British Columbia health care workers marked the second anniversary of Bill 29, the Campbell governments contract-breaking legislation, with protests and an occupation as health sector bargaining continued.
Workers held rallies in Victoria and Vancouver, while food service workers at Vancouvers St. Pauls hospital occupied the office of its new CEO.
Meanwhile, health care sector bargaining with the provincial employers association continued, with more than a dozen HEU members giving testimonials about how Bill 29 had affected their jobs and the services they provide.
Union bargaining association spokesperson Chris Allnutt says that seeing and listening to the rank and file workers was a strong dose of reality for employers.
Our members put faces and names to the FTEs who do the work in our hospitals and long-term care facilities, says Allnutt. They clearly defined the diverse nature of the workforce and drove home the negative impact of the governments agenda of contracting out, cuts and closures on health care in BC.
The employers association refused to put contracting out initiatives on hold or to provide early renewed funding for the Occupation Health and Safety Agency in Healthcare (OHSAH).
Bargaining continues through February. For more updates, visit www.heu.org