Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is Alberta's largest union, representing almost 80,000 Albertans who work in government, health care, education, boards and agencies, municipalities and private companies. The majority of AUPE’s members work in the public sector.

Alberta students and staff rally to support post-secondary education

Apr 222013

Public Values

Whopping budget cuts create turmoil.

from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

Over 200 people attended a midday rally at the University of Lethbridge April 16. Students, faculty and members of AUPE Local 053, representing support staff, spoke out about the effects of cuts totalling $147 million on post-secondary education in Alberta.

“Advanced education has seen a significant cut in funding when it was already stretched tightly,” said AUPE Vice-President Glen Scott. “Lethbridge University alone has seen a reduction of more than $11 million, and that will without a doubt have an effect on students.”

"Advanced education has seen a significant cut in funding when it was already stretched tightly," said AUPE Vice-President Glen Scott. "Lethbridge University alone has seen a reduction of more than $11 million, and that will without a doubt have an effect on students."

"The University of Lethbridge was named Canada's Undergraduate Research University of the Year in 2012. And instead of rewarding the good work of the U of L's faculty and students, the government is slashing its budget. Do they really think that the U of L will be able to continue being one of the best research universities in the country that way?"

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Care unit closure part of Redford’s privatization plans

Apr 182013

Public Values

Seniors unwilling participants in for-profit shuffle.

from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

Alberta Health Services' plan to shut down Strathmore General Hospital's long-term care unit is just the latest move in the Redford government's plan to privatize seniors' care, says the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.

Staff and families of long-term care residents were told April 9 that the hospital's facility will be shut down by October and the 23 residents relocated to the nearby private, for-profit Sagewood facility, owned by AgeCare. About 19 nursing and support staff positions at the hospital will be affected.

“The government is playing a shell game with Alberta’s elderly,” said Glen Scott, AUPE vice-president. “On one hand they claim they’re committed to opening more beds for seniors’ care, while on the other they’re closing public beds around the province.”

Scott said AgeCare has received more than $21 million in taxpayer subsidies to build Sagewood.

"The government has handed out hundreds of millions in corporate welfare to build and operate for-profit facilities," he said. "To what end? All they seem to be doing is creating chaos for families and outsourcing responsbility for seniors' health."

"We've seen the same thing happen in other communities. In Carmangay, Bashaw, Stettler and Red Deer, AHS closed down its own long-term care beds and moved seniors to private, for-profit facilities. Albertans should be very alarmed. Wherever private facilities are opening up, public facilities seem to be shutting down."

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Accountability and privatization “contrary objectives”

Mar 072013

Public Values

Business privacy rules trump disclosure.

from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

The Alberta government's recently-released social policy framework states accountability is one key principle, while privatization of social services is another.

"That presents a serious challenge", said AUPE Executive Secretary-Treasurer Bill Dechant.

"While we applaud priorities like poverty reduction and the plan to end homelessness, privatized services will prsent a significant test for the government's commitment to accountability set out in the new social policy framework.

Secrecy goes hand-in-glove with private delivery,” said Dechant.

"I'm also very worried that the social policy framework promises the government will act as less of a 'service provider, funder and legislator' in service areas explicitly aimed at the most vulnerable and under-served Albertans," he said.

Children's Services is one area where AUPE members have seen a steady increase in contracted service providers, he added. The government is investigating further privatization through a "results-based budgeting" process. Results-based budgeting is one of eight "priority transformation initiatives" identified in the framework document.

Other elements include "transparency, citizen engagement and decisions based on knowledge and evidence" as key to accountability.

But, says Dechant, government contracts with third parties are not accessible by the public.

A recent Parkland Institute study attempted to compare the cost of publicly-provided infrastructure maintenance with privatized services through Freedom of Information requests. The protection of business interests prevented the release of information on the scope and costs of the privatized maintenance services.

"The government's commitment to increased accountability and desire to privatize more services are completely contrary objectives. At present the public has no way to know if the services that have already been turned over to the private sector are doing the job they claim to."

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