‘Paying to work’: health workers clap back against staff parking cost increases
A new petition is calling for all of Alberta’s health and hospital workers to be exempt from parking payment rules inside health facilities.
It comes after a recent staff parking cost increase has upset hundreds of Alberta Health Services (AHS) employees.
“Now we’re paying $15 a day just to work, which is kind of ridiculous to me,” petition creator Nicola Mulder said. “And a lot of us here are not happy with that.”
Mulder works as a nurse at Foothills Medical Centre.
She says many of her coworkers are upset about the bump, which resulted in an increase of about 3.3 per cent.
They believe they shouldn’t have to pay anything for parking as they work to save lives.
And for many just like Mulder, transportation alternatives like transit aren’t always an option with unusual shift hours.
“Most of us nurses or other workers, we have to pull 16 hour shifts or get mandated to stay, and then we completely forget about parking,” she told CTV News. “So we end up getting a ticket on top of paying $15, which isn’t great.”
Mulder believes patients shouldn’t be forced to pay, either. Her union VP agrees.
“Health care shouldn’t be about making money off your clients or your staff,” AUPE’s Bonnie Gostola said. “This is not how we should be doing business.”
BUSINESS DECISION: AHS
But the decision, according to the Health Minister, is entirely rooted in business.
“Inflation is hitting Alberta Health Services as well in maintaining those parkades and in making sure they’re able to build new ones as the need arises,” Adriana Lagrange said.
An internal staff memos adds that the “increases are necessary to ensure the safety and long-term sustainability of AHS parking,” which is required to be financially self-sustaining.
But Mulder argues at $15 a vehicle, the frequently-full lots are pulling in enough money as is.
She calls it a cash grab — as does her union, which says the issue could come up in the next round of contract bargaining.
But changes without threats don’t seem likely. In fact, AHS has pledged to review parking rates annually to ensure “they are aligned with local markets.”
It says adjustments will be made “as needed.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
BREAKING Jury deliberations begin in Donald Trump's hush money criminal case
Jury deliberations began Wednesday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, putting the outcome of the historic case in the hands of a dozen New Yorkers who have vowed to be fair and impartial in the face of their unprecedented task.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'Scandals and secrets': On board the world's most exclusive private residential ship
It’s a floating city exclusively home to the 1 per cent, a playground for multimillionaires and billionaires that circumnavigates the world's oceans.
What weather experts say to expect this summer in Canada
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
Canada announces $11B for military aircraft training
Canada has announced an $11.2-billion contract to improve training platforms for the military, including the purchase of 70 training aircraft for the Future Aircrew Training program.
CNN exclusive: A federal grand jury may soon hear from Sean 'Diddy' Combs' accusers
Federal investigators are preparing to bring accusers of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs before a federal grand jury, two sources familiar with the probe tell CNN — signaling the U.S. Justice Department is moving toward potentially seeking an indictment of Combs.
In bizarre provocation, North Korea flies trash, manure balloons over the South
North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.