January 20, 2006
Health Coalition sends letter to Martin and Harper
Dear Mr. Harper and Mr. Martin:
We are deeply concerned that your focus in this election on wait time ‘guarantees’ as the solution to problems in Canada’s public health care system is, in fact, a guarantee that our public health care system will be further eroded.
You are setting up the public health care system for failure by promising Canadians reduced wait times, without promising to solve, within the public system, the ongoing issues that create wait times. Unsustainable wait time targets that can only be reached by compromising other aspects of the public system are a Trojan horse for private, for-profit health care delivery.
The claim that for-profit clinics will help reduce wait times in the public system is simply false. Health care practitioners cannot be in more than one place at the same time. Creating a parallel private, for-profit system will take much-needed doctors, nurses, radiologists and other health care workers out of our public system. Given that we already have a shortage of health care workers, allowing for-profit health care to grow will only increase wait times in the public system.
What we need is planning, investment and innovation within the public system.
The public system has already begun to respond to the issue of wait times. In facilities as diverse as the Queensway Clinic in Toronto, the Pan-Am Clinic in Winnipeg and the Capital Health Authority in Edmonton, wait times have been substantially reduced.These and other examples demonstrate that effective solutions to wait times can be found within the public system.
You have promised wait time guarantees. Will you guarantee publicly-funded, publicly-delivered health care for all Canadians? That is the only guarantee that matters.
Signed by the Canadian Health Coalition and members of the Coalition.
CFNU poll shows Canadians want PUBLIC health care
A majority of Canadians do not think they could afford even basic surgical procedures in a privatized system, says a new poll on health care done by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions. Nine out of 10 agree that access to healthcare should be exactly the same for everyone, regardless of income.
“When health care, the number one issue for Canadians, has come up in this election campaign, the leaders are telling us that they will defend public health care” says Linda Silas, RN, President of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions. “They are telling Canadians what we want to hear, but will they do what we want to see?”
The poll, conducted by Ipsos Reid shows that 8 of 10 (83%) Canadians believe that if government got its act together there would be enough money available to fund an excellent health care system without allowing people to pay for enhanced services. Great support exists for 7 solutions including: shortening wait times for surgery by opening unused or under-used operating rooms (94%), hiring more nurse to decrease wait times for surgical and medical attention (94%), and expanding publicly-insured services to include access to home care, long-term care, mental health care and drug benefits (91%), but the parties have not committed to most of them.
All Employees get 3 consecutive hours to vote
According to the Federal Election Act, all Employees are entitled to three consecutive hours off work while the polls are open to be able to vote. In Alberta polls are open from 07:30 to 19:30. Most Employees have three hours off outside their regular shift hours to get to the poll. For a few Employees, particular nurses working extended workday shifts, there will not be three hours available outside of their shift hours.
The Joint Committee of UNA and Health Boards of Alberta has issued a statement noting “If work does not provide for three consecutive hours off duty while the polls are open, the Employer must provide Employees with time off in order to create a three-hour period in which to vote.” For more information see your Local or the UNA website, www.una.ab.ca or check News on UNA*Net.
Public solution to waiting lists
The news came out recently that both the Capital and Calgary Health Regions had amazingly cut the time between the first orthopedic consultation and surgery from 47 weeks to 4.7 weeks. Prominent health policy commentator Dr. Michael Rachlis must be shrugging his shoulders. Rachlis has been criss-crossing the country for years, telling anyone who would listen that there are solutions to waitlists and other health system problems easily achieved in the public system. “Canadians tend to assume that if there is a wait for health care, there isn’t enough of it,” Rachlis says. “However, most delays are due to poorly designed services. “We need to look at delays through the ‘lens of flow’. “His most recent publication Public Solutions to Health Care Waitlists is available on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives website at: www.policyalternatives.ca/
Web comedy cartoon: Ralph’s discount medical supplies
UNA Locals in contract talks
Negotiations have commenced at the Beverly Centre in Midnapore south of Calgary. This is the facility where RNs, RPNs and LPNs have been recognized as being in the same bargaining unit. In their in-going proposal, the nurses have asked for just one classification for all their members: nurse, which would have LPNs and RNs paid at the same rate. They have asked for provincial salary rates.
Other negotiations
Talks also continue for a first collective agreement at Bethany Care Collegeside in Red Deer. After several days with a mediator no agreement has been reached but more dates have been set.
The Victorian Order of Nurses in Edmonton are waiting on a response from the Employer to their latest proposal, in their on-going negotiations for a new agreement.
Talks are also continuing with Central Care Corporation for Local #401, Mckenzie Towne Care Centre in Calgary and Local #235 South Terrace Care Centre in Edmonton.
LPNs’ voting on mediation recommendations
Licensed Practical Nurses and auxiliary nursing Employees are voting soon on mediator’s recommendations for a new collective agreement. The recommendations are for a four-year agreement running to March 31, 2008 and for 3% salary increases each year. But the mediator also added a new step seven, at $21.89 an hour as of April 1, 2006 and a new step eight commencing April 1, 2007 of $23.45 an hour. The starting rate for LPNs rises from $16.07 an hour in 2004 to $17.91 an hour in 2007.
The mediator was also dealing with issues resulting from the Bill 27 amalgamation of bargaining units, which made it necessary to combine different collective agreements.
The LPNs also would get an increase in night shift differential to $2 an hour. The evening differential remains at $1.75.
There were also improvements in vacation that bring LPNs to the same vacation entitlement as the UNA provincial agreement, with the exception of supplementary vacation.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) will be conducting a ratification vote shortly for the LPNs, nursing attendants and other health assistant categories covered by the agreement.
On the lighter side:
Fitness program for the New Year
Monday:
Beat around the bush
Jump to conclusions
Climb the walls
Wade through the morning paper
Tuesday:
Drag my heels
Push my luck
Make mountains out of mole hills
Hit the nail on the head
Wednesday:
Bend over backwards
Jump on the Band Wagon
Run around in circles
Thursday:
Advise the President on how to run the country
Toot my own horn
Pull out all the stops
Add fuel to the fire
Friday:
Open a can of worms
Put my foot in my mouth
Start the ball rolling
Go over the edge
Saturday:
Pick up the pieces.
Sunday:
Earn my rest
Sing the praises
Hug someone and encourage them.
Whew! What a workout!
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