Editor:
While reading Sean Eckford’s revealing discussion of the seniors’ care issue on the Coast (“Long-term care workers anxious, frustrated as Trellis deal plays out”), I was struck by a thought. At that very moment, hundreds of thousands of women and their supporters were marching, around the globe, to support women’s rights.
What’s the connection, you ask?
It’s this. Health care is a major employer of women here on the Coast. It provides a living wage for scores of them in the hospital and in care facilities for the elderly. It provides economic security, benefits, and a chance to care for less fortunate citizens in our community. The results of that security flow back into the community.
As Mr. Eckford points out, employment and wage security go out the window with the closing of our current facilities and subsequent privatization of the new facility. Every woman (because that’s what they mostly are) will be forced to go, cap in hand, to beg for a job from the new private employer, Trellis. There’s no guarantee of retaining seniority if they do score a job. There’s no guarantee of a living wage, no guarantee to the patients (who are also largely women) that their hours of care will be up to the standards of the current public facilities.
Around the province, private facilities have allegedly contracted out staff positions and flipped those contracts to continually reduce wages and benefits of employees.
Women’s rights challenged? That’s only one of the downsides of VCH’s undemocratic move!
If privatization of our seniors’ care facilities concerns you, please attend the public forum Saturday, Jan. 28, 2 p.m. at the Sechelt Indian Band Hall (behind McDonald’s), sponsored by Protect Public Health Care, Sunshine Coast.
B. Gail Riddell, Sechelt
