In the wake of last week’s editorial on the stalled Trellis long-term care home saga, we are able to provide a clearer picture this week of the cause for the latest delay of the project, originally scheduled to open in August 2018. Some readers might even consider the lapse of time reasonable and necessary, given the explanation offered by Vancouver Coastal Health.
But we should begin with a clarification. We wrote last week that the project seemed to be waiting on a final agreement between Trellis, the private company selected by VCH to build and operate a new long-term care home in Sechelt, and shíshálh Nation, which we learned in early February was poised to lease Trellis land in Wilson Creek for the project. But that is not the reason for the delay.
“For the record,” Chief Warren Paull said Tuesday, “all we are is the landlord… We’re not involved [in the project] in any shape or form. We offered the property up for lease and we’re waiting for someone to come back and tell us it’s a go or a no-go… No lease has been signed and we’ve been very patient.”
The signed letter of intent to lease the land to Trellis has in fact expired.
Armed with the chief’s clear statement, we put the question straight to VCH. What is causing the delay?
On Wednesday, we got an answer.
“Currently, VCH is working with unions to develop a staffing model for the new facility that would see staff retain their current employment package and union affiliation,” the health authority said in an emailed response.
“Given the scope and complexity of the proposals currently on the table, the negotiations are taking longer than anticipated. It is important that they are conducted in both a rigorous and comprehensive manner so we are able to move forward on a new residential care facility to benefit the seniors of the Sunshine Coast.”
It does make sense. The Trellis deal was signed under the BC Liberals and one of the key objections to it was the impact on the workers, who would be obliged to reapply for their jobs and, if hired, to accept reduced wages and benefits. Many of them, we were told, would not be able to afford to stay on the Coast and the breakdown in continuity of care would be devastating for seniors.
After coming to power last year, the NDP’s biggest overhaul of the Trellis deal was in this area. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the workers would be guaranteed the same jobs with their wages and benefits intact. The Hospital Employees Union, which represents most of the workers at Totem Lodge and Shorncliffe, was pleased with Dix’s assurance, saying it “certainly puts a different light on the situation.”
The fact that it’s taking so long for VCH to incorporate these changes is a hard pill to swallow due to the pressing need for more beds, but the outcome is vitally important. An acceptable deal for the workers will be nothing short of monumental for them and their families, for the residents in care and their families, for the local economy and for the community as a whole.
Those are giant stakes.
To the negotiators sitting at the table, let’s get it right – and let’s get it done.
