The Yukon Government sign outside of the Jim Smith building. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – Meetings between healthcare worker unions and the Yukon Government, a key measure outlined in an April 24th Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aim to provide stability and representation during the Health Authority Transition with the three political parties vying for credit in reaching the agreement.
On Wednesday, April 24th, the agreement was reached between unions representing healthcare workers, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), and the Yukon Government alongside the Yukon Hospital Corporation (YHC).
The agreement stipulates monthly meetings between unions representing healthcare workers and the territorial government. Yukon Federation of Labour President Teresa Acheson, says that the agreement also addresses a range of issues related to collective bargaining, worker transfers, benefits, and pensions and aims to increase job security.
“I used to work in recreation and up at the Canada Game Center and I remember I had a manager who said to me, ‘Without the staff, it’s just an empty building.’ The same thing in health care, without our healthcare workers, you don’t have health care for the people living in the Yukon,” said Acheson. “It’ll be a stronger and more successful health authority when you have workers as part of this path forward.”
The signing of the MoU comes as the Health Authority Act makes its way through the Legislature, with previous concerns voiced over clauses regarding union and worker representation.
Following the signing, the Yukon NDP took credit for spearheading negotiations and advocating for workers’ interests. Various signatories highlighted the collaborative work taken, with Kate White, leader of the Yukon NDP, saying that this is a, “win for healthcare workers in the Yukon.”
The Yukon Government says the Yukon NDP downplayed the important work of others including the Health Transformation Advisory Committee and the Chiefs Committee on Health. They also said Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee highlighted Canada Labour Code successorship rights that spell out union representation even without an MoU.
Shortly after the Yukon Party said their proposed amendments to the Health Authority Act, on April 16th, pushed the Yukon Government to engage with unions. Health and Social Services Critic Brad Cathers criticized the territorial government for a perceived lack of engagement with healthcare professionals.
YFL president Teresa Acheson says the agreement is thanks to Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee and both of the opposition parties.
“Unions have already been speaking up for the issues that we see in our health care in the Yukon, with missing services, in our communities, missing services to our First Nations. I think [healthcare] is going to be stronger moving forward now that this MoU is in place. We’ll see where the promises are now kept by our Liberal government with this new Health Authority.
