National President of the Union of Veterans' Affairs Employees, Virginia Vaillancourt, poses for a photo in Ottawa, on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. A union representing workers at Veterans Affairs Canada is calling the rehabilitation services contract a failure six months after it was implemented. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
OTTAWA – A union representing workers at Veterans Affairs Canada says a deal to privatize rehabilitation services has been a failure.
The $570-million contract with Lifemark Health Group and WCG International Consultants was supposed to take the strain off case managers and help veterans access services.
But the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees has given the deal a failing grade in a new report card, issued six months after the contract kicked in.
It says instead of streamlined services, case managers are dealing with more paperwork.
The report card says only the least complex files have actually been transferred and delays in getting started have led to backlogs for veterans.
The union is pointing the finger at a lack of training in Veterans Affairs Canada’s guidelines, as well as a lack of understanding of what the clients need.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2023.
