Ok, looong thread here. Now we've all had a chance to get some of that feeling of hand-wringing, hopelessness, and anger out yesterday, it's time to get ourselves together and move forward against the UCP. Let's face it, there are more of us than there are of them.
I understand the temptation to pack up and leave Alberta is strong. That was my initial thought too, but that's what the UCP wants. They want those who are educated and have job skills that can transfer jurisdictions, easily, to leave.
Then they'll just be left with those who are supporters, those who won't fight, and those who can't leave. Now, as I'm saying this, if the UCP do win another majority, all bets are off. You can't fix stupid, as it were. But until then, we should fight.
There is a saying that revolutions are born of hope, not despair. The UCP is trying to crush the spirit of Albertans, so they feel defeated, don't feel that there's anything that they can do, and just give up. We can't let this happen. There are way more of us than them.
What the UCP is doing requires either active consent or acceptance. They cannot staff their private hospitals with robots. They will require doctors to work there. No doctor in this province should agree to work for one of these outfits.
Doing so may seem like it's not too bad, or it may be expedient, but actually you're harming yourself and your patients in the long term. Even if these companies seem nice now, they're just grooming, like a predator, and at some point the axe will fall.
They cannot import enough competent doctors to run this on a large scale if Canadian doctors refuse to participate. Likewise, if Albertans refuse to avail themselves of the services of these clinics. Those running them are not altruistic. They are looking for a profit.
If there's no profit, then these clinics aren't going to stick around. Also, from talking to some others, I think there are a lot of Albertans that don't really know or understand what's going on. The UCP's predations are not being covered in any meaningful way by the MSM.
We need to organise and put together what I'll call pamphlets (although I understand these days there are a lot of electronic ways to get messages out) that explain in clear, easy to understand language exactly what it going on, and what to do about it.
This applies, not just to what's happening to doctors, but to all facets of our medical system because they're not just coming for doctors, they're coming for everyone.
@Albertadoctors needs to coordinate with other health provider unions @UnitedNurses @HSAAlberta and @_AUPE_ (sorry if I forgot anyone), and come up with a joint strategy and messaging.
Also, these unions and @Albertadoctors need to coordinate with all the other Alberta unions, to create a joint strategy and messaging because the UCP is engaging in, or will engage in cuts to all other sectors, and attempt to crush other unions too.
I should have looked up other union handles before I started this thread, so hopefully someone else can do some filling in here. @albertateachers @_AUPE_ @gilmcgowan etc. all need to come together as a unified whole to fight what the UCP is doing.
A #GeneralStrike is probably what's going to be required. They will have to backtrack if the province shuts down. The UCP and their corporate sponsors cannot import enough workers fast enough to cover every industry.
The messaging must be prepared and spread so that the majority of Albertans lay the blame for a shutdown where it belongs, at the feet of the UCP. I think there are a lot of frustrated people out there who want to do something, but don't quite know what to do.
The situation we're facing here in Alberta is unprecedented, and to save our Province and the institutions that we hold dear, we're going to have to come together, and put aside our differences like never before. If we unite, we can beat them. @albertaNDP @Dave_Khan @RachelNotley
