A strike vote from B次元官网网址渉ealthcare heroesB次元官网网址� will take place at seven B.C. seniors facilities owned and operated by Good Samaritan Canada in the coming week.

Staff at the facilities B次元官网网址� which include Heron Grove in Vernon; Hillside Village and Pioneer Lodge in Salmon Arm, and Village by the Station in Penticton B次元官网网址� are represented by the Hospital EmployeesB次元官网网址� Union (HEU). They say theyB次元官网网址檝e been without a contract for three years, and that Good Samaritan Canada refuses to bargain.

Two contentious issues are benefits and the potential removal of contracting out protection language from the collective agreement.

One HEU member, who asked not to be identified, told Black Press Media the employer hiked the cost of the membersB次元官网网址� benefits plan by 29 per cent but offered no modest improvements.

B次元官网网址淭he employer is also demanding removing of contracting-out protections from the collective agreement,B次元官网网址� said the member. B次元官网网址淭hey want the right to contract out any Good Sam job at any time.

B次元官网网址淚f they contract out, all of us lose our jobs.B次元官网网址�

At Heron Grove, there are close to 80 full-, part-time and casual workers who help look after residents in 40 assisted living units and 72 long-term care beds.

According to the HEU bargaining committee, the employer last spent money on the membership in 2019 with a wage increase of only 65 cents per hour.

The employer, said the HEU, is not offering any increase until Jan. 1, 2024, and itB次元官网网址檚 a minimal shift differential.

Good Samaritan Canada, said the HEU, is also not into discussing health benefits, sick leave provision, or even the addition of Sept. 30, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as a statutory holiday.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 frustrating,B次元官网网址� said the HEU member. B次元官网网址淒uring the pandemic, we were being called B次元官网网址榟ealthcare heroes.B次元官网网址� We worked our butts off. We kept our residents safe. We sacrificed our own time away from our own families, and we sacrificed our families at the height of the pandemic.

B次元官网网址淚n the first year (of the pandemic) we were the only family that residents had because families were not allowed to come in and see them.B次元官网网址�

Good Samaritan Canada president and CEO Dr. Katherine Chubbs says Good Sam B次元官网网址渋s committed to maintaining a good relationship with our unions and we will continue negotiating in good faith.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e remain optimistic that negotiations will result in an agreement,B次元官网网址漵aid Chubbs. B次元官网网址淩esident care remains our number one priority and we will do our utmost to ensure that is maintained. Collective bargaining is sometimes a long process. With COVID-19, bargaining was paused for a period of time, but it resumed in 2021 and we have been meeting since then.

B次元官网网址淲e cannot comment on specifics of collective bargaining.B次元官网网址�

HEU has begun a campaign and is bringing it to its members of the seven facilities in B.C.

Frontline workers, said the union, are doing their best to provide quality care, but some organizations, like Good Samaritan, B次元官网网址渁re refusing to renew contracting out protections which is one of four key improvements to seniorsB次元官网网址� care that Care CanB次元官网网址檛 Wait is calling for.B次元官网网址�

Good Samaritan Canada is a not-for-profit organization.

The union said it can make new care spaces public or non-profit, not operated by private companies.

Fix the staffing crisis and force private companies to follow regulations, meet standards and increase transparency.

Strike votes are slated to begin the week of July 17.

Good Samaritan Canada also operates facilities in B.C. in Gibsons, Delta and New Westminster.

This story was updated Wednesday, July 12, at 10:15 a.m. with comments from Good Samaritan Canada

roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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