Privatization of laundry services at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital now seems inevitable.--NEWS PHOTO GILLIAN SLADE
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
The union’s endeavour to put a halt to the contracting out of laundry services at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital was not successful.
Four years ago Alberta Health Services first talked of aging infrastructure in the laundry department at MHRH. Although no dollar amount was attached to the department locally, the NDP government revealed it would cost $200 million to upgrade aging laundry facilities throughout the province.
By January 2018 attention was focused on modernization of the hospital laundry in Lethbridge to send about 1.2 million kilograms of Medicine Hat’s hospital dirty laundry to Lethbridge for processing. MHRH’s linen service includes the needs of the hospital, Brooks, Bassano and Bow Island hospitals plus some local seniors’ residences, Home Care and the Medicine Hat Recovery Centre.
At the time 25 people, made up of full-time and part-time positions and 12 casual staff, were to be affected.
In February this year AHS advised the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees of its plan to privatize all linen services
AUPE revealed a request for proposals was planned for release in May this year and a contract to be awarded in November. It would affect 54 communities including Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
“AUPE subsequently filed a complaint with the Alberta Labour Relations Board asserting that AHS was engaging in unfair labour practices.,” said Kerry Williamson, spokesperson for AHS.
On Aug. 28 the labour board dismissed the complaint.
AUPE had argued that during a bargaining period with AHS it gave notice of contracting out the remaining laundry services and that this constituted bargaining in bad faith.
During the hearing by the labour relations board, AHS intimated the proposals process would not start before Sept. 1, 2020.
AHS did not respond to a question from the News about whether that process has begun or when it will begin.
“Now that the complaint has been resolved, we will work with AUPE on next steps,” said Williamson.
The Ernst & Young review of AHS, released at the end of 2019, stated that AHS already outsourced 68 per cent of linen services and there were six AHS regional processing plants and 44 dedicated on-site facilities.
The E&Y document also stated that addressing aging infrastructure and equipment would require an investment of more than $200 million.
During the labour relations board hearing it was agreed AHS would disclose potential impacts on employees and the anticipated time frame for the initiative. The parties would also discuss reasonable alternatives to maximize retention of employees affected, including potential retraining or redeployment opportunities.
