EDMONTON—AUPE members at Good Samaritan Society’s Southgate Care Centre prepare for layoffs after UCP pulls funding for long-term care beds.
“Premier Danielle Smith isn’t fixing the health care crisis, she’s making it worse,” said AUPE Vice-President Susan Slade. “What we’re seeing now is the UCP ripping support from seniors, their families and the workers who care for them.”
Alberta Health Services was funding Southgate at a bed count of 226, as some of the rooms were semi-private. But after the massive COVID outbreak that swept through the site in 2020, and the loss of many residents, AHS directed the facility to go to single room occupancy.
Last week, Southgate staff were notified that AHS had given Good Samaritan Society notice that, effective Dec. 1, 2022, they would permanently reduce funding to 149 bed count (single occupancy). They were also told bed reductions would lead to a loss of 44 positions, 36 of those being AUPE members.
"This is how the UCP thanks frontline workers,” said AUPE Vice-President Susan Slade. "Long-term care workers, who placed themselves in harm's way to care for seniors during the deadly public health crisis are now being shown the door."
On Feb. 16, the Good Samaritan Society abruptly cancelled all its scheduled negotiation meeting dates in March with AUPE members, who have been calling for fair wages and more support at the bargaining table.
AUPE has filed a bargaining in bad faith complaint against the Good Samaritan Society for cancelling these dates. Labour Relations laws in Alberta require employers to negotiate in good faith.
Good Samaritan has been dragging their feet in negotiations for more than five years.
"The Good Samaritan Society has also added injury to insult with the budget cuts and layoffs by advertising its on-site career fair on March 3 and 4,” Slade said.
“The pandemic shone a light on the severe staffing crisis in Alberta’s long-term care system. Health care workers, the residents they care for and their families have been calling for more support but are being met with funding cuts and layoffs,” Slade said. “It’s clear that Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP have learned nothing from the tragic loss of lives during the COVID-19 outbreaks.”
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AUPE Vice-President Susan Slade is available for interviews.
Please contact Maureen Mariampillai, AUPE Communications Officer at m.mariampillai@aupe.org.