Assisted living workers in Vernon, Armstrong join BCGEU

Two dozen assisted living workers at Heritage Square in Vernon and Pioneer Square in Armstrong have voted to join the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union to improve pay and conditions and make their workplace better.

The new union members provide care and support services for more than 30 seniors in an assisted living setting at the two facilities. They work as care aides, cooks, dietary aides, housekeepers and laundry workers, and are employees of Advocare Health Services, which provides the services on a contracted-out basis to the owners of the two facilities.

"The workers joined our organization because of the instability of their work," says BCGEU president Darryl Walker. "They've been through a revolving door of different employers, and Advocare is the third company they've worked for in the last nine months," he says.

"We extend a warm welcome to them, and we're proud that BCGEU is their union of choice."

The next step, says Walker, is for union representatives to establish a local bargaining committee and develop priorities for improved wages, benefits, and security in a first contract that will be negotiated with the employer.

Walker says his union already represents about 2,000 assisted living workers in B.C. and is actively organizing in the sector to help bring stability to the system, and to improve working conditions for frontline staff.

"Workers are joining BCGEU because we're leading the way in addressing priority issues like fairness, job security, health and safety, improved wages, and benefits," he says.

BCGEU already represents long-term care workers who look after elderly residents at Pioneer Square.