By Jim Selby, AFL staff

[Edmonton] Lance White, the Liberal MLA from Edmonton-Calder, thinks that the one government argument that makes sense in the debate over private hospitals is that these entrepreneurs would not be paying union wages.

He was quoted in the May 9th Hansard as saying:

"There is one argument (from the government), however, that does hold some water … and that is that any private-sector operator would not be paying union wages to the staff. Now that’s the upside. The downside is that to get good staff, you have to pay them, and the going rate in the union rate."

Alberta Federation of Labour President Audrey Cormack disagrees. "Just ask any of Alberta’s health care workers if being in a union and getting union wages is a downside?" asked Cormack.

"The truth of the matter, as graphically demonstrated by the recent job actions of health care workers, is that health care workers would join a union and fight for union wages whether the employer was public or private," said Cormack. "Privatization would hinder health care workers a bit, bit it would never stop their struggle for fair wages and working conditions."

The Alberta Federation of Labour has sent a letter of protest to Liberal Leader Nancy MacBeth asking that White be required to clarify his position on unions and union wages, and asking for the official Liberal position on health care unions and the ro;le of the labour movement in the economy generally.