EDMONTON — This afternoon, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) announced that, with a record turnout, their members have sent a clear message by voting to reject a tentative agreement with Alberta Health Services and other provincial health agencies and corporations. The union is calling on the Alberta government to "recognize their worth and the incredible pressure they work under.”
“Health care workers have made their democratic voice heard loud and clear, and are telling our provincial government they need to do better when it comes to respect in the workplace,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “At a time when workforce retention and recruitment is our biggest issue in health care, the fact that so many of our valuable health care workers are feeling disrespected and dissatisfied should come as no surprise to the government. It’s time for them to listen.”
A report titled “Undervalued and Overstretched” released by the Parkland Institute earlier this summer showed that Alberta’s allied healthcare workers, represented by HSAA, are stressed and emotionally drained, and over a third of are seriously considering quitting. The report identified the Alberta government’s ongoing privatization efforts and the repeated disruption caused by continual restructuring of the system as a major driver of burnout, uncertainty and stress among workers.
This echoes research from earlier this year by the National Union of Provincial and Government Employees (NUPGE), the national union for HSAA, that showed 72% of their members are struggling under financial pressures, and that almost 40% of members are looking at leaving their career within the next three years.
“The retention crisis throughout our health care workforce, especially when it comes to highly skilled health care professionals, is an urgent situation for Albertans. We should be seeing an equally urgent response from our provincial government. Instead, we continue to see an agenda of endless chaos, destruction and privatization,” said Gallaway. “What we need right now is a health care workforce plan focused on retention of the skilled workers we currently have, along with a plan for recruitment and training of those we need to properly staff public health care in our growing province.”
HSAA isn’t the only union facing bargaining struggles with the provincial government. Earlier today, the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) provided strike notice for October 6th, if a new agreement cannot be reached. The employer is also in a position to lock out teachers with 72 hours notice.
“The issues facing public health care are the same as those facing public education in Alberta: a lack of capacity and staff resources to meet a growing population,” said Gallaway. “After months of inaction from the provincial government, it should come as no surprise that our teachers and other frontline workers are feeling disrespected and are willing to strike to improve our public services, if needed.”
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