Meals for patients at Squamish General Hospital and residents at Hilltop House are now being made by public servants rather than private company employees.
The provincial government announced on July 22 that 283 food service workers in Squamish, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast and Powell River were being “welcomed back” as public Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) employees.
According to the government, the move impacts 29 workers at Squamish's facilities.
Under the previous provincial Liberal government, the work had been outsourced to private companies. That resulted in staff’s wages and benefits being cut, and, every few years, in some cases, the contracts would be “flipped” to a new company, forcing the employees to reapply for their jobs and have their salaries reset back to the base rate.
While working for Sodexo, the company that supplies food service workers in Squamish, were earning about $17 per hour, according to the province. That will jump to $20.97 with improved benefits and a pension.
In 2019, the NDP passed Bill 47, which sought to undo the privatization and bring 4,000 workers back into the public system.
"Bill 47 is important to health-service workers who work within our public health system and to the patients they care for," said Health Minister Adrian Dix, in a news release. "This legislation ensures better working conditions, job security and equitable wages for workers whose contributions to our health-care system are undeniable. I sincerely thank VCH for their tremendous efforts in transitioning these food-service workers back in-house and for their commitment to improving the quality of care for patients."
The repatriation occurred on July 22.
"The return of food-service workers to the public system is a recognition that these workers are critical to patient care and safety. By bringing these workers back in-house, the provincial government is reversing nearly two decades of privatization that fragmented our public health-care system, while devastating the lives of thousands health-care workers, most of whom are women or racialized workers," said Meena Brisard, secretary-business manager, Hospital Employees' Union, in the release.
Family members and advocates for residents in long-term care are cautiously optimistic this will mean positive things for their relatives.
"After years and years of trying to make improvements to food services by working with Sodexo, Vancouver Coastal Health officially repatriated food services employees into VCH. While we are hopeful VCH is looking to have more direct control over quality, product, sourcing, and ultimately resident food services experiences, we will have to wait and see," said Janice DesJardins, who is chair of the Hilltop House Family Council. DesJardins is also a director of the Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils and of the Family Councils of BC.
The councils speak for families and residents. "If there have been no changes by September of this year, then we will continue to advocate for better food, and better food quality. After all, when you are elderly and live in LTC what are the most important things you would look forward to? The four Fs – family, friends, food and fun activities!"
It is anticipated that housekeeping workers in these hospital facilities will be repatriated this fall, according to VCH.
~With files from Brent Richter/North Shore News
