandemic.
Slade the one per cent cut would have taken back an increase received through arbitration and that there have been very little increases in these employees’ salaries the last five years.
“I think given the fact that these employees have been working for the last 16 months in horrible conditions given the pandemic, him asking for a four per cent decrease is extremely shameful, disrespectful and unreasonable,” she said.
The government’s latest offer to AUPE comes after negotiators offered Alberta nurses a three per cent salary rollback as part of their latest round of contract talks.
Toews said the United Nurses of Alberta want a four per cent raise over two years.
At a press conference Friday, NDP health critic David Shepherd said the burnout and low morale staff are feeling from COVID-19 is being worsened by the suggestion of wage rollbacks.
Shepherd said that if the province wanted to save money it could choose not to fund the government’s energy war room or could have decided not to spend $1.3 billion on the now-cancelled Keystone XL pipeline.
He said the government needs to recognize the pressure health-care workers are facing and “start negotiating respectfully and bring forward a plan to address critical staffing shortages.”
The province continues to face bed closures due to staffing shortages at both rural and urban hospitals.
AHS said six of 50 emergency room beds are temporarily closed due to staffing issues at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Another 12 were closed for four hours Friday morning. Those 12 reopened at 7 a.m.
At an unrelated event on Friday, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said similar pressures are being faced by health-care systems in Canada and across the world because of COVID-19.
“AHS has done an amazing job for a year and a half, they continue to do it, to make sure that people are going to get the care that they need,” he said.
“Sometimes that means making dynamic decisions and responding to pressures on human resources or equipment issues because they’re doing the right things to make sure that people are getting the care that they need.”
ajoannou@postmedia.com
twitter.com/ashleyjoannou
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