The Parasites who Measure Workers Destiny in Dollars and Cents - Part 2
Which workers are being attacked and axed and why?
The parasites who measure workers destiny in dollars and cents are not afraid to permanently lay off workers nor afraid to flaunt the shameful flow of money to those who have the power to give it and take it away.
Apparently, increases are common if you are management within VIHA. The lowest paid workers get tossed, but the increases continue to flow for those that have the power to give and take away...shame. Approximately 1400 workers fired, just because management can.
It is obvious that this has nothing to do with money. Below are some mind boggling facts.
- CEO of Health Authority, 24 months of service = $650,000 severance.
- Health Authority Chairs, 6 meetings a year = $50,000 plus expenses.
- VIHA fires the lowest wage earners, mostly women, while making up to 8.75% on its $133 million in investments.
- VIHA CEO Rick Roger's $33,000 bonus is more than most housekeepers and dietary workers make in a year.
- Rick Roger makes $161.83 per hour not including expenses - dietary aides make $18.10.
- Rick Roger earned a total of $302,500 plus another $14,900 in expenses. Most support staff made less than $30,000.
- Rick Roger's wages $302,500 = 9 full time dietary workers.
- Rick Roger's wages $302,500 = 8 full time and one part-time housekeeper.
- Jane Lindstrom, VIHA's Director of Labour Relations made $119,853.99 in 2002-03 and had expenses of $4621.98. Jane is representing VIHA at the bargaining table, so why is she firing workers who make between a few hundred to $30,000 per year?
Adding up the wages of the 15 senior management workers at VIHA, the total wages without benefits are $2,537,140.00 - that is over 2 and a half million dollars for 15 people. These are only the wages. We all know that senior management get the same if not better benefits than HEU, BCNU, and HSA, the ones that walked the picket lines to gain these benefits. Senior management also gets per diems, car allowance, travel, food expenses, laptops, cell phones - the list of perks can go on and on. The figures below are conservative figures on how much value is obtained from wages of Senior Managers compared to those HEU workers (the cost of the perks is not available).
Below is a breakdown of senior management wages only:
- The lowest paid non-contract senior management worker gets $69.39 an hour, the highest gets $143.94 an hour. The average is $90.35 an hour. Again this is without benefits and their perks/expenses.
- Fifteen (15) workers paid an average of $90.35 an hour totalling $2,537,140.00.
Question: Who is being fired, and who has Rick Roger refused to negotiate with?
Answer: Housekeepers and dietary aides, the ones being laid off/fired.
The same value - $2,537,140.00 - would create 134,169.65 working hours, paying a Housekeeper at the rate of $18.91 an hour or create 72 full time sustainable living wage jobs.
The same value - $2,537,140.00 - would create 140,173.92 working hours, paying a Dietary Aide at the rate of $18.10 an hour, or create 75 full time sustainable living wage jobs.
Economically speaking, those 75 workers probably spend every cent they earn, moving that money back into the BC economy. Those that make $100,000 + probably invest, have tax shelters, vacation out of province and probably out of the country. Fifteen senior non contract management workers equals at least 75 full time workers, and the lowest wage earners are under attack? Here are some other facts to consider:
The VIHA Senior Employee Compensation for 2001/2002/2003:
Chief Executive Officer, Richard Roger:
2001/2002: $254,329.46 + $8740.36 expenses
2003: $269,451. + $33,500 bonus + $14,900 in expenses. Roger receives increase of $15,216.00 (not including expenses or bonus) in 2003.
Executive VP/Chief Operating Officer, Marilyn Rook:
2001/2002: $198,299.04 + $10,926.45 expenses
2003: $216.000. Marilyn Rook receives increase of $17,701.00 in 2003.
Executive VP/Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Glen Lowther:
2001/2002: $175,697.78 + $3,895.47 expenses
2003: $216,000. Dr. Glen Lowther receives increase of $40,302.00 in 2003.
VP Finance, Planning & Performance, John Heath:
2001/2002: $171,578.41 + $30,237.44 expenses
2003: $193,000. John Heath receives increase of $21,422.00 in 2003.
VP, Clinical & Operational Support, Joe Murphy:
2001/2002: $148,850.32 + $8,483.61 expenses
2003: $159,000. Joe Murphy receives increase of $10,150.00 in 2003.
VP Human Resources & Executive Director Central Island, Chuck Rowe:
2001/2002: $165,805,86 + $16,173.26 expenses
2003: $172,000. Chuck Rowe receives increase of $6,195.00 in 2003.
Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr Richard Stanwick:
2001/2002: $151,534.35 + $14,421.80 expenses
2003: $158,500. Dr. Richard Stanwick receives increase of $6,966.00 in 2003.
Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Ernie Higgs:
2001/2002: $146,716,28 + $12,999.33 expenses
2003: $150,500. Dr. Ernie Higgs receives increase of $3,784.00 in 2003.
Chief Nursing Officer, Anne Cooke:
2001/2002: $133,832.73 + $10,411.53 expenses
2003: $150,301. Anne Cooke receives increase of $16,469.00 in 2003.
Executive Director North Island, Doug Marrie:
2001/2002: $129,893.
Medical Health Officer Central Island, Dr Fred Rockwell:
2001/2002: $139,028.21 + $4,717.76 expenses
2003: $135,271. (decrease of $3,757.00)
Medical Director, Central Island, Dr Howard Dyan:
2003: $164,075.
Deputy Medical Health Officer, Dr. Kelly Barnard:
2003: $139,000.
Chief Information Officer, Brian Shorter:
2001/2002: $128,634.55 + $9,681.82 expenses
2003: $144,183. Brian Shorter receives increase of $15,549.00 in 2003.
Director, Contract Management, Susan Murphy:
2003: $139,028.
And who is being attacked? The food services workers and housekeeping workers at wages ranging from $17.00 to $18.90 per hour.
- A fulltime Food Services worker at 2003 wages of $18.10 would earn $33,883.20.
- A fulltime Housekeeping worker at 2003 wages of $18.90 would earn $35,380.80.
And these are considered livable wages in British Columbia?
With the new contractor, if the workers were able to work full time hours, their incomes would be:
$9.50 x 1872 hours = $17,316 and at $10.25 x 1872 hours = $19,188.
No expenses are listed for 2003, nor available at this time, however Roger's expenses for this time period gives one an idea of how much is paid to these workers in expenses. The increases from last year is enough to make one sick.
The total increases alone for 2003 would be approximately $150,000.00 this would employ well over 4 full time dietary aides.
Rick Roger's increase of over $15,000 is double of what most workers will receive in severance.
Which workers are being attacked and axed and why?