Workers
Defend Their Rights and Public Health Care Broad Support for Alberta Hospital Workers -
Peggy Morton - 
October
31, 2020. Seniors and Social Workers for Social Justice supporting
hospital workers. The walkouts October 26 at
hospitals and health care centres by members of the Alberta Union of
Provincial Employees have been met with a tremendous wave of support
right across the province. The demands of the workers to stop the
11,000 layoffs the United Conservative Party (UCP) government has
announced, and to reverse and stop further privatization, are receiving
widespread support, while the UCP government's attacks on the workers
are being met with utter contempt. Many people are also calling on
Alberta Health Services to cease and desist from its threats to punish
the workers. In criminalizing the workers, Finance
Minister Travis Toews stated, "Going forward we expect that all unions
respect the bargaining process and stop putting Albertans' safety at
risk. [...] We will not tolerate illegal strike activity." He also said
the workers and the union would "be held accountable" for the strike.
This is the height of hypocrisy and shows the shamelessness of
the UCP government which rips up contracts, passes one bill after
another to attack workers rights, and announces 11,000 layoffs to hand
over critical public services to private interests.  The response to
the UCP government's attempt to blame the workers who are defending the
right to health care was swift. How dare the government suggest that
they are the ones who are concerned about public safety, people have
responded. How dare they accuse our health care workers, our heroes! It
is the government that must be held accountable! Health care workers
show their concern for their patients every day through their deeds, by
putting their health and lives on the line. They are the ones who work
tirelessly to try and keep the health care system functioning despite
all the destruction caused by decades of neo-liberal wrecking.
Many people are also speaking out to thank health care workers
for their courage, and alerting everyone to the grave dangers, chaos
and destruction which the UCP is hell-bent on carrying out. Every day
since October 27, seniors have organized information pickets in front
of the Foothills Hospital in Calgary. On October 31 they were joined by
Social Workers for Social Justice. The unions and associations of
faculty and staff in post-secondary education are organizing
information pickets in Edmonton and Athabasca on November 5. Pickets
are also being organized for 6:15 am on the same day in Edmonton and
Calgary to greet the first shift as they come to work. Many
organizations have issued statements of support; people are speaking
out on social media and in neighbourhood forums, signing petitions,
writing their MLAs, writing letters to the editor, and taking a stand
in many other ways. An important aspect of this
growing resistance is that people are speaking in their own name and
activating their peers, fellow workers, active and retired, and
organizations. An important conclusion is that the workers must rely on
their own thinking and their own organization, discussing and summing
up what their actions have accomplished and going to the next, keeping
the initiative in their own hands.
This article was published in
Number 75 - November 5, 2020
Article Link:
Workers
Defend Their Rights and Public Health Care: Broad Support for Alberta Hospital Workers -
Peggy Morton
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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