Members of the Hospital Employees Union (HEU) have returned to their jobs at Squamish General Hospital and Hilltop House, but are not happy with the union's decision to strike a last-minute agreement with the provincial government.
The deal, which was agreed upon last Sunday (May 2), limits to 600 the number of full-time jobs that can be contracted out during the two-year term of the agreement. It also provides $25 million in severance for workers laid off between 2002 and 2006.
But there is plenty of opposition towards the deal. Workers are not happy having to swallow a 15 per cent wage rollback and having to work longer hours throughout the week.
Although the deal was seen as a win-win situation for both the HEU and the government, many employees were outraged at the decision, feeling they were sold out by their own union.
"I don't think they stood up for as much as they could have," said Squamish HEU representative Barb Patura. "It looked like we could've accomplished something but they pulled out too soon. I think [the workers] are quite upset."
During the week-long strike, 24 day surgeries were cancelled at Squamish General, as well as 28 diagnostics tests such as ultrasounds and x-rays.
"Obviously, the strike had an impact," said Vancouver Coastal Health Authority communications director Clay Adams. "We're working to see that the cancelled surgeries get re-scheduled as soon as possible. Because Squamish is a smaller centre, we're hoping that all of the cancelled procedures will be re-scheduled faster than in Vancouver.
"People should be prepared that they still may need to wait to get surgeries re-scheduled."
The deal doesn't help the 23 food service workers at SGH, who will be handed their walking papers on June 11. They will be replaced by non-union employees of a private company by the name of Sodexho.
"They just keep steamrolling along, cutting jobs," said Patura.
The province-wide job action by the 43,000 members of the HEU was strongly supported by many other unions.
The urgency of the situation began to escalate when there was a threat of a general strike involving thousands of other government employees.
On Friday (April 30), a memo was issued from the Howe Sound School District No. 48, notifying parents that all CUPE Local 779 staff will be participating in the support movement by not reporting to work on Monday (May 3). Teachers were expected to report to work as usual, but bus drivers, school instructional, maintenance and clerical support workers were not expected to provide their services.
Although the late-Sunday deal averted a CUPE walkout, because of the notice and the uncertainty of the situation, only 55 per cent of students showed up for classes at Howe Sound Secondary School on Monday.
"It wasn't a normal day," said HSSS principal Peter Hotston. "Some classes were able to proceed but not all of them."
Information about the support movement and subsequent interruption in school services was available on television, radio and the district website, but many students and parents were confused as to whether to come to school or not.
"If you weren't actively searching for news, you wouldn't have known," said Hotston.
