A solution is being sought to prevent the layoffs of 150 workers at two residential care homes in Coquitlam.
This week Fraser Health confirmed it is in discussions with the owner of Madison and Lakeshore care homes in Coquitlam after the subcontractor responsible for care aids and support staff gave notice she was retiring and closing her companies later this year.
"This is an unfortunate situation and we are taking it seriously," stated Fraser Health spokesperson Tasleem Juma in an email.
The future of the workers, many of them long-time employees who are familiar with the routines and needs of their elderly charges, is of deep concern to the Hospital Employees' Union, according to spokesperson Mike Old.
The HEU says the business closure is not a coincidence but the result of a union drive this spring that saw the workers opt to join the union.
Since then the HEU has been trying to start negotiations on a first contract but was unsuccessful, now the workers face layoffs this fall when subcontractor closes the business.
The union is hoping the workers can be retained when a new subcontractor is hired and a collective agreement achieved and is calling on the government to end a practice called "contract flipping" where subcontractors are changed because of unionizing or other reasons.
"I have to say changing a subcontract is a pretty common feature of the residential care landscape and it's very harmful to the continuity of care for seniors and it undermines the economic security of mostly women who work in the seniors' care field," Old said.
The HEU is calling on the government to end the practice with changes to labour legislation.
On Sunday, caregivers, family members and supporters rallied at Como Lake Park. Speakers included representatives from the Metro Vancouver Alliance, the Filipino Workers’ Network and the BC Federation of Labour.
"At the higher level we need the government to repeal the laws and fix the situation so this doesn’t keep happening," Old told the Tri-City News.
The News reached out to the administration at The Care Group, which owns the care homes but received no call-back.
Madison has 137 beds, 41 private and 96 are funded through a contract with Fraser Health while Lakeshore has 56 beds, 21 are private-pay and 35 are funded through the health authority.
In a statement, Fraser Health acknowledged the situation and provided the following details:
“We are committed to ensuring seniors receive the best care possible and we value the work of all health care employees in caring for seniors in our communities. The owner of Madison and Lakeshore Care Homes in Coquitlam subcontracts care aide and support staff services and, on May 22, 2018, the subcontractor gave notice that she was retiring and ending her companies later this year. This is an unfortunate situation and we are taking it seriously. We are continuing our discussions with the contracted provider and we are trying to come to a solution.”
