One of Canada’s largest labour unions has organized a series of protests related to ongoing issues impacting the healthcare plans of public servants.
A news release by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) stated that it will hold rallies over the next few weeks to demand the federal government look into Canada Life’s handling of the Public Service Health Care Plan.
The union said it would be holding demonstrations on what it referred to as the “Canada Life fiasco” outside of MPs’ offices, Canada Life offices, and federal buildings. Rallies scheduled for next week will occur across various cities, including Toronto, Yellowknife, Kingston, and London.
Canada Life took charge of the administration of the plan in July. Since then, plan members have reported difficulties with contacting customer support hotlines and receiving claims reimbursements.
PSAC national president Chris Aylward likened the situation to the Phoenix pay system, which still has a backlog of over 242,000 pay issues.
“This government clearly hasn’t learned the lessons from the Phoenix pay disaster,” said Aylward. “It is unacceptable that they have mismanaged such a vital service for workers who continue to be burned by Phoenix.”
Aylward also recounted “horror stories” from the union’s members, stating that there have been instances where workers were unable to “get their life-saving medication.” Some have had to take on debt to pay out of pocket “as they wait months for Canada Life to approve their claims.”
“This government needs to hold Canada Life accountable to quickly hire and train staff to reduce wait times and work through the backlog of claims,” said Aylward. “Workers can’t afford another fiasco.”
PSAC represents nearly 230,000 members, many working for federal government departments, agencies, and Crown Corporations.
Last month, some 50 members of the Union of Taxation Employees gathered outside of Canada Life’s Ottawa office to voice similar concerns about the administration of the Public Service Health Care Plan.
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