CHAT NEWS TODAY

By The Canadian Press

no deal

Alberta physicians reject new master agreement with province

Mar 31, 2021 | 8:53 AM

EDMONTON — Alberta doctors have rejected a proposed new master agreement aimed at resolving a year’s worth of acrimony over pay and working conditions with the provincial government.

The Alberta Medical Association says 53 per cent of physicians rejected the deal while 47 per cent supported it.

AMA President Dr. Paul Boucher says they need to find out why so many physicians voted no.

““While this result is disappointing, it does not erase the meaningful collaboration and mutual understanding that was gained throughout this process,” Health Minister Tyler Shandro said in a statement.

“The momentum gained over the past few months will not be lost. Our government will seek to further renew our relationship with the AMA in the weeks and months to come as we work together to ensure Albertans continue to benefit from quality health care.”

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The Alberta Medical Association represents 11,000 physicians.

The two sides have been butting heads since early 2020 after Shandro unilaterally cancelled the master agreement with the association.

He also implemented new fees that doctors called heavy-handed, unfair, and liable to force some family practices to close.

In response, doctors began withdrawing services and the association sued the province.

The two sides eventually returned to the table and hammered out a tentative agreement that was presented to members on February 26 to vote on.

The NDP Opposition says the collapse of an agreement with doctors shows it’s time Shandro is fired as health minister.

NDP health critic David Shepherd says members of the Alberta Medical Association rejected the proposed deal because of the “abusive behaviour” of Shandro and his ministry toward physicians over the last year.

Shepherd says he has heard from doctors that a key deal-breaker was a proposal that would have resulted in the association giving up the right to third-party arbitration.

He says doctors told him they could not accept losing arbitration rights, which would give the final say on all disputes to a minister they do not trust.