About two dozen Hospital Employees Union (HEU) members from Christenson Village and their supporters demonstrated in Gibsons on Monday, Dec. 19, hoping to put pressure on Good Samaritan Society.
The HEU and Good Samaritan are in contract talks after the latest collective agreement expired in March. There are about 140 HEU workers at Christenson, which is one of six facilities in B.C. covered under the contract.
HEU president Victor Elkins joined his members for the rally at the intersection of Shaw Road and Gibsons Way, where they drew quite a few honks of support from passing ferry traffic.
“What we’re seeing for our members here, and for seniors care across this province, is the same,” Elkins said. “It’s profits before the care. The dollar is the bottom line… It’s a race to the bottom on wages, and patients and residents suffer.”
Good Samaritan has claimed its operations in B.C. have been running at a loss.
After an opening session with a mediator on Dec. 12, talks between the two sides are supposed to resume in January.
