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"Turpel-Lafond confirms unequivocally what our members have been saying. This is the wrong computer system for the work being done. It needs to replaced.” -Darryl Walker, BCGEU President.
Vancouver (27 July 2012) - The B.C. Government and Service Employees Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) is calling on the government to act on the recommendations of Representative for Children and Youth Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond concerning the deeply flawed Integrated Case Management (ICM) system. In a statement made on July 19, Turpel-Lafond says the government needs to act quickly, dramatically and transparently to fix the $180 million system.
“I want to thank our members who have worked very hard to make a bad computer system work,” says Darryl Walker BCGEU President. “Our members have been telling us the ICM system is dangerously flawed and that the haphazard implementation process has made matters even worse. Turpel-Lafond confirms unequivocally what our members have been saying. This is the wrong computer system for the work being done. It needs to replaced.”
In a rare public statement, Turpel-Lafond says the ICM has an overwhelming number of technical problems, lacks a basic contingency plan if the system does not work and is inadequate to provide protection for children.
“The Ministry has agreed to some of the recommendations the BCGEU/NUPGE made earlier, including additional staffing and improved training,” says Doug Kinna BCGEU component chair. “Unfortunately additional resources will not address the problems identified by our members and Turpel-Lafond. The problems being identified today were evident to us from 2008 when the ICM was first being adapted for government use.”
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE