Premier Jason Kenney implored to seek military backup as Alberta health-care system crumbles
CBC
With Alberta's health-care system "collapsing right in front of our eyes," the leaders of four unions representing thousands of health-care workers are calling on Premier Jason Kenney to ask for help from the military and Red Cross.
"There are no more nurses in our province who can be deployed. There are no more paramedics. There are no more respiratory therapists. There are no more support staff," states the Sept. 18 letter to Kenney, which implores him to make a formal request for help from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"The tank is empty. The well is dry."
With Alberta's COVID-19 cases rapidly rising, Kenney must ask the federal government to "immediately deploy the military, the Red Cross and all available medical staffing resources from other provinces to assist our province's overwhelmed hospitals," states the letter.
It is signed by the presidents of four unions representing health-care workers — United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) and CUPE Alberta — as well by Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL).
The letter, copied to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley, notes that under the Constitution, the Canadian government cannot intervene without a formal request coming from the province.
"They cannot act unless you ask them to act," it states. "So please, on behalf of our beleaguered members on the front-line of this crisis, and on behalf of all Albertans, we are officially asking you to request help from the federal government."