Transition talks underway to bring contracted out workers back under health authorities

An ambitious schedule will see more than 4,000 workers repatriated over the next year
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Hospital hallway

HEU and the Vancouver Island Health Authority are implementing a plan to bring hundreds of contracted out housekeeping and dietary staff back as direct employees at a number of its Victoria-area health care facilities.

It represents the first of 21 commercial contracts between health authorities and multinational corporations that will be cancelled over the next year as part of government’s August 30 announcement to reverse nearly 20 years of privatization and repatriate more than 4,000 workers.

The first group of workers are employed by Compass-Marquise and currently work at Aberdeen, Glengarry, Gorge Road, The Priory, Saanich Peninsula and Queen Alexandra in the Capitol Region.

VIHA plans to have this group back as direct employees covered by the Facilities Collective Agreement by the end of November. They’ve also served notice and established proposed transfer dates for worker employed by Compass and Acciona at a number of their hospitals and extended care homes.

“VIHA’s commitment to quickly implement repatriation sets a great tone for the work we have ahead of us in all impacted health authorities,” says HEU secretary-business manager Meena Brisard.

Transition locations

More than 4,000 full-time, part-time and casual workers (2,900 full-time equivalent positions) are employed under the terms of 21 different commercial contracts between corporations and health authorities.

Workers will be repatriated over the next year. The timing of all scheduled transfers are subject to change.

Repatriated workers will become employees of their health authority and covered by terms of the Facilities Collective Agreement. The union and health employers have negotiated a Labour Adjustment Template Agreement (LATA) to ensure that the transition of each group of workers proceeds as smoothly as possible.

Not included in this round of repatriation are workers employed at P3 hospital buildings such as Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, the Critical Care Tower in Surrey, the TEC building at Children’s and Women’s Hospital and the Patient Care Centre at Royal Jubilee.

“Our fight to reverse privatization is not over,” says Brisard. “We will continue to push for the repatriation of contracted out workers under P3 arrangements, and to bring back a range of other services contracted out under Bill 29.

“These workers need to be reunited with the health care team under the Facilities agreement and we will continue to work towards that goal.”

The following list includes services and sites where HEU members are currently employed. The list below does not include a number of sites where employees are not currently HEU members.

Transition time frames are included for the Vancouver Island Health Authority and this list will be updated as other health authorities provide notice to their contractors.

Vancouver Island Health Authority

Housekeeping and Food Services (Compass-Marquise)
Planned transition date: November 2021
Sites: Aberdeen, Glengarry, Gorge Road, The Priory, Saanich Peninsula, and Queen Alexandra

Housekeeping (Compass-Crothall)
Planned transition dates: April-May 2022
Sites: Cowichan District Hospital, Cairnsmore Place, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Dufferin Place, Victoria General Hospital

Dietary (Compass-Morrison)
Planned transition date: February-March 2022
Sites: Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria General Hospital

Housekeeping (Acciona -- VIHA owned and operated locations only)
Planned transition date: May-June 2022
Site: Royal Jubilee (excludes Patient Care Centre P3)

Fraser Health Authority

Housekeeping (Aramark)
Sites: Burnaby, Eagle Ridge, and Royal Columbian hospitals

Housekeeping (Sodexo)
Sites: Surrey Memorial Hospital (including Czorny and Carelife-Fleetwood), Queen’s Park, Fellburn
            
Housekeeping and Food Services (Compass-Marquise)
Sites: Mission Memorial and Fraser Canyon hospitals; Cottage Worthington        

Housekeeping and Food Services (Sodexo)
Sites: Chilliwack Hospital    

Vancouver Coastal Health Authority/Providence Healthcare

Patient and Retail Food (Sodexo)
Sites: All Vancouver Coastal and Providence sites

Housekeeping (Compass)
Sites: All Vancouver Coastal and Providence sites

Patient Food (Compass-Morrison)
Sites: Brock Fahrni

Provincial Health Services Authority

Housekeeping (Compass)
Sites: BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital, BC Cancer Agency

Patient and Retail Food (Compass)
Sites: BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital, BC Cancer Agency