Staff in Red Deer Group Home For Disabled Albertans Goes Union Seeking a Livable Wage - in Alberta of all Places

I see 400 residential staff working in 40 group homes in Red Der has decided to join AUPE to try an get a liveable wage and benefits for their labours. This is one of the natural consequences of putting people who care for our most vulnerable citizens in penury. I can understand the frustration that leads to this kind of action.

As a Progressive Conservative I can't understand why government has not addressed this issue more effectively. The absurdity of this situation is that GOA will be paying these "union wages" anyway if these not-for-profit community based agencies fold because the problems of the developmentally disabled in Alberta will not go away. They will just become a primary function of government and will be handled inside government. Not an optimal solution and ther are no cost savings that way either.

There are other alternatives are for the community based not-for profits who do this work on behalf of Albertans through our government. One is to close up shop and let the government take on the entire task of caring for developmentally disabled Albertans. The other is to pay staff what they deserve and cut back programs to meet the budget limits imposed by the poor funding models imposed by the government.

The better alternative is to increase the grants with some flexibility so the community based not-for-profit can pay their staff at the same level as government employees who are doing the same work. The current discrepancies are breathtaking.

A recent consultant report on compensation comparisons by the HayGroup indicates just to equalize current staff, not the recruit to vacancies or pay same benefits would require an injection of $182,000,000 of new funds.

Last year the GOA put in $36m of new money in three different tranches. The February Budget added $10.5M to base but some agencies have not yet sween those funds trickle through the system (such as it is) to the copmmunity agencies so they can pay it to staff. It has been a year for cripes sakes! Another $10.5 m was added mid year and more recently ther was $15m added. These are small band aids and put out as one time “bonuses” that only adds to the uncertainty and frustration of staff. There needs to be systemic change here not a bunch of patch jobs.

The agency staffs that are still on the job throughout Alberta are spread too thin due to staff shortages and vacancies where no recruits are coming to fill. There are annual staff turnover rates in the 45-65% range all over the province. That is a set of circumstances when mistakes happen. These employment conditions are a breeding ground for errors and omissions. Government policy makers and officials have to be actively concerned that there is a real and present danger of serious risk to both clients and staff. This simply cannot be allowed to continue in a civilized society and not one as “wealthy” as Alberta.

Full disclosure, I have been working with the Alberta Council of Disability Services for a while now on their relationship with the Alberta government and now on wages and contract issues. This is not just another project for me. This is now a personal calling for me because of how ridiculous the current state of affairs has become and how grossly unfair it is to staff and clients.

Read the ACDS policy briefing to government for some context. Then read the HayGroup backgrounder for a sense of the magnitude of the problem. Then contact all the candidates from every political party running in your constituency. Let them know, as a citizen who cares for the most vulnerable in our society, that you want this situation rectified immediately.

The problem is well known and the solution is obvious. It takes political will to fix it. It is election time. I can assure you they will listen. If enough people make the point and connect directly with the candidates, I can assure changes will happen.

PC Parks Policy Great for Edmonton But Could Have More New Parks and a Focus on Wildlife Habitat

Great to see Ed Stelmach put up $50m to kick start the River Valley Alliance Park in the Edmonton region. This is a magnificent project that will help ring the regional consciousness together. A large urban park is a welcome addition to the Capital Region and a plus for Edmonton.

The rest of the parks policy is pretty vague when it states a renewing our commitment to Alberta Provincial Parks. What does that mean? Conservation is only mentioned in terms of land banking public lands and selling “surplus” urban lands for conservation. What examples are being considered to meet these objectives? Are we talking large land masses being preserved to offset the impact of the oil sands development? What constitutes conservation? Is it and activitist habitat protection for flora and fauna? That is want is needed.

Ensuring eastern slope protection by updated regulations for industry and recreation use is fine but what about wildlife habitat protection too. The way things are going the dirty little secret is extensive human development on the landscape is about to extinguish up to three of our caribou herds and is really threaten the survival of grizzly bears all over the province. We need to be very proactive in matters of habitat protection and this policy is pretty vague and almost silent about this growing concern.

I have been working with a diverse group of interest groups for a few months now to establish the Andy Russell Park on the north end of Waterton Lakes National Park. This park proposal has support from the local municipalities, stakeholders and Shell Oil, who hold energy leases in the region, has also warmed to this park proposal. Many letters have already been sent to you Mr. Premier, and more are coming, to confirm this support for the Andy Russell Park.

I know this as a result of the exposure I have had and the “education” I have received about the current state of parks and parks policy in Alberta. There is such opportunity during this election campaign to release the long over due Alberta Plan for Parks. There could have been the announcement and the establishment of up to three new parks – Andy Russell, Bighorn Country and Mountain Park. All three parks have already been recommended by previous hearings or review processes and they are known to be key for endangered species recovery and protecting water sources.

The conservation commitment in this announcement did well to acknowledge the watershed concerns. It could have gone a step further and embraced a conservation concern for wildlife habitat too. To sign, seal and deliver the three new parks that have been approved and awaiting confirmation. That would be a positive step and a great example of forward thinking about the future generations of Albertans too.

Good work on the River Valley Alliance Park announcement Mr. Premier. With a bit more focus and without stretching the budget or launching into any new territory, a bold new approach could have and should have be taken on a provincial parks policy. It is not too late to clarify the habitat issue and to confirm the three new parks as a reality during this election campaign Ed.

Alberta: Get Rich or Die Trying Meets the Rhino Party

I have run across two great sites, one is a Blogger and the other is a "political party."

The Rhinos are more party types than political types. They are always a clever and cutting.

They are a lateral thinkers diversion from the blowdryer shrink wrap political culture the traditional political consultants and media specialists produce. Kind of like reading a "horror-scope" for the future of Alberta that is funny... and strangely profound at times. Or is that just me?

The Blogger is "Alberta: Get Rich or Die Trying" is a sharp, witty, topical and thoughtful read. I recommend you visit him/her often.

Concerned Christians Canada Are Allegedly Launching a Human Rights Complaint for Mr. Chandler

Misguided and mistaken is about the kindest things one can say about the report of the “Concerned Christians Canada” allegedly filing a human rights complaint against Ed Stelmach and the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta.

This complaint is over the party’s rejection of Mr. Chandler as a candidate in Calgary Egmont is not the stuff for an effective human rights decision for reasons well articulated by others. That said, this initiative is more tactical than anything else. These folks don’t like human rights commissions at all and launching this complaint will be used as a means to argue against them as much as it will be about the PC Party.

So let in the clowns and let's get on with the circus.

Wildrose Alliance Platform Reads Like it Came From the Rhinos

I was delighted to hear the Rhinoceros Party had resurrected itself and was ascending into the heavenly realm of Alberta politics. I have been waiting and waiting with baited and bad breath for their platform to be released. Finally it has arrived…under the guise of the platform of the Wildrose Alliance Party.

It has some of the best fuzziness, obfuscation and irrelevance to be found in Alberta politics today. Read it yourself but I was drawn to the “Social Policy” platform and here are some of my Favs:

A Wildrose Alliance Government will collaborate with non-profit societies and commit adequate funding for emergency residences to ensure that all children and victims of violence have a decent bed to sleep in and good food to eat. NOTHING TO IT - A WARM BED AND A SQUARE MEAN AND THE DOMETIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM IS SOLVED!!

A Wildrose Alliance Government will oppose all acts of family violence particularly acts against children by establishing a child'­s defense agency which will protect children from reprehensible acts. YES – IF WE MERELY OPPOSE FAMILY VIOLENCE IT WILL GO AWAY –RIGHT?

A Wildrose Alliance Government will offer to negotiate a delegated municipal style of self-government with any First Nation that wants to move beyond the Indian Act.
A Wildrose Alliance Government will recognize the precedence of the authority of the Provincial Government over the authority of a municipal style government. TAKEN TOGETHER SHOWS THE WAP DOES NOT KNOW ITS PLACE. PROVINCES ARE CREATURES OF STATUTE TOO…READ THE ALBERTA ACT. FIRST NATIONS HAVE SIGNED DEALS DIRECTLY WITH THE QUEEN – THEY ARE CALLED TREATIES AND THEY CARRY MORE LEGISLATIVE MUSCLE THAN ANYTHING ANY PROVINCE CAN DO.

A Wildrose Alliance Government will have as a goal the elimination of homelessness in Alberta within its first term of office. THIS IS TOO CLOSE TO A RHINO–LIKE PLATFORM PLANK TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

There is more and I am sure some planks have some precision and merit but I am still looking. The WAP election platform proves once again that for every complex problem there is a simple answer that is WRONG!

It was embarrassing when Daveberta allegedly absconded with Ed Stelmach’s personality in the Domain-Name-Gate. But the WAP policy looks like it has been seriously infiltrated by the Rank and ‘Philes of the Rhinos.

To be fair the WAP has some merging pains and is floundering having recently lost its first President coming from the "Wildrose" side of the merger. He resigned for reasons that are still unclear. The "merged" party website mAy give a clue however. It is the "Alberta Alliance" and Wildrose is not part of the "MERGED" party's website name. Strange. Could this JUST be a Rhino astroturf site afterall?

Coming up with a pretty comprehensive set of policy platform themes under the circumstances and time constraints the WAP has faced has to be given some acknowledgement and credence. As for the policy being thought through and executable – it is not. Sorry WAPPERS - no points for effort and merely hoping complex problems will be solved is not a plan for Alberta.