30,000 signatures to save Alberta Hospital Edmonton land in the Legislature
EDMONTON – Public pressure to stop the closing of 246 beds at Alberta Hospital Edmonton ramped up this week with more than 30,000 signatures in support of the ongoing operation of all programs at the hospital being presented in the Legislature.
“We are extremely proud of all of our members and all those Albertans who aren’t union members, but nonetheless volunteered their time and energy to collect signatures in opposition to the government’s plan to close beds at Alberta Hospital Edmonton,” said AUPE President Guy Smith.
“The majority of signatures have come from the Capital Region, but it is no exaggeration to say signatures have come from every corner of the province,” he added.
The petition asks the legislative assembly to urge the government “to redevelop Alberta Hospital Edmonton as necessary in order to maintain all service, programs, and beds operating as of Sept. 1, 2009 at Alberta Hospital Edmonton.”
Members of the legislative assembly from all parties have agreed to table petitions in the closing days of the fall sitting.
Progressive Conservative Education Minister David Hancock will table approximately 5,000 signatures in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Nov. 25, while another 10,000 signatures remain to be submitted by Wildrose Alliance MLA Paul Hinman and independent MLA Guy Boutilier.
Members of the Alberta Liberal Opposition and Alberta’s NDP began tabling thousands of the signatures collected by Albertans in the Edmonton area and across the province last Thursday and will continue to do so through the remainder of the fall sitting of the Legislature.
Smith and a group of 16 AUPE members from Alberta Hospital Edmonton, the University of Alberta Hospital, and the Fort Saskatchewan Health Centre were introduced to the Legislature by NDP MLA Rachel Notley on Nov. 19 and observed the tabling of petitions to the assembly.
Another group of eight AUPE members from Alberta Hospital Edmonton were introduced to the Legislature by Liberal MLA Kevin Taft on Monday Nov. 23 and again observed petitions being tabled.
More members employed at Alberta Hospital Edmonton will be attending the Legislature on Wednesday to be introduced by Hancock and see several thousand more petitions tabled.
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