LAID OFF HOUSEKEEPING, laundry and security staff in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority will have better access to casual work and are eligible for training money as the result of a labour adjustment plan reached between the Hospital Employees’ Union, other health unions and the health authority.
The agreement covers Vancouver Coastal workers in laundry, housekeeping and security who have been laid off as a result of contracting out.
There are a number of elements to the agreement including:
- Access to up to $1,000 towards enrolment in career retraining programs (pro-rated for part-time workers) before the end of the one year recall period;
- Access by laid off workers to casual and temporary work and temporary postings without having to transfer to casual status;
- Access for casual employees terminated from the casual list to VCHA computer courses like Access, Excel and Word at no cost if taken within two months of termination;
- Greater recognition of out-of-province training and/or foreign credentials of displaced workers attempting to post or bump into other jobs or access casual work; and
- Funding for two HEU who will assist laid off workers.
The plan will also apply to Tilbury Laundry workers and VCHA food services workers should their work be contracted out.