The thoughts of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE) and its members are with the community and in particular are with the 53 members who worked in Slave Lake.
Edmonton (27 May 2011) - The entire population of Slave Lake has been evacuated due to the devastation of the firestorm.
The thoughts of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE) and its members are with the community and in particular are with the 53 members who worked in Slave Lake. Detailed information is still limited, but at this point it is understood that the Alberta Health Services (AHS) will continue to pay members for at least five days. At this point, it is uncertain when, or if, these members will be able to return to work, as damage to the hospital and other buildings is assessed.
It is also not known how many members lost their homes to the fires.
At this point, all members, and members of the public, are urged to give generously to the Red Cross or other legitimate charity that is assisting the evacuees.
As a result of the evacuation, HSAA/NUPGE may have difficulty contacting the members, so members are urged to use their networks to get this information out, as calling their union may not be their most urgent priority.
The HSAA board of directors decided to make available to each member from Slave Lake an unconditional grant of $1000 to assist with immediate expenses. Those members are urged to call the union office promptly.
In addition, the Membership Assistance Fund can provide grants of up to $2000 per eligible member and the union is commited to expediting applications.
Of course HSAA/NUPGE also stands ready to assist with employment related needs and is in regular contact with the AHS.
If you are a member affected, please contact the union office for the above assistance and to ensure that your current contact information is on file so that the union can assist with employment related questions and issues.
HSAA/NUPGE wishes to thank the many volunteers, firefighters, emergency responders and everyone who has done their utmost to limit the damage in the face of staggering odds.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
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