AHS facing class-action lawsuit alleging workplace standards violations since 2013
Alberta Health Services is being sued by a group of staff that claim the agency violated provincial employment standards for nearly a decade.
Clinical assistants (CAs) and clinical surgical assistants (CSAs) in the province say AHS has been overworking and underpaying them since 2013.
Clinical assistants, as defined by AHS, work with physicians to provide "acute care coverage" in a variety of medical settings. For CSA's, this includes surgical assistance and pre- and post-operative care.
Kahane Law Office has filed a class action lawsuit against AHS on behalf of hundreds of those workers.
The group is seeking $125 million in damages, claiming AHS violated the Employee Standards Code regarding overtime payments, rest periods and 12-hour work shift lengths.
"Since joining Alberta Health Services in 2017, I’ve routinely worked shifts lasting up to 24 hours, including during weekends and holidays," said Mena Salamh, a plaintiff in the suit. "What we are seeking is proper compensation for the time we have already worked."
The lawsuit claims AHS also failed to provide legislated breaks and violated overtime pay rules.
According to the suit, AHS told CAs and SCAs between 2013 and 2022 that they were exempt from receiving overtime pay.
When that decision was reversed in 2022, Kahane Law said the group was offered a retroactive lump-sum overtime payment. However that payment only went back four months and included a cap on hours.
"As the largest employer in Alberta, Alberta Health Services must know they continue to be in contravention of the law by denying these hard-working medical professionals fair pay and a safe working environment," said Ariel Breitman, lead counsel for the plaintiffs.
An amended statement of claim was filed on April 26. As of Wednesday, there were around 228 active class members.
CTV News Edmonton has reached out to AHS.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
BREAKING Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery
Canada's top court has affirmed the constitutionality of a law that would allow British Columbia to pursue a class-action lawsuit against opioid providers on behalf of other provinces, the territories and the federal government.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Irregular sleep patterns may raise risk of heart attack and stroke, study suggests
Sleeping and waking up at different times is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, even for people who get the recommended amount of sleep, according to new research.
Real GDP per capita declines for 6th consecutive quarter, household savings rise
Statistics Canada says the economy grew at an annualized pace of one per cent during the third quarter, in line with economists' expectations.
Nick Cannon says he's seeking help for narcissistic personality disorder
Nick Cannon has spoken out about his recent diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, saying 'I need help.'
California man who went missing for 25 years found after sister sees his picture in the news
It’s a Thanksgiving miracle for one California family after a man who went missing in 1999 was found 25 years later when his sister saw a photo of him in an online article, authorities said.
As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention
As Australia moves to ban social media for children under 16, Quebec is debating whether to follow suit.