Members protest plans to replace Outpatient Residence with for-profit hotel
EDMONTON – More than 200 protesters braved chilly conditions during an AUPE information picket today to turn up the heat on Capital Health Region officials who want to replace an outpatient residence facility with a for-profit hotel.
Picketers — including AUPE members, MLAs, the Raging Grannies and the public — marched outside of the University of Alberta Hospital’s Outpatient Residence, which provides basic accommodation to patients and their families at a cost of $25 per day.
“I want to thank every one of you for coming out and supporting this action against privatization,” AUPE President Dan MacLennan told the boisterous crowd.
The U of A Outpatient Residence is for families and patients receiving medical treatment from the U of A and Stollery Children’s hospitals, as well as the Cross Cancer Institute.
The facility has offered affordable service to patients and families for more than 20 years.
Once the new special purpose hotel is built, fees for residents are expected to increase substantially.
Under the Capital Health plan, the region would maintain ownership of the special purpose hotel, but it would be operated by a third party. The new facility is expected to be completed prior to 2008.
Photo: AUPE members Carol Carbol (centre) and Tonya Malo speak with Liberal MLA Rick Miller on the union’s Nov. 29 U of A Hospital Outpatient residence information picket.