[CUPE healthcare list] BC health care privatization

["Heather Farrow" <hfarrow@cupe.ca>]

Perturbed over privatization
Cariboo Press 
Sunday, June 4, 2006 
Page: 0006 
Section: Kamloops This Week - News 

The B.C. Federation of Labour is demanding the provincial government intervene at a Kamloops senior's home, where care providers are being laid off and re-hired at reduced wages. 
B.C. Fed President Jim Sinclair, in town this past week for a union retreat, wants a moratorium on privatization in the Interior Health Authority after it was announced that Pine Grove Centre would contract out services. 
"The IHA have a terrible record," said Sinclair, who was flanked by union heavies Fred Muzin from the Hospital Employees' Union and Debra McPherson from the B.C. Nurses' Union. 
"We are going backwards and the government needs to clean this up." 
Privatization has created controversy in the past couple of years in the Coast, Island and Fraser health authorities. 
Simple Q Care, a private company, will provide staff at Pine Grove beginning in the middle of August. 
The company is encouraging many of the current employees to re- apply for their jobs. 
Sinclair said workers that get jobs through Simple Q Care, will be facing wage reductions of between $4 and $10 an hour. 
But Ian West, vice-president of Park Place Seniors Living, the company that operates Pine Grove through a contract with IHA, said the unions are more concerned with losing members to the private sector. 
"They are a business just as we are, and they depend on members' revenue," said West. 
He said the Pine Grove facility was losing $2 million a year and could not afford the collective bargaining agreement the union negotiated with the government. 
He added local operators are left out of the bargaining process and don't have a seat at the negotiating table. 
Legislation passed in 2002 allows health authorities to lay off employees and hire new workers who don't qualify for the same collective agreement. 
Liz Harvey, a nurse at Pine Groves for six years, said senior care at the facility has suffered because of provincial cut backs. 
"LPNs get to the point where they are overwhelmed and I think it does affect care." 
McPherson said nurses are working hard to provide quality care, arguing that privatization is a step backward for seniors. 
"We are moving towards a system where seniors aren't getting care - they are getting warehoused." 
Copyright 2006 Kamloops This Week 


Heather Farrow, M.A.
Health Care Research Assistant
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
National Office
21 Florence St.
Ottawa, ON K2P 0W6
hfarrow@cupe.ca
www.cupe.ca
Fax: 613-237-5508
Tel: 613-237-1590, ext. 320