https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/ahs-axes-frontline-health-care-positions-to-privatize-laundry-and-other-hospital-jobs
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Fort McMurray — Alberta Health Services (AHS) is laying off 334 laundry workers at hospitals across Alberta and replacing them with a privatized service.
The Alberta Union of Public Employees (AUPE) says the layoffs are part of a plan to cut or privatize 11,000 health-care jobs. This includes jobs in nutrition and food services, environmental services, lab services, supply-chain and procurement, and long-term care.
AUPE says layoff notices at Fort McMurray’s Northern Lights Regional Health Centre were given to 10 full-time employees on Tuesday. Laundry staff have already been cut at health centres and hospitals in Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Ponoka and Calgary.
Moving laundry services away from AHS and to K-Bro Linen Systems began this past September. Health-care workers protested the planned cuts or privatization in October 2020.
AHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson said to continue running the service would require more than $38 million in upgrades across Alberta. More than $100 million would be needed to build new modern linen systems, he said.
“The contracted service model will address maintenance costs and enable a sustained, high-quality, service, while eliminating the significant risk that our current outdated linen infrastructure poses,” said Williamson.
Graham rejected arguments that the switch will save the province money. He argued it is risky if rural areas have to rely on sending laundry to other communities, especially in the winter.
Steve Buick, spokesperson for Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping, said privatizing certain tasks within the health-care system is not new.
“AHS is contracting more hospital laundry services from the same independent partner that has done 70 per cent of all their laundry services for many years, including under the NDP government,” he said.