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  • authored by news
  • published Fri, May 3, 2002

BCGEU Bags Employer--Big Time

From CBC News - Vancouver

quote:


Vancouver - The B.C. Federation of Labour has says it has evidence of plans for mass firings and blacklisting of health care workers, as the Campbell government privatizes hospital services.

The Fed says it has taped evidence that thousands of Hospital Employees Union food and laundry workers who make $17 an hour will be laid off and blacklisted. They would be replaced by $10-an-hour employees.

Union officials have released a secretly taped phone conversation between a man they identify as Spencer Green of Sodexho – a multinational company which provide hospital services – and a representative of the B.C. Government and Service Employees UnionThey say Sodexho offered the BCGEU a sweetheart deal to represent the new lower-paid replacement workers.

The Fed also says Sodexho has promised health authorities that no laid-off HEU workers would be hired back :

· Green: "I'm saying it's everybody, and I ain't hiring them and I think it's the thing that anybody would do. I mean, now you've got a huge problem with trying to figure out where to get all these bodies from. You can't be firing people with those kinds of pays and benefits, and think they're going to come and work for you for a third of the cost you know, and be happy."

Labour leaders are demanding a response from Premier Gordon Campbell, and a full inquiry into the privatization of health care, and they say they want a moratorium while that inquiry takes place.

Minister says hospital costs too high
Health Services Minister Colin Hansen denies the government is trying to break the health care unions.

However, he says he is determined to get better value for every dollar spent on health care.

Hansen says B.C.'s costs are out of line with those in other provinces. "We have indicated to the health authorities that we are prepared to allow them to look at contracting out support services," he says.

Hansen also says he's had no talks with Sodexho, and that he's not aware of any attempts by private health employers to intimidate workers.


HEU site with BCGEU transcripts of conversation

  • posted by <Just Wondering>
  • Fri, May 3, 2002 8:20pm

I wonder how many times UFCW pansies have had converations just like that one? And I wonder how many times the deal has been done? Do you think the 777 deal went anything like that? How about the Maple Leaf Foods deal?

It sure sounds like the Westfair Alberta Extraveganza.

It even has a similar ring to the Loblaws chat.

I wonder if the company guy is sittin' in a bar with a box of belongings from his desk drawers sitting next to him right now?

  • posted by lefkenny
  • Sat, May 4, 2002 12:19am

"IT'S UNION BUSTING"

Union fears blacklisting of workers

Cam Fortems
Kamloops Daily News


Thousands of Interior health-care workers who face layoffs will be shut out of new jobs with private contractors, B.C. labour leaders say.

The B.C. Federation of Labour bases the accusation on secretly taped conversations between representatives from two private health-care corporations and representatives of the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU).

BCGEU president George Heyman said the union was approached by corporate representatives to see if it would represent workers at privatized facilities at far lower wage levels.

The union claims corporate representatives, including one from Sodexho Canada, estimated wages would be about $10 a hour ? rather than the current $17 ? and laid off members of the Hospital Employees' Union (HEU) would not be hired.

"Multinationals are going to hire a new workforce, cut wages to $8 or $10 an hour and make sure anyone who worked in health care doesn't work again," said HEU secretary-treasurer Chris Allnutt.

He said the corporate demands amount to a blacklist of employees facing layoff, including several thousand in the Interior.

"They said they won't hire anyone who worked in acute care or long-term care because they're HEU members," he said.

Local HEU rep Donisa Bernardo said she has seen a string of worried employees after the news broke.

"This is what we've said all along. It's not about improving health care or finding savings, it's union-busting."

Larry Bancroft, president of the Kamloops and District Labour Council, said the Liberal government's Bill 29 stripped workers of job security and allowed private companies to hire new workers at lower wages.

"They're saying no one will hire the same people back," said Bancroft, who attended the B.C. Federation of Labour press conference in Vancouver.

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger said Bill 29 was brought in to allow local authorities to find ways to funnel money to patients, rather than to employees making far more than Canadian average wages.

But he said the intent of the bill was not to stop workers laid off from being hired again. In fact, he said a best-case scenario would be for current employees to remain on the job, through new contract arrangements.

"I don't think there should be any arrangement where people are prevented from being hired and I don't think our government would allow it."

In Victoria, Health Services Minister Colin Hansen denied there is a move to destroy the HEU, but he told The Canadian Press that support staff expenses are out of line with the rest of Canada.

Hansen hadn't heard the tapes but said many private companies are looking at ways to provide cheaper services to health-care facilities in B.C.

Hansen said they are prepared to allow them to contract out support services ? such as laundry, cleaning and grounds-keeping ? but it's not a move to de-unionize.

"We think we have to get better value for every health dollar that is available," said Hansen. "When you start comparing our costs in B.C. to the cost of support staff in other provinces, we are considerably out of line."

Bancroft said private companies operating seniors' residences will hire revolving-door workers at slightly more than minimum wage and pocket the profits.

"When you come through the door every day for 20 years you expect more dignity and respect. ? They're saying, ?You'll never work for that rate and we don't want you.' "

  • posted by weiser
  • Sat, May 4, 2002 9:26am

It's reality. Look how casually these guys were chatting about "The Deal"

It's obvious that it wasn't something that was so far out of the ordinary that they even thought that they should be careful.

What's sad is that buying and selling workers' rights is all too common. The big mistake these two employer-reps made was to pick an above-board union. There are plenty of unions that we know of that would have been better choices for the employers.

Thank God, the BCGEU had the guts to out this abominable practice.

  • posted by remote viewer
  • Sat, May 4, 2002 1:29pm

How coincidental that this story should come out now, considering all the discussion we've been having over the past few months about special locals and backroom deals.

Yes, this is exactly how union shopping is done. You get a lawyer or consultant to go and shop the market for you. You put the word out as to how much the employer is willing to pay in wages and how many bodies will be delivered. If you're lucky you might get a few biz-unions bidding. This is how it's done. These guys were stupid - they went shopping on the wrong side of the street.

It's time we took a look at the role that the consultants, lawyers and human resources professionals play in these deals.

  • posted by weiser
  • Sat, May 4, 2002 1:46pm

And then there is The President's Choice union.

  • posted by Scott Mcpherson
  • Sat, May 4, 2002 9:28pm

I really don't know why people are so surprised by this. This is exactly how things are done these days. We've got company hot shots telling union hacks "if ya want to run with the big dogs you gotta learn to piss in tall weeds" and the union hacks thinking..."Gee, I'd hate to give up my life style for people who don't appreciate me anyway so ya, what the heck, lets do it".

What actually surprises me about all this is that the union executives didn't jump all over this and keep it all hush hush. I guess this unions executives have a little integrity, go figure.

  • posted by DuffBeer
  • Sat, May 4, 2002 11:50pm

quote:


I guess this unions executives have a little integrity, go figure.


Thank goodness for this apparent rare exception to the oxymoron!
i.e. union executive integrity

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