Yukon hospital staff may face relocation, states letter to employees

A letter sent last month by the Yukon Hospital Corporation (YHC) to employees states that they may be forced to work at different facilities, without explaining why the notice was sent out.

"In extenuating circumstances, we may have no alternative but to mandate employees to work outside of their headquarters area to avoid the curtailing of services," the letter states.

Dated Sept. 6, it's addressed to members of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) union.

CBC News obtained the letter through an access to information request.

To avoid forcing people to work elsewhere, the letter states, the corporation will first look for volunteers. If that doesn't work, the appropriate junior employees will be given marching orders.

The corporation has hospitals in Dawson City, Watson Lake and Whitehorse.

Why now?

The letter doesn't explicitly explain why the corporation is informing its employees about this now.

The letter describes the recruitment of healthcare professionals in the region as a "challenge." Also, the corporation is "challenged at certain times to maintain levels and continuity of services across YHC," it reads.

The letter is signed by Stefanie Ralph, executive director of patient experience, and James Low, director of people services and culture.

On Sept. 9, CBC News requested an interview through Matt Davidson, manager of communications for the corporation, but the request was declined citing a lack of "need for an interview."

"Nothing in our collective agreement has ever precluded Yukon Hospitals from mandating an employee to work in a different headquarters area," Davidson stated in an email.

Davidson acknowledged that "mandating an employee to work in a different headquarters area would cause significant disruption," but said supports were in place in light of that.

Employees who do move, regardless of whether they volunteered or were forced, will get "benefits" that include "as much notification as possible and appropriate orientation to the new facility and/or equipment," "applicable travel benefits," and $3.25 added to each hour of pay earned in the different location.

An email obtained through the same access to information request sent by Davidson to Jason Bilsky, the corporation's CEO, among others, discussed the reasoning behind denying an interview on the matter.

"Given that this agreement was part of collective bargaining, I'm not sure we should discuss it publicly beyond a few general/high level statements," Davidson said in the email.

He also said there was a chance that some PIPSC members weren't yet aware of the letter's contents at that point.

"We should also be cautious if/when speaking publicly because I don't think all PIPSC members who work in different locations receive the benefits," Davidson wrote.

A document attached to the email states: "There is no immediate need to mandate employees to work outside their headquarters area."

But that sentence was not included or otherwise conveyed to CBC News outside the access to information request.

Union response

CBC News asked PIPSC's local branch for a response on Sept. 9, 2019, and was referred to the union's communications team in Ottawa.

"From what I understand this morning, our union does not have the information to comment at this stage," Johanne Fillion, a spokesperson for the union, said in an email.

Fillion did not respond to a more recent request for a follow-up interview.

A recent request for another interview with the Yukon Hospital Corporation was also declined.

"Nothing to add," Davidson stated.