AHS WAGE CUTS `FAIR': TOEWS
Finance minister says proposal takes province's $93B debt into account, but union calls offer `shameful, disrespectful and unreasonable'
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 said 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-percent 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 news 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 healthcare 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.”
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.