A rural Alberta facility that helps homeless men suffering from mental health issues and addictions is among the services hit by the latest round of provincial government job cuts.
Sixty-three jobs will be affected due to the closure of the McCullough Centre, which is in the hamlet of Gunn about 60 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, said the Alberta Union of Public Employees (AUPE).
As many as 536 jobs in Community and Social Services may be affected across Alberta “through various means” by the end of the 2020-21 fiscal year on March 31, said a letter Oct. 19 to AUPE by the Public Service Commission. They range from “permanent abolishments” and reclassifications to redeployments, it said.
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“It is appalling that this government has nearly $5 billion to waste in tax giveaways to already profitable corporations, but is seeking to cut services on which our most fragile citizens depend,” said AUPE president Guy Smith in a statement Oct. 21. “To do this while the second wave of COVID-19 is sweeping over the province is dangerous.”
But the McCullough Centre is currently being used by fewer than 15 people “and we will help them connect with appropriate supports,” said an e-mail by Jerry Bellikka, press secretary and senior adviser to Community and Social Services Minister Rajan Sawhney.
Intake to the centre has been paused since Aug. 26, 2019, due to things such as staffing pressures and the expected future closing of the site, said the commission. Thirty-two jobs at the centre will be abolished, with things such as temporary and wage positions ended early, it said.
“The closure of McCullough Centre is expected to save more than $3 million per year,” said Bellikka. “This is funding that can be refocused to serve people with the most critical needs.”
Although the provincial government is examining ways to re-deploy the staff who worked at the centre, some may be displaced, he said. “Where that occurs, we will treat people fairly and according to the collective agreement.”
Other jobs affected by cost cutting include 32 positions at Alberta Job Corps, which is closing across the province. “It works with people who normally struggle to find employment with training and job placement,” said the AUPE statement.
Thirteen jobs are being abolished, with 18 people redeployed and one temporary position ended early to redeploy a permanent individual, said the commission. The program has been suspended since March due to the pandemic, it said.
“After a careful review of the data, it’s clear the Alberta Job Corps program is not as effective as other employment training programs available,” said Bellikka.
“The decision to close Job Corps will save approximately $6.9 million which can be refocused on other programs that achieve better results. Staff at Alberta Support Centres across the province are available remotely to help clients connect to employment resources in their community.”
