Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Apr 08/02) - An agreement was signed last week to move the hospital in Hay River under the GNWT umbrella.

Health and Social Services Minister Michael Miltenberger was on hand for the April 2 signing.

Miltenberger said last week that, while the GNWT owned the hospital, it provided funding to the town, which passed it on to the Hay River Community Health Board.

With the termination agreement to the previous arrangement, the money will go straight to the board.

The workers also become GNWT employees.

The change will not affect service delivery, nor is it a cost-cutting move, Miltenberger said: "It's business as usual."

The move is part of system-wide reform of health care.

The agreement also means employees of the local health board become members of the Union of Northern Workers.

Vivian Stevely, the president of PSAC Local NT001, said the workers are concerned about becoming GNWT employees and UNW members, noting contracting out is among their worries.

"We're going to be very watchful in the next year to see if there are any job losses or other changes," she said.

Miltenberger said he does not see any cause for concern, explaining that contracting out is in the collective agreement with the UNW.

"The intent is not to do that," he said, pointing out that such a decision would be taken at the community and board level.

It was only in September 2001 that the roughly 160 workers voted to leave the UNW and become a directly chartered local of PSAC, said Stevely.

"The employees would have preferred to stay separate."