Hospital workers strike short-lived

By Janet Kanters, Editor

Unionized front-line hospital workers staged a wildcat strike at the Strathmore Hospital on Monday. 

But the strike was short-lived, as health care staff represented by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) returned to work Tuesday following an order by the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) to cease and desist the wildcat strike.

According to the AUPE, its hospital worker members walked off the job to fight to stop “dangerous cuts” in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Anger has been building among members for months,” said Guy Smith, president of the AUPE, on Monday. “The recent announcement by Health Minister Tyler Shandro of 11,000 jobs being cut in the middle of a global deadly pandemic was the last straw for them.

“Nursing-care and support workers decided today that there was no other option but to fight to protect Albertans at risk, especially during the deadliest pandemic in a century,” added Smith. “By constantly short-staffing public health care, this government is pushing our members to the breaking point exactly when Albertans need them most.”

The workers striking in Strathmore on Monday said they were off shift, so no patient care was affected.

AUPE represents about 58,000 workers in the province’s health care system. Smith said AUPE members are committed to ensuring patients safety during any dispute.

According to the provincial government, Alberta spends 42 per cent of its budget on health, which has increased 17 per cent since 2015.

By Monday afternoon, Alberta Health Services (AHS) enacted contingency plans to redeploy non-union staff, including managers, wherever possible to cover for missing staff. AHS said in a statement that some surgeries and ambulatory care clinics were being postponed, and patients would be contacted directly if their appointments were affected.