Another group of employees of Sodexho — a French-based multinational health care contractor — have voted to join the Hospital Employees’ Union (CUPE) to improve wages, benefits and working conditions, and gain stronger representation.
The 14 new union members work at Cavell Gardens, a Vancouver assisted-living complex where Sodexho has a contract to provide housekeeping and dietary services. They voted overwhelmingly to join HEU in a Labour Relations Board supervised ballot late Friday afternoon.
“Employees of private health care corporations are notoriously underpaid and undervalued for the critical contribution they make to the lives and well being of seniors and people with disabilities in supported residential settings and long-term care facilities,” says HEU spokesperson Zorica Bosancic.
“We’re pleased to have another group of Sodexho workers chose HEU as their union.”
The Cavell Gardens workers are the third group of Sodexho employees to join HEU in recent months.
HEU represents about 46,000 health care workers who provide direct patient care and support services in health care facilities across the province.
Approximately 2,500 of those members work for private operators like Sodexho.
-30- Contact: Zorica Bosancic, assistant secretary-business manager, 604-880-9841 (cell) Margi Blamey, communications officer, 604-456-7094 (direct line)