Quote:
Originally Posted by crazy_eoj
This is totally untrue. You can increase productivity and ensure you are getting value for your dollars.
Unit labour costs are not a fixed variable. Saskatchewan and BC, our closest neighbors with very similar wage standards to Alberta, seem to have much higher productivity on these metrics.
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Saskatchewan nurses make nearly identical to what Alberta Nurses make, an in many cases actually make more in comparison to Alberta nurses. Even then it isn't the salaries themselves that are causing the higher numbers it is the overtime associated with being continually short staffed, high sick time, the filling of lines with part time employees rather than full time lines and just the stresses of the job (and it is a stressful job)... all of which leads to the requirement for overtime, which is of course, quite expensive. The healthcare system is an area that has to operate 365 days a year, days and nights, which need to be staffed. I know that I don't make a low salary by any stretch, but I also know that at the end of a 12 hour shift, in which I have seen patient's die, cleaned up more human excrement (and other bodily fluids), been punched and yelled/sworn at, continually monitored the patients while dealing with difficult family members, performed all the daily tasks for a number of patient's from bathing and hygiene to mobilization, and safely administered medications to patient's according to their clinical status - in general keeping your loved ones alive and caring for them to the best of my abilities, I feel as though I am entitled to an above average salary.
I understand that everyone has difficult jobs, but at the same time, I don't feel as though my salary is unreasonable and it isn't what is putting this province into the poor house. A history of poor taxation policy from an electorate that is so adverse to any form taxation due to ideological beliefs.