I was asked by AMA @Albertadoctors and the @AB_leg to keep offline about our tentative MD agreement vote for the last weeks and so I have. But I want to be clear now about why I voted against it. It was absolutely not a financial decision. 1/7
My biggest fear was optics that would have looked in alignment with a mandate towards privatizing health services. These corporations (Telus, Amazon) may not even be AB-based docs but take from our health budget needed to serve Albertans and ensure sustainable medical homes. 2/7
No guarantee of contribution to policy decisions. Binding arbitration wasn't on the table. This sets a precedent for other unions and it's critically important to stand in solidarity with all public sector workers. We are privileged to withstand storms, but others are not. 3/7
Not that economics weren’t a factor. With no promise to improve the situation of family medicine, from government nor the AMA. The $200M “surplus” came out of our pockets without a mechanism to make our job sustainable going forward. Many friends have left AB or offices..4/7
The scariest stipulation was the concept of “withholds” which meant they would stop paying us when the budget runs out. And starting with “low value” work, which they reassure isn’t GP but certainly the last year has told us a different story. Patient care would suffer. 5/7
There are many other reasons – dropping the lawsuit – no protection of freedom of mobility – nothing incenting students to stay – potential conflicts of interest by those negotiating (interestingly, not the negotiating committee but a group of older, networked white men) 6/7
Some equated it to an abusive relationship. I've been feeling those trapped, despairing emotions. We’ve been told cruel things about us in the toughest year of our jobs, and had nothing but vitriol and obstruction until this past month. Like the cycle of abuse. So we said no. 7/7
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