CALGARY – Alberta’s health-care system has been spared further financial amputation for next year.
Health minister Shirley McClellan announced the government is backing away from cutting $53 million from the 1996-97 budgets of the 17 regional health authorities.
A further $40 million will be injected into community services and home care. Half of that money will be available at the beginning of the fiscal year and the remainder will be held in an “innovation fund” to enhance community care.
Details later
Details on how this money is distributed will be announced in the spring, said a government news release.
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While the government said the decision to cancel these cuts was made in October, the announcement did not come until threats in November of a province-wide strike by health-care workers and support staff.
Members of the Alberta Union of Public Employees, Canadian Union of Public Employees and United Nurses of Alberta are protesting the contracting out of support services to save money.
An 11-day wildcat strike led by Calgary laundry workers was settled Nov. 24 and Edmonton workers continue to negotiate.
Plan called for job cuts
The Calgary walkout was triggered by a tentative decision from the Calgary Regional Health Authority to eliminate 120 jobs and have the laundry services done by a private firm in Edmonton.
Around-the-clock negotiations with Calgary health region officials and the union resulted in a one-year moratorium on contracting out. This gives the union time to propose alternatives.
Severance payouts were negotiated for workers who lose their jobs.
About 3,700 workers in Edmonton are talking over the same issue with the Capital Health Authority and have voted for an illegal walkout if the situation isn’t resolved.
