Here's a letter to the Edmonton Journal, calling AUPE out on their false claim of "helping" Artspace and others keep their home care support services.
Edmonton Journal June 30, 2014 7:40 AM
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees has added insult to injury in its treatment of Albertans with disabilities who are striving to maintain their independence.
On Monday, June 16, Larry Pempeit, founder and president of Creekside Support Services, was inducted into the city’s Hall of Fame for decades of dedicated work to create opportunities for Edmontonians with disabilities to live independently in the community and direct their own home-care (read: personal care) services. Fittingly, Mr. Pempeit’s induction ceremony was held on the first anniversary of a meeting with then-premier Alison Redford that led to the reinstatement of home-care contracts for three user-run providers in Edmonton: Creekside, Abbey Road and Artspace. Incidentally, this victory was brought about through the heroic efforts of AUPE.
Say what?
According to a recent statement posted to the AUPE’s website by negotiator Kevin Davediuk, “The independent model of care at SAIL Inc. (Supports for Artspace Independent Living) is something AUPE successfully defended last summer when Alberta Health Services tried to restructure the care model.”
Is that so? Funnily enough, I’m one of the disability advocates who worked day and night last spring in a desperate bid to save our right to live independently in the community and direct our own care; I can’t recall the AUPE offering us their support in any way, shape or form. Ever.
Now for a reality check: AUPE is currently engaged in a bitter labour dispute with SAIL, a user-run, not-for-profit provider of home care. Although I’m not directly involved in this conflict as I do not live at Artspace, as a person with disabilities who also requires home-care services, I am utterly appalled at AUPE’s attempts to take credit for a victory they had no part in whatsoever. Attempting to portray itself as a great defender of independent living for people with disabilities becomes all the more ironic and insulting given the intransigence and picket-line bullying tactics that have characterized AUPE’s behaviour throughout this dispute. AUPE is actually jeopardizing the continued viability of the very independent living model they claim to have so valiantly defended a year ago.
Shame on you, AUPE.
Heidi Janz, adjunct professor, John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, University of Alberta
Updated:
Following is a quote taken from an article on AUPE's website dated June 11, 2013. This is their idea of support:
"“We are advising Artspace staff to take new employment as soon as possible, at the highest rate they can find. We are in a new era of health care where AHS is treating care as a commodity, so it is appropriate for staff to take whatever opportunity they can, at the best rate they can find,” said AUPE Negotiator Kevin Davediuk."
Updated: AUPE was very quick to respond to the above letter.
Re: “Slap in the face for disability advocates,” Letters, Heidi Janz, June 30
Contrary to Ms. Janz’s claim in her letter, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees did indeed defend the model of care at Artspace in public statements opposing Alberta Health Services’ plan to cancel home-care contracts and hand them over to a handful of corporations.
We do not wish and never intended to diminish the work of others on this issue, as implied by Ms. Janz.
It is a shame she is now disrespecting the very employees whom Artspace sought to retain last year, and diminishing the work of the numerous campaigns AUPE members have conducted in defence of public services for Albertans living with disabilities, including efforts to keep Michener Centre open and past campaigns to defend Alberta Hospital Edmonton from being closed.
Karen Weiers, vice-president, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
Rather cheeky of them to first claim credit for the hard work of people like Janz, then throw out... hmmm. Let's see; strawman, red herring and ad hominem, all in two paragraphs.
One member commented this way:
I'm positive our fight was more about saving the program and less about those specific employees; regardless, those employees seem to think that their current behaviour will get them back on the job, and yet it's having the opposite effect. And it's too bad
Updated:
From a Friend of SAIL:
Heidi is 'questioning' how AUPE can support keeping the Michener Centre open and keeping the disabled residents in that institution...while at the same time saying the union promotes independence, through their 'all talk, no action' support consumer-directed home care at Artspace. Just wanted to spell it out for folks who haven't been following the story if the AUPE strike at Artspace Housing Co-op
Oops.
This point would be missed by anyone who doesn't know that Michener Centre is an institution. However, AUPE justifies picketing at our private home by re-classifying it - for their own uses - as an institution, rather than as independent, private, homes.
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