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Health care employees still waiting for wage increase

Workers at the Whistler Health Care Centre are angry and frustrated that they haven't received the same wage increases as their unionized counterparts across the province.

Workers at the Whistler Health Care Centre are angry and frustrated that they haven't received the same wage increases as their unionized counterparts across the province.

Their employer, the Community Health Council (CHC) has told them they must wait for the Ministry of Health to approve the pay hikes because they do not belong to any union.

"Up to recently we've always had a really good working relationship with our administration and so never felt the need to be unionized," said Francesca Cole, the head nurse at the Whistler Health Care Centre.

"Most people feel insulted at the moment," she added.

There are over 60 employees at the centre who are now working on a different pay scale to unionized health care workers. This number includes the added staff that join the centre during the winter, its busiest time of the year.

The CHC is hoping that the matter can be resolved quickly but they don't have the money right now to cover the wage increases for the Whistler Health Care workers.

"We receive money from the province. We don't have a large surplus," said Brian Kines, the chief executive officer for the CHC. "I can certainly appreciate their frustration. I wish there was a better process in the ministry to recognize pay increases to non-unionized employees."

Currently the ministry has approved funding for union facilities but has not approved any funding for non-union facilities.

Workers in Squamish and Pemberton, who fall under the same Sea to Sky Community Health Council as those in Whistler, are now making more money than non-unionized workers.

"It's not fair. We're doing the same work," said Cole.

Earlier this year, after five years of restraint and wage controls, B.C.'s unionized health care employees were awarded wage increases.

Workers under the British Columbia Nurses' Union were given a 23.5 per cent wage increase for the average nurse over the next three years.

Health science workers under the Health Sciences Association were also given general wage increases of 5.5 per cent to 14.25 per cent over three years.

It was a hard-fought battle with the province that saw members of BCNU on an overtime ban starting in April. Members of the HSA started an overtime ban in May which escalated to a rotating withdrawal of services and then to a province-wide strike on the first week of June.

The matter was finally resolved in August with increased wages over a period of time, among other things.

But health care employees in Whistler were far removed from the toils of the union members this year.

They have never been a part of their respective unions, opting instead to discuss wage and benefit issues under the Workplace Consultation Committee.

This committee was established about two and a half years ago and loosely follows the frameworks of the other health care unions, with some slight differences.

For example, nurses at Whistler have a RRSP, whereas those who are part of the BCNU are part of the union's superannuation plan.

"I think it's the culture of Whistler. It tends not to be a union town," said Cole.

Nurses have the chance to vote on joining the BCNU whenever anyone expresses an interest in unionizing but the last vote was about six years ago when the nurses again decided to stay out.

It was generally felt that not being part of a union worked very well in a place like the Whistler Health Care Centre.

Anne Fenwick, a registered nurse and representative on the Workplace Consultation Committee, says that not being in a union gives Whistler health care workers greater flexibility. They are not constrained by specific job roles as outlined by the union.

"There is a lot of teamwork at the Whistler Health Care Centre. We certainly help out different departments in a time of need... which works well for us," said Fenwick.

Up until now, there has never been an imbalance in the wages of workers in the Sea to Sky Corridor. Whistler workers have always made the same amount as the unionized workers to the north and the south of them.

"We were very surprised because this hasn't happened before. In the past we have received the increases even if the money was not there," said Fenwick.

This current situation however, is not unique to Whistler health care workers, although the centre may be the only acute care facility in the province with non-unionized personnel.

"It's not that common but there are some long term care facilities that are in a similar situation," said Kines.

The health care workers are hoping that a presentation at the next board members meeting might show the CHC how upset they are about this turn of events.

Fenwick says that most workers are still eager to remain autonomous from the union even if the salaries are unfair at this point.

"I think it would cost more to run the facility if we were a union facility," said Fenwick. "There are other strategies that we can look at before we go union."

The board is meeting is scheduled for Nov. 22 at the Whistler Health Care Centre.