Labour Relations and Health Reform

KURT WETZEL is a Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He has been a researcher, teacher, consultant, arbitrator, local union activist and president of the Canadian Industrial Relations Association. Wetzel has written a variety of articles largely focused on public sector collective bargaining.

Over the past 25 years, governments that operate publicly-funded health care systems have endeavoured to modernize service delivery and to control health spending. This has occasioned high profile efforts to reform and restructure previously stable health systems. Health reform can have enormous consequences for workers and their unions.Over the past 25 years, governments that operate publicly-funded health care systems have endeavoured to modernize service delivery and to control health spending. This has occasioned high profile efforts to reform and restructure previously stable health systems. Health organizations are typically complex, labour intensive and unionized. Health reform can have enormous consequences for workers and their unions. Governments' ideologies determine the nature of reform initiatives. This book examines the experiences of five jurisdictions - Great Britain, New Zealand, New South Wales, Saskatchewan and Alberta.