We need to keep moving forward

Friends,
 

We are reaching the close of another year. Typically, we start talking about what has happened over the last 12 months, but like the last three years – things just keep happening.
 

Right now, 1,100 members are at risk of losing their pensions in Alberta’s largest-ever transfer of professionals from a public to a private employer, the shift of our members from Alberta Precision Labs to DynaLIFE.
 

We are also seeing the principles we stand for being challenged, as Canadian Blood Services has decided to sign a 15-year deal with Grifols, a for-profit plasma corporation, to privatize plasma collection in Canada. This deal was negotiated and signed behind closed doors with no transparency.
 

And we have a new premier and government that, like the previous premier, is set on throwing our public system into even more chaos to justify its drive to privatize more of our health-care system.
 

This leaves little time for reflection. We need to keep moving forward. That means continuing our efforts to protect pensions of APL members transitioning to DynaLIFE at the Alberta Labour Relations Board by arguing that their Collective Agreements be respected.
 

We will continue to oppose paying people for their blood. Leanne and I joined labour leaders from across the country at the beginning of the month to send the message that the best way to protect Canadians is a non-profit, volunteer-based blood system.
 

And we will be meeting with the health minister this month. We will continue to insist the government needs to take immediate steps to retain the health professionals we have by improving working conditions and that Albertans simply can’t afford more failed privatization experiments.
 

In the meantime, let’s continue to check-in with and take care of each other.
 

In solidarity,
 

Mike