Housekeeping hours will be reduced at three Calgary long-term care homes
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Laundry and housekeeping staff at three Calgary long-term care homes will have their hours reduced, the union representing the workers said.
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The Canadian Union of Alberta Public Employees said more than 75 part-time and 41 full-time employees at Chinook Care Centre, Southwood Care Center and Brentwood Care Center will lose hours, according to a news release. of the union. CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said the cuts mainly affected housekeeping and laundry staff, while a reservations clerk would also lose work.
“We are in a pandemic; keeping things clean is key,” Gill said. “If you reduce the time people can spend on basic housekeeping, you’re likely to increase the risk of infection.”
Intercare Corporate Group Inc., operator of the facilities, said it was reducing shifts longer than four hours for housekeeping and laundry staff by 15 minutes per shift and that a reservations would be deleted.
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“Due to unprecedented inflationary pressures and a limited increase in monthly accommodation fees, set by the provincial government to help offset these pressures, Intercare is reducing employee shifts to housekeeping and laundry that last more than four hours,” said Ian Woodcock, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
He said the positions are not directly funded by the provincial government like health care workers are. He said there is no reduction in resident or patient care staff.
However, Gill argued that the provincial government, through its funding decisions, has made it impossible for the operator to maintain current staffing levels.
“I think the current service delivery model in long-term care is just flawed and can’t work. Long-term care should be part of the public health care system in Canada,” Gill said.
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“What is the provider supposed to do if he has no money? Law? I mean, you know, they have shareholders. Again, I think it’s crazy that there are for-profit businesses in this industry, but the government says it’s going to work. Well, they have to provide the funding.
Steve Buick, press secretary to Health Minister Jason Copping, said the changes made have nothing to do with government funding, but are decisions made by the operator to manage cost pressures for funded services by customers.
“Customer fees are capped by government policy. If CUPE suggests the cap should be raised, they should say so,” Buick said. “The Government of Alberta has supported continuing care providers since the start of the pandemic, and operators and staff deserve credit for doing their best to provide safe care to residents under the extraordinary stress of the pandemic.
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The long-term care cuts come amid a growing wave of COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly infectious variant of Omicron. Several jurisdictions, including Alberta, have reduced isolation times and in part to ensure there are no staff shortages in critical industries.
Fully immunized Albertans who test positive for COVID-19 are currently required to self-isolate for five days, down from a previous 10 days. Copping has previously said exemptions could be given to workers whose absence from work could have a significant impact on public health.
