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Provincial Health Coalitions Put Federal Parties on Notice

August 19, 2021  For Immediate Release

Provincial Health Coalitions Put Federal Parties on Notice: Canadians Demand Real Action to Fix Long-Term Care

(Canada-wide) - With a federal election called for September 20, provincial Health Coalitions across Canada are putting all federal political parties on notice. The federal government could have already set real national standards for long-term care in legislation or an emergency federal-provincial-territorial funding accord with sufficient funding attached to leverage real change. Instead, nothing has happened. Canadians expect all political parties to commit to bring in national standards for long-term care as a matter of national priority.

Fom Friends of Medicare

Written by
August 19, 2021

  • Provincial Health Coalitions Put Federal Parties on Notice

    August 19, 2021  For Immediate Release

    Provincial Health Coalitions Put Federal Parties on Notice: Canadians Demand Real Action to Fix Long-Term Care

    (Canada-wide) - With a federal election called for September 20, provincial Health Coalitions across Canada are putting all federal political parties on notice. The federal government could have already set real national standards for long-term care in legislation or an emergency federal-provincial-territorial funding accord with sufficient funding attached to leverage real change. Instead, nothing has happened. Canadians expect all political parties to commit to bring in national standards for long-term care as a matter of national priority.

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    August 19, 2021

  • Government continues to disrespect Alberta’s front-line workers

    August 16, 2021
    EDMONTON

    Government continues to disrespect Alberta’s front-line workers

    Late last week, Albertans learned that Alberta Health Services is contemplating plans to address nursing shortages by hiring contract nurses. AHS has been in ongoing negotiations with United Nurses of Alberta, and has proposed a 3% pay cut for the nurses it employs, which the UCP government has claimed is necessary in order to get Alberta’s finances “back on track.” Now we see that they are considering offers from Greenstaff Medical Canada to contract nurses for $55-$75 an hour — compared to $36.86-$48.37 per hour earned by AHS nurses currently.

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    August 16, 2021

  • The power of the people can never be underestimated—Even under this reckless government

    EDMONTON — After 15 straight days of protesting the government’s reckless decision to remove Alberta’s most basic and necessary COVID-19 protections, the government has finally taken notice, and moved to “pause” the removal of these protections for 6 weeks, until September 27.

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    August 13, 2021

  • The old boy’s club is alive and well in Alberta’s health care

    EDMONTON — Alberta Health Services has managed to largely avoid the scrutiny of Albertans after many years of instability and costly reorganizations. But now, this government has made clear that they are willing to compromise that, via the appointment of privatization ideologues to the AHS board.

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    August 12, 2021

  • FOM stands solidarity with nurses for patient safety

    EDMONTON — Friends of Medicare stands in solidarity today with the United Nurses of Alberta, as they stand up for patient care with information pickets at hospitals and health facilities across the province.

     
    Albertans have seen firsthand how invaluable nurses and all their health care colleagues have been to our province throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet health care workers have seen continued disrespect from the provincial government, culminating in recent attempts to slash their wages. 
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    August 11, 2021

  • Enough is Enough

    EDMONTON
    August 3, 2021

    Enough is Enough! Friends of Medicare protests removal of Alberta's public health measures 
    For the past 4 days, Albertans have been coming together to say Enough is Enough! Ongoing protests have been held each day in Calgary and Edmonton against this government’s reckless decision to end the most basic public health measures we have to deal with COVID-19 and the variants facing the province, Canada, and the world.
     
    The Alberta government has announced that by August 16 they will: 
     
    • End nearly all public health measures, including masking;
    • Close all testing centres;
    • Require those with serious symptoms to get tested at a doctor's office or the Emergency Unit at a hospital;
    • Largely do away with tracing contacts of people infected with COVID-19;
    • Remove isolation requirements for people who test positive; 
    • Stop asking people with mild symptoms to get tested; and,
    • Stop issuing medical data on COVID-19.
     
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    August 03, 2021

  • Friends of Medicare stands with Capital Care and Carewest workers

    Friends of Medicare stands with health care workers from Capital Care and Carewest protesting the expected sale of Alberta’s public Long-Term Care facilities. We join members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees Local 049 today at their noon-hour rally in opposition to the Alberta government’s continued privatization of Alberta’s continuing care.
     
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    July 29, 2021

  • Continuing care announcement is the “no-money miracle’ approach

    EDMONTON — Today, Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced the allocation of $400 million in operational funding over four years, for 6,000 continuing care beds across the province. Of these, 2,200 will be new beds, and the remaining 3,800 will be refurbished or renovated from existing “underutilized” spaces in private facilities.

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    July 09, 2021

  • Government applauds nurses, cuts their wages in the same breath

    EDMONTON — Yesterday, Finance Minister Travis Toews announced that the government would be moving forward with plans to cut salaries of Alberta’s nurses. The newly proposed 3% salary rollback comes in addition to previously announced rollbacks, in the form of reduced shift and weekend premiums. All together, Alberta’s nurses are facing at least 5% compensation reduction.

    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    July 07, 2021

  • Albertans for Ethical Drug Policy demand end to Alberta’s war on harm reduction

    CALGARY - June 26 is the Global Day of Action Against Oppressive Drug Policy, Support, Don’t Punish. Today, Albertans are coming together at for the YYC Day of Action, to commemorate and remember the lives that have been lost as a result of this ongoing opioid pandemic, and to call on this government to stop the unjust assault on harm reduction services. 
    Fom Friends of Medicare

    Written by
    June 28, 2021