Rest home union vows to fight

By Dan Hilborn
Published July 8, 2006


The Hospital Employees' Union is going back to the B.C. Labour Relations Board to ensure that Compass Group Canada lives up to its obligations to workers at the Normanna rest home in Burnaby.

Judy Darcy, secretary-business manager for the union, said Thursday that she intends to continue fighting for the 25 employees who were given layoff notices five days after the board imposed a contract settlement on the firm.

"The fact that Compass is walking away from the contract does not take away the employees' entitlement," Darcy said. "For people earning $10 an hour, this is significant, and we're going to fight to get them every penny they're entitled to."

The settlement, which provided for pay raises of 24 per cent, included an additional $1 an hour retroactive to May 1, 2006 and a lump sum signing bonus of about $800 per employee, Darcy said.

Darcy said the company's refusal to abide by the terms of the board settlement are astounding, especially in light of the fact that the U.K.-based company reported profits in excess of $530 million over a recent six-month period.

"How can they, with any credibility, plead poverty?" Darcy asked. "It just doesn't wash. I challenge them, if they're pleading poverty now: open your books.

"This is not a company that's on the verge of bankruptcy. When we're talking about those kinds of profits, they're walking away from a commercial contract that would pay these workers $11 an hour this year and $12 an hour next.

"There's something very wrong with that picture. These workers should not be subjected to this uncertainty, and the health-care system should not be subjected to this."

Margi Blamey, media relations officer for the union, said the union was contemplating legal action against Compass but has since learned that the labour board still holds jurisdiction.

"The contract is a contract," Blamey said. "If the company refuses to abide by the contract, even though it has terminated its health services agreement with Normanna, I believe the arbitrator holds jurisdiction.

"That contract is still in force for the 60 days, so there is every expectation that our members will be paid all the moneys due to them," Blamey added.

The union's comments came just hours after Normanna executive director Margaret Douglas-Matthews announced that B.C.-based Servantage will take over the contract for the 25 housekeepers, laundry workers and dietary aides at Normanna after the current contract is handed over on Aug. 30.

Servantage will also host a job fair next week for current employees at Normanna, and Douglas-Matthews is hoping that anyone who wants to continue working at the care centre will be allowed to keep their job.

Darcy and Blamey both confirmed that the union is looking forward to establishing a good working relationship with Servantage.

Roselin Chandra, one of the affected food services workers, said the majority of Normanna employees recognize that their protracted labour problems were the result of Compass's actions and not the fault of the care home.

"Basically, we got screwed by Compass. I don't know how else to put it," Chandra said. "We're very disappointed. They wasted our time and money. And when we did get a contract, we got pink slips instead."

And with the new contract in place between Normanna and Servantage, it appears unlikely that the Fraser Health Authority will step into the fray.

"Our role, from our perspective, is that we fund contractors to provide care to the residents and then we monitor that care," said Michael Bernard, senior communications consultant for the regional health authority. "We don't get involved unless there is a direct impact on residential care delivery.

"At this point in time, it is not having a direct impact such that we have to step in," he said.

Bernard noted that both Compass and Normanna are within their rights to terminate the contract, as long as the care of patients is not compromised.

The Burnaby NOW also spoke to several family members of residents living in Normanna care home, all of whom applauded the quality of care provided at the facility.

"I feel the staff here is absolutely wonderful, and I don't believe there'll be any problems," said Ellen Henderson, who has had a family member in the facility for the past six years. "The quality of care the residents are given is excellent. I'd say most people are extremely pleased with the quality of care they're receiving."

"I just want to give some support to the workers because they really do a good job," said Laura Sollero, whose husband has been in Normanna for the past two-and-a-half years. "It's a friendly place."

Another family member, Theresa Facchin, said the Normanna employees have always done their best, no matter what was going on around them. "For the money that they've been paid to do that, they're pretty good," Facchin said. "But we do hope that things will get straightened out so we can keep the workers that are there now."

Meanwhile, Brenda Brown, vice- president of human resources for Compass Group Canada, said her company "resigned the account simply because it was no longer economically viable.

"The financials wouldn't work for us with the new collective agreement - not so much the collective agreement but the labour board decision," Brown said.

Brown was unable to respond when asked why Compass refused to pay the arbitrated settlement that was based on the wages paid by the Compass's major competitors, Sodexho and Aramark.

"I really can't comment on how they run their businesses," Brown said. "I don't know what their commercial contracts are and I can't say why it's viable for them. Every account has its own contract, and the terms are not public knowledge."

Brown also said that Compass is continuing to negotiate the terms of employment for another 1,000 union members who work on Vancouver Island and with the provincial health services authority.

"Everyone always wants to reach a negotiated agreement that best suits both parties," Brown said.

"That's what we all aim to do. We go into it with the best intentions in mind."