"When the pandemic hit, Cadham Lab employees stepped up to the challenge, processing thousands of samples, working tremendous amounts of overtime, at a pace they have never seen before. I’m told that right now they are working at about 300% of their normal capacity." — Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU President
Privatization
“The MGEU/NUPGE and its members will continue to hold the government’s feet to the fire when it comes to decisions and actions that affect Manitoba families. Now is not the time to weaken and cut services. It’s time to support public services and the people who provide them.” — Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU President
“The Minister is such a hypocrite. He’s praising public health workers while continuing with the plan to tear apart the system like Kenney tears up signed pledges.” — Mike Parker, HSAA President
While families with children in public schools have to hope for the best, wealthy families who are sending their children to private schools will be able to avoid the effect of the Progressive Conservatives decision to cut the number of classes.
Even though it seems outrageous to anyone whose priority is keeping residents safe, as far as for-profit long-term care companies are concerned, calling for rules to protect people from COVID-19 to be eased when residents these homes are still getting infected and dying is good for business.
Join us and the Ottawa Health Coalition on September 17 at 7 p.m. in a live town hall to talk about how we can make for-profit long-term care public! Register here!
By scrapping the plan for a P3 privatization scheme the Township of Mapleton saved between $2 million and $3 million.
“This proves Kenney and the rest of his UCP cohorts knew they had to hide the process from Albertans and, to be blunt, this is the most shameful decision I have seen in my 43 years working in health care in Alberta.” — Trudy Thomson, Vice-President of HSAA
The death rate for private, for-profit long-term care homes with COVID-19 outbreaks was over 4 times the rate for publicly owned homes.
For the public, privatization means we’re paying twice. Once to make up for the revenue governments lose when wealthy corporations and individuals are able to use tax havens and then again because privatization means higher costs and poorer service.
“If passed, this legislation has the potential to affect health care across Canada, particularly where provisions of the Canada Health Act that prohibit extra billing and user charges are undermined.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
“Using social finance schemes like social impact bonds to privatize community and social services means funding that is desperately needed to help the most vulnerable people in our communities will end up in the pockets of lawyers, consultants and other intermediaries,” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
“Alberta can’t afford Kenney’s plan for health care. In the end, patient care suffers as desperately-needed funds are sent out of the province.” — Mike Parker, HSAA President
Using charities or non-profit groups to privatize public services doesn’t generate the same reaction as when for-profit companies take them over, but the problems associated with privatization are still there.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has made the need to ban this practice, both in New Brunswick and nationwide, even more apparent.
Brown urges Kenney to oppose the bill that would repeal the Voluntary Blood Donations Act.
The report is particularly timely, given how the COVID-19 pandemic has shown both the benefits of quality public services, and the huge price we pay when services are privatized.
If the proposed accounting standards mean the full costs of P3 accounting schemes will have to be reported, it will be a major step forward. Unfortunately, there is good reason to be worried that won’t happen.
“Their decision to move forward with privatizing lab services in Alberta is asinine and will lead to worst outcomes for future outbreaks.” ― Mike Parker, HSAA President
“The fact that your government felt it necessary to create the CERB is a damning statement on the damage done by the restrictions on EI coverage and benefits that have been introduced over the years” Larry Brown, NUPGE President