BC to phase out private housekeeping and food service contracts in acute care
The provincial government says it will notify beginning this fall, under 21 commercial contracts, of its intention to begin returning workers’ employment to health authorities.
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Workers employed by private contractors who provide housekeeping and catering services at acute care facilities in British Columbia will have their jobs referred to the province’s health authorities.
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Health Minister Adrian Dix said on Monday that the provincial government will give notice from this fall under 21 commercial contracts of its intention to start returning workers’ jobs to health authorities. The phased approach to his decision will affect around 4,000 workers, he said.
“The government will be in a better position to provide attractive job offers for people interested in joining the healthcare workforce,” Dix told a news conference.
“It will be good for the patients. It will be good for the quality of service, it will be good for the nursing staff. »
The province is working with the Hospital Employees Union, health officials and contractors on its plan, he said. The transition to government employment will complete before most contracts expire by March, Dix said.
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“It treats those who do the essential and vital work of keeping our hospitals and facilities clean and providing nutrition for our patients with fairness and dignity,” he said in a press release.
Prime Minister John Horgan said in a statement that the decision to contract out work nearly 20 years ago led to lower wages and less job security, especially for women. Now the government is putting workers who have been employed by private companies on an equal footing with public health workers, he said.
“Nearly 20 years later, we are still living with the consequences of those choices, with workers being paid less to do the same job as their colleagues in the public system,” Horgan said. “It’s time to put an end to it.”
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Meena Brisard, trade secretary-director of the Hospital Employees Union, described the effects of privatization as “devastating”.
“Many of these workers were hired at half pay, with no pension and very few benefits,” she said, adding that most of those affected are women and workers of color.
Catalina Samson, who works as a dietitian aide at Vancouver General Hospital, welcomed the announcement, saying the union has been working on the decision for decades.
“In 2004, I went from $18.10 an hour with benefits and pension to $10.15 an hour,” she said at the press conference.
“I lost all my benefits. Nothing. No shifts, no holidays, nothing.
The job requires long hours and hard work, which leads to a high turnover rate, she said.
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“Healthcare workers like me are overlooked, but what we do matters. Our work is always important, during the pandemic and all the time,” Samson said.
“The hospital cannot function without us, and patients cannot recover without nutritious food or a clean environment. We are an essential part of the team and I feel our work is recognized for that.
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