‘Huge challenges’ in settling contract dispute, doctors say
The head of the Alberta Medical Association warns there are “huge challenges ahead” in resolving an increasingly acrimonious contract dispute with the Redford government.
In a memo addressed to 10,000 provincial physicians, AMA president Michael Giuffre noted that an austere provincial budget means Alberta doctors won’t see any new money, and could face potential reductions to fees and retention benefits.
Those decisions, Giuffre wrote, will impact discussions at the bargaining table. “We are not rolling over and accepting anything,” he said. “We require fairness, equitable treatment and due process in these facilitated negotiations.”
The AMA and provincial government had hoped to reach a deal this month, but negotiations have soured. In the letter, Giuffre called for improvements to the bartering process for physician compensation.
The Tory government held doctors’ pay at $3.4 billion, although the AMA forecasts doctors’ overhead expenses to increase 2.5 per cent each year.
Health Minister Fred Horne and other top Tory officials contend that Alberta’s physicians receive the highest compensation in the country. The AMA characterizes those assertions as outdated and misleading. Alberta Health did not reply to a request for comment on the weekend.
Health-care makes up 45 per cent of the province’s total operations budget, with a total budget of $17.1 billion, and the government has said Alberta ranks among the top provinces in health-care spending per person.
Giuffre, meanwhile, added his voice to those questioning why the government split its budget into three parts — savings, capital works and operat- ing — that are not reconciled.
Government proponents say the new system works better for accountants, while critics argue it’s tough to nail down a deficit number.
The AMA president said the new budget doesn’t count as a tabled negotiating position. “Government will still need to present a financial position,” he said.
“At that point, we can begin full negotiations.”