Courtesy: United Nurses of Alberta
Mental Health and Addiction minister should immediately provide copy of Ministerial Order creating Recovery Alberta
United Nurses of Alberta has urged Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams to immediately provide the union a copy of the Ministerial Order formally establishing Recovery Alberta as a Provincial Health Agency under the Health Statutes Amendment Act.
The Ministerial Order was provided to Alberta Health Services but has been withheld from UNA and other unions impacted by the transfer of AHS employees to Recovery Alberta.
“It should be obvious that UNA, as the bargaining representative of approximately 3,200 AHS employees who will be transferred from AHS to Recovery Alberta, needs to see and study the document setting out the details of the establishment of the new agency,” said UNA President Heather Smith in a letter sent to Minister Williams today.
“Denying this information to UNA makes no sense no sense if the government hopes to quickly and smoothly establishing a new agency providing all addiction, mental health, and correctional health services now provided by AHS,” she said, noting that in Alberta Ministerial Orders are have normally been treated as public documents.
The creation of Recovery Alberta and the questions it raises about its impact on AHS has created great uncertainty among health care workers likely to be impacted by the move, including many UNA members, Smith said. “This is bound to have an impact on the ability of both Recovery Alberta and AHS to recruit and retain health care professionals.”
An email to AHS staff this morning from AHS President and CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos provided some additional information about the transition to the new agency, Smith noted.
The transition process will start on the wrong foot if key stakeholders are deprived of important information, Smith told Williams.
“UNA is anxious that our members are able to start their new relationship with Recovery Alberta on a positive note.” She concluded, urging the minister to provide a copy of the Ministerial Order to UNA immediately.
