Community social service workers who care for clients with developmental disabilities at the Willowbrook Lodge in Lavington outside Vernon have voted overwhelmingly to join the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union.
The 21 workers include residential care attendants, housekeepers, program coordinators and a registered nurse. They care for 18 clients at the private facility which is funded by the government agency Community Living B.C.
"We welcome our newest members to the BCGEU," says union president Darryl Walker. "We're honoured that they have chosen to join our organization for the security and certainty of a union contract."
Walker says BCGEU already represents more than 10,000 community social service workers across the province, and that Willowbrook Lodge members will be covered by the existing master contract in the sector.
"By doing so, we'll be able to address the concerns of all Willowbrook staff and improve wages for many of them as well."
So far this year more than 1,100 workers have joined BCGEU. "We are doing more than any other union in the province to bring the benefits of union membership to the many B.C. workers who want to join," says Walker.
BCGEU represents 65,000 members in the public and private sectors.
