HEU Guardian: Winter 2021

Guardian HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES’ UNION

WINTER 2021 • VOL. 39 • NO. 3

happy holidays AGREEMENT NUMBER 40007486

RETURN TO The Guardian 5000 North Fraser Way Burnaby, B.C. V5J 5M3

Jennifer Gaulthier PHOTO

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WORKING THROUGH IT Workload crisis and its toll on mental health

Guardian HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES’ UNION

FEATURE

WINTER 2021

Gearing up for bargaining Sector bargaining conferences set member demands

A deeper look Mental health injuries are a workplace issue | 7

NEWS

Leading labour’s way HEU’s landmark equity moves put the union at forefront | 3

Together again Island Health Authority begins bringing workers in-house | 5

Rising concern After a season of fire, fall floods bring new threat | 11

Caelie Frampton PHOTO

BRINGING IT TO THE TABLE | Meena Brisard, HEU’s secretary-business manager, will be chief spokesperson at facilities bargaining in the spring.

WITH inflation on the rise, and

7 5 COLUMNS Viewpoint

Reaching out with relief and resources | 6

President’s Desk

Finding ways to support shop stewards | 6

Voices Report highlights women health care workers | 12

workers exhausted from nearly two years on the front lines of a global pandemic, it’s no surprise that wages, working conditions, and mental health are top of mind for HEU members as the union heads to the bargaining table in 2022.

Delegates to the union’s community health, community social services and facilities bargaining conferences this fall spoke about crushing workloads, recruitment and retention, and the pandemic’s impact on mental health.

Secretary-business manager Meena Brisard, the chief spokesperson at the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) table, says HEU members are looking for wage increases.

“We will work with locals to educate, organize and mobilize members to secure the best possible collective agreements,” says Brisard.

All three agreements expire on March 31, 2022.

Facilities bargaining

HEU is the lead negotiator in the 10-union FBA, which covers about 58,000 health care workers. Nearly three-quarters of HEU members are covered by the FBA contract.

At a virtual bargaining conference, about 150 delegates adopted bargaining demands, including on wage and premium increases, and improved language on hours of work, overtime, portability rights,

EDMP funding and special leave.

They also supported contract improvements on working from home, substance use, incentives for retaining casuals, and return of services contracted out since 2002.

A panel discussion with labour economist Jim Stanford and antiprivatization author and advocate Linda McQuaig, cited the importance of a strong public sector – and how B.C. is well-positioned to finance investments in frontline services and workers.

“The pandemic has highlighted the value of our members’ work. They need safer workplaces, more staff, and proper compensation for their critical role in delivering quality health care,” says Brisard.

Delegates also elected 10 bargaining committee members, who will join Brisard, president Barb Nederpel and financial secretary Betty Valenzuela at the bargaining table.

Community bargaining

More than 30 HEU community health delegates identified wages, shift premiums, special leave, job security, safe staffing levels, and parity with the facilities subsector as major bargaining objectives.

“Demands are just words on paper, but more powerful than those words are the community health workers’ hearts and souls,” said bargaining committee member Nicole Russell, a community health worker in Parksville.

“As a union activist, I want to have a strong voice at the table,” added committee member Luba Andrews, a mental health support worker in Burnaby.

About 2,300 HEU members are in the eight-union Community Bargaining Association.

Community Social Services bargaining

About two dozen delegates, representing HEU’s 1,500 community social services members, prioritized action on diversity, improvements to paid sick leave and health benefits, respectful workplace, and wages, premiums and allowances among key bargaining goals.

“Our members need safer workplaces, more staff and proper compensation for their critical role.”

Bargaining committee member Cheryl McLachlan, a community support worker on Vancouver Island, looks forward to advocating for “critical wage increases, better benefit coverage, and addressing the loss of benefits by CSS members while on a WCB claim, which is unheard of in any other sector.”

Brisard says: “Last year’s heroes are now at the bargaining table – and we will remind the public, health employers, and government of that at every opportunity.”

WINTER 2021 | GUARDIAN 1

COMMENT Meena Brisard | Secretary-Business Manager We will work to better improve the wages and working conditions in the facilities subsector and for all our members at bargaining tables next year, including community health and community social services, contracted support services, and dozens of independent agreements.

Worker power at the bargaining table

THROWBACK HEU HISTORY

AT THE END of November, about 150 delegates representing members across the province gathered for our virtual Facilities Bargaining Conference.

It was an inspiring few days. Delegates were so passionate about their work, and how to improve the working lives of HEU members in their work sites.

When we open bargaining next year, we’ll be telling the employer what the last 22 months was like for workers like you. Through this global health crisis, you worked in frightening circumstances, risking your health, and witnessing tremendous loss and grief.

We heard loudly and clearly, at this conference, that we need to make work safer, we need accessible education and training, and we need a compensation and benefits package that provides economic security.

We will work to improve the wages and working conditions in the facilities subsector and for all our members at bargaining tables next year, including community health and community social services, contracted support services, and dozens of independent agreements.

Underlying all our bargaining is the principle that no member be left behind.

And at our recent convention, delegates reconfirmed the union’s objective of getting everyone into one collective agreement. We will continue to campaign for the return of all privatized services back in-house, including laundry, medical transcription, security and contracted support service workers at P3 hospitals.

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Reversing privatization is a game-changer for workers and their families.

On November 26, I had the great privilege of meeting with HEU members in Victoria. They were among 250 members, the first of thousands, to be returned to health authorities from their multinational employers over the next year.

It was a special moment to witness the pride and power these workers expressed as they received their new collective agreement – the facilities agreement. One member told me that she was now in a position to quit her second job at a local restaurant because of higher wages, improved benefits, and increased job security.

HEU will also keep pressure on government to re-establish common wages, benefits and working conditions in long-term care, and get that work back into the facilities agreement. The next phase of our Care Can’t Wait campaign aims to re-establish common standards that were dismantled by the previous government.

That’s what social justice, fairness and solidarity look like. HEU members see the big picture – the long-term benefits to workers and public health care – of uniting for the common good.

That’s where we find our greatest strength. That’s how we build worker power in this sector. That is HEU solidarity.

HEU MEMBERS IN SOUTH ASIAN LABOUR HISTORY Surjit Brar, a housekeeper at Prince George Regional Hospital, was featured in the Guardian in 1981. Surjit talked about her experiences as an immigrant, adjusting to life in Prince George, and being a union member.

“In Dala [India], there are no unions. It was something strange to me when I first started working.

Unions are good because if something is wrong, you can say something about it.”

This year, Surjit’s story will be featured in the South Asian Canadian Legacy Project, a partnership between the B.C. Labour Heritage Centre and the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Find out more at <ufv.ca/sasi/ south-asian-canadian-legacyproject>.

NEWS

Your union. Your paper.

Moving forward on equity Delegates approve constitutional changes at this year’s HEU convention MORE than 530 HEU members gathered virtually on November 1-5 for the union’s 32nd biennial convention. The event was held online to ensure members’ safety in the midst of a fourth wave of the pandemic.

Most delegates took part virtually from across the province, while the union’s Provincial Executive (P.E.) and convention committees gathered in-person to make sure that union business proceeded smoothly.

Delegates adapted quickly to the online platform to debate and discuss proposals. A total of 30 resolutions and 21 constitutional amendments were adopted during the five-day gathering.

Landmark constitutional change adopted

Among the constitutional changes adopted was an equity measure proposed by the P.E. After hearing a report on behalf of HEU’s DEI Working Group, delegates voted 90 per cent in favour of changing the union’s constitution to add five diversity vice-president seats (representing each of the union’s equity-seeking groups) and one young worker representative to the P.E. “Creating six seats to include equity voices puts HEU at the forefront of building a more inclusive and equitable labour movement,” said Meena Brisard, HEU’s secretary-business manager.

Delegates also strongly supported advancing the DEI project

into a second phase, and conducting a comprehensive review of the union’s Constitution and By-Laws through an equity lens.

Delegates adopted a number of other important constitutional changes and resolutions, including: ending dues on overtime hours and increasing strike pay; taking action on affordable housing; recommitting to work on truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples; adding young workers as an HEU equity standing committee; and reaffirming the union’s goal of establishing a standard collective agreement for all members.

New executive elected

Fulfilling a core part of convention democracy, delegates elected their Provincial Executive, including re-electing Barb Nederpel as president and Betty Valenzuela as financial secretary, and ratifying the appointment of Meena Brisard as secretary-business manager.

“I am deeply honoured to be given another term to serve as your president,” said Nederpel. “But I’m also very humbled to say that this isn’t about me. This is about building a union, building a movement, one that everyone can be a part of.”

Recognition for exceptional leaders

Members took some time during convention to recognize exceptional leaders past and present. The Mary LaPlante Sisterhood Award

WOMEN TO THE FRONT | Financial secretary Betty Valenzuela, secretary-business manager Meena Brisard and president Barb Nederpel take the oath of office at the convention.

was presented to former financial secretary Donisa Bernardo for her long history of fighting for women’s rights and mentoring the next generation of women leaders.

The Disability Rights Award was given to GF Strong unit clerk Tina Clemente for her unwavering advocacy for people with visible and invisible disabilities.

Retired P.E. member Jodi George was awarded HEU’s Social Justice Award for her lifelong activism, particularly her work highlighting missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

HEU’s inaugural Indigenous

Reconciliation Award was posthumously awarded to Josie Whitehead for her inspiring leadership and impactful work on Indigenous reconciliation.

Josie served on HEU’s Indigenous Peoples Standing Committee and was a tireless activist.

Finally, the Convention Gavel was presented to all of the locals representing contracted support service workers in recognition of their nearly two decades-long fight for justice for members who were contracted out in the early 2000s.

THI VU

YOUR UNION Conditions in assisted living need review This fall, HEU members Agnes Pecson, Dorothy Nelson, Merlyn Josey and Breanna Madden – from Vancouver, Kelowna and Chilliwack – joined HEU secretarybusiness manager Meena Brisard in meeting with B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie to discuss issues facing assisted living.

Members shared their experiences, made recommendations to improve assisted living, and asked for better staffing levels and training, with an emphasis on raising wages and implementing a

ers’ responsibilities have increased, and COVID-19 has exacerbated an already difficult situation.

Assisted living workers are paid less than their long-term care counterparts, and have fewer supports.

Congratulations to HEU bursary recipients recruitment and retention plan.

“Staff turnover is high, making difficult workloads even worse, and injuries are on the rise,” says Brisard. “Members are burning out. It’s time to take action and fix assisted living to provide safe,

respectful working conditions.”

Originally designed to provide a lower level of support than long-term care, assisted living has changed drastically since its creation in 2002. Due to residents’ rising complex medical needs, work-

Each academic year, HEU awards a number of bursaries, sponsored by union locals and HEU’s Provincial Executive (P.E.).

They’re available to members, their children, stepchildren and legal guardians, and spouses, including common-law and WINTER 2021 | GUARDIAN 3

IT’S THE LAW

Can workers criticize employers publicly?

SOCIAL media has made it easier than ever to publicly disagree with, or criticize, your employer.

While Canadians are entitled to freedom of expression, this does not mean we can say or post whatever we like without consequence.

An employee could face employment discipline, or a claim of defamation from their employer, if their communications are: • specifically about their employer; • made to a third-party or publicly (like social media), and • damaging to the employer’s reputation and/or harmful to their business.

The law balances an employer’s right to protect their reputation with an employee’s freedom of expression.

An employee could defend against a defamation claim if: what they have communicated is factually true; if the communication is an opinion, based on facts, and the opinion was shared in good faith; if the communication was made in good faith in a “privileged” setting such as at arbitration or at a labour-management meeting; or the communication was a mistake, and the employee retracted it and apologized as soon as they learned it was defamatory.

Even if an employee is protected in a defamation claim, an employer may still discipline an employee for misconduct or breach of employer policy, if they make unfair, damaging statements as this can harm the employment relationship.

To be safe, if you are feeling frustrated with your employer, it is best to speak to your shop steward or union representative to see what can be done, rather than posting a negative comment.

EMILY RAVEN

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Stewards here to help GOT a workplace issue? Have a collective agreement question? Need to talk?

HEU has trained shop stewards, or site reps, who are there to help members.

If you need contract language explained, have a workplace health and safety concern, or you have a work-related issue that you think violates the collective agreement, an HEU shop steward is your first point of contact.

How do I find my steward?

The first place to look for your steward contact is the designated HEU bulletin board at your work site or local.

If you can’t find it, reach out to one of your co-workers, or contact HEU’s Provincial Office or your HEU regional office. Your steward or site rep may work at another location.

A shop steward’s duty is to represent you, on behalf of your union. Stewards are appointed by your local, generally in consultation with the HEU servicing representative, and they undergo formal training to be able to perform their duties.

How do I file a grievance?

This is the process in most HEU collective agreements. The first step is to talk to your supervisor about your concern.

You may also consult a shop steward, especially if the issue is with management.

The shop steward can attend a meeting with you and your supervisor, but you can also choose to meet with your supervisor without a steward in attendance. This is called Step 1 of the grievance process, which is outlined in your collective agreement.

If the issue can’t be resolved, then the shop steward files a formal grievance in writing. This grievance is discussed at a labour-management meeting, where the HEU servicing rep and your local union committee advocate for you.

If the grievance is still unresolved, then your servicing representative and local union committee will consider next steps, which may include proceeding to a formal mediation or arbitration.

BRENDA WHITEHALL

YOUR UNION

ALL TOGETHER NOW | Members at Yaletown House long-term care in downtown Vancouver show their pride wearing HEU’s new “Health Care Heroes” T-shirts.

4 GUARDIAN | WINTER Fall/Winter 2021 2018

same-sex partners, who need financial assistance and demonstrate satisfactory academic standing.

They can support courses at any post-secondary educational institution, and are administered by a bursary committee under the P.E.’s direction.

Here are the 2021-2022 recipients and their sponsoring locals: Receiving $350 bursaries: Quintin Torresan (UBC), Kiara Hosie (Victoria General), and Olivia Ives (Royal Columbian – Bill Black).

Receiving $500 bursaries: Miranda Coleman (P.E. – Alex Paterson Memorial), Seva Aujala (Vancouver

General), Aleesha Hutmacher (Royal Jubilee), Sylvie Whitwell (St. Paul’s – Robert Standell), Inder Parmar (PHSA Amalgamated – Cathy Peters Memorial), Cassandra Principe (Vancouver General), Lauren Mufford (P.E.), Virginia Lynne Coverdale (Richmond), Jennifer Farinha (Burnaby), Jane Knight (P.E. – Ginger Goodwin), Amy Adams (Maple Ridge – Tara Hansen Memorial), Samantha Holmstrup (Prince George), and Meghan England (People with Disabilities Standing Committee – Cathy Peters Memorial).

Receiving $1,000 bursaries: Tania Ajikan (P.E.), Andrea Batchelor

REUNITING THE HEALTH CARE TEAM

First group of workers back in-house

LESS than three months after the B.C. government announced it would bring privatized hospital services back into the public sector, the first group of 235 contracted support service workers returned to work under their health authority.

HEU members were returned on November 26 at six sites on Vancouver Island – Saanich Peninsula Hospital, Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health, Glengarry Hospital, Aberdeen Hospital, Gorge Road Hospital and Priory Hospital.

“The provincial government is ending an almost 20-year health care privatization policy that fragmented our public health care system and devastated the working lives of thou-

sands of health care workers, most of whom are women or racialized workers,” says Meena Brisard, HEU secretary-business manager.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) led the way in issuing notice to its private contractors.

HEU worked with VIHA staff to implement the Labour Adjustment Template Agreement – a framework for returning privatized workers.

HEU negotiated this plan with health employers after the repeal of Bills 29 and 94 in 2018.

Changes for members

Once housekeepers and food service workers are back under the health authority, they are covered by the facilities subsector collective

agreement. For most, this means an overnight increase in wages, better benefits, and access to a pension plan and education fund.

HEU member Nirmal Kang, a food service worker, looks forward to better sick leave coverage.

“Under the private employer, we had very few sick days available to us,” says Kang. “With access to more sick days, I feel better protected for myself, my family, my co-workers, and for the patients at the hospital.”

For others, working under the health authority promises better communication and clear processes about their work.

“I’ve always only worked for a private company,” says Mark

Thi Vu PHOTO

TOGETHER AGAIN | HEU members at Gorge Road Hospital in Victoria were joined by HEU secretarybusiness manager Meena Brisard to celebrate their jobs returning to the health authority.

(P.E.), Karina Brown (P.E.), Cudbert Samuel Catotocan (P.E.), Amos Cheng (P.E.), Jeanifer Decena (P.E.), Isabella Dilorenzo-Biggs (P.E.), Sarah Duncan (P.E.), Rodney (Rod) Gordon (P.E.), Sally Ho (P.E.), Sarah Humchitt (P.E.), Sol Jacques (P.E.), Brian Youngmok Jang (P.E.), Cecilia Lenahan (P.E.), Ellia Leung (P.E.), Emma Lofeudo (P.E.), Maiysha McSavaney (P.E.), Michael Parhar (P.E.), Beatrice Villafania (P.E.), Sydney Waddington (P.E.), Chelsea Smith (Surrey – Iris Andrews Memorial), Cynthia De Leon (P.E. – Ray McCready Memorial),and Rayna (Ran) Chib (P.E. and Surrey – Edward James Ashmore Memorial).

NIRMAL KANG

Cowperthwaite, a housekeeper at Saanich Peninsula Hospital. “So, I’m eager to work with an employer who’s not driven by profit, but rather towards the same goal as the rest of the health care team – delivering good care to patients.”

More work to be done

Although most privatized workers in hospitals are expected to return to the public sector within the next year, gaps remain.

Hundreds of contracted support service workers in public-private partnership (P3) facilities are still waiting for assurances from government that they too will return in-house. HEU vows to continue advocating for their return to the public sector.

“No matter what their facility, all housekeepers and food service workers are a critical part of the health care team,” says Brisard.

“Our union will keep pushing until everyone is brought back in-house, and no one is left behind.”

THI VU

Care Can’t Wait HEU members and supporters of seniors’ care are sending hundreds of letters to their MLAs through our union’s Care Can’t Wait campaign.

The campaign is pushing for the restoration of common wages, benefits and working conditions that existed before the BC Liberals were elected in 2001. Back then, a care aide in a hospital earned the same as a care aide in a funded care home. Members had a level playing field.

Re-establishing common standards will reduce staff turnover

and provide more continuity of care for seniors. But this is only part of how we can improve seniors’ care.

Care Can’t Wait is also pushing to ensure all new long-term care spaces are public and non-profit, not private. The campaign is also demanding increased transparency and more stringent rules and regulations for private operators.

The pandemic has made it clear that the long-term care system is failing seniors and workers across the country. In B.C., HEU is pushing for a seniors’ care system that works for residents and workers.

Visit CareCantWait.ca for more info.

Welcome new members HEU warmly welcomes new members who have chosen HEU as their union – 33 working at Menno Hospital in Abbotsford, and six new members at the Cranbrook Society for Community Living at Alpine.

This brings a total of 758 new HEU members this year, at Wexford Creek Seniors Community in Nanaimo, Agassiz Seniors Community, Hamilton Village Care in Richmond, Glenwood Seniors Community in Agassiz, Northcrest Care in Delta, and Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge in Richmond.

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WORKING FOR YOU

HEU’s excluded Administrative Assistant team supports the union’s elected leadership, including the officers and members of the Provincial Executive, as well as senior staff.

This tireless team of Heather, Varsha, Barb, Michelle, Tracy and Candice (not pictured) also helps plan and run conferences, conventions, and other events.

Caelie Frampton PHOTO

WIND BENEATH OUR WINGS

Betty Valenzuela | Financial Secretary

VIEWPOINT

There have been endless acts of solidarity in our communities as we have reached out to lend a hand through these crises

THE MASSIVE FLOODING, from which our province is recovering, is tragic and overwhelming to comprehend.

HEU members living in those communities were forced to flee their homes and workplaces. And some health care workers evacuated with their patients and residents, unsure when they’d be able to return.

Many wonder if their homes will ever be livable again. My heart goes out to all those affected.

Between the pandemic, the fires and flooding, it’s been an unprecedented time in health care.

Two years of turmoil

I know that every member has faced some level of anxiety, fear, grief and isolation over the past two years.

For some, their entire lives have been turned upside down. Child care, work hours, sick pay (or lack of it), mental health, loss of family income, homelessness – the list goes on.

We have members, who had evacuated with residents when their communities were threatened by wildfires this summer, and again months later with the floods of November. And all while managing the impact of these emergencies on their own families.

There have been endless acts of solidarity in our communities as we have reached out to lend a hand through these crises.

A fund to help HEU members

Your union is there too. This past summer and this month, we provided resources to the Red Cross and other organizations to distribute relief to families and communities impacted by fires and floods.

We’ve also established a Hardship Fund to provide relief to HEU members, who have been directly impacted by these disasters.

For a long time, I have been involved in international solidarity work, nationally and locally. We have often been called on to provide support to communities in the global south, who have been impacted in devastating ways by the unfolding climate crisis – through typhoons and hurricanes, floods and famine.

But over the past few months, we’ve been provided with a front row seat to the devastating impact of the global climate emergency on communities here in British Columbia. We have learned in the most dramatic way that no one is immune.

As a health care union and a social justice union, we must be prepared to act for climate justice, and to help our communities here in B.C. and globally adapt to our new reality.

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Barb Nederpel | President

PRESIDENT’S DESK To every shop steward and local union activist helping health care workers navigate their working lives, I salute you.

SHOP STEWARDS are the backbone of every HEU local.

They’re there for you when you’re having your worst day on the job. They step in when you need a helping hand and someone to listen. They’re often taking your calls after a long day at work.

The work of shop stewards is invaluable. And being a steward can be rewarding. Helping others gives us purpose, and can be empowering.

When I was chief shop steward at Royal Inland Hospital, defending members being disciplined or terminated were some of the hardest labour-management meetings I ever attended. But I also learned about compassion and solidarity with others.

Stewards face enormous pressure

Lately, many HEU shop stewards have been stepping up in circumstances they could not have imagined two years ago.

A global pandemic, with no end in sight.

Fires and floods that have caused disruption and dislocation in the workplace and in our communities.

It’s changed the way we live our lives. It’s changed the way we work.

And the pressure on members has been enormous.

They are exhausted, stressed and burnt out. Their mental health and wellbeing has been severely impacted by the experiences of the last two years.

Many will develop PTSD from the trauma and loss they have witnessed.

I know our shop stewards are dealing with this reality every day.

And while COVID-19 vaccinations have made the work safer – we’re back to single digits in terms of outbreak sites – our shop stewards are also assisting members, who have chosen not to be vaccinated and are facing discipline or termination as a result.

These are hard conversations with long-time co-workers, where emotions are often running high.

Committed to deepening support

Local stewards and activists know what’s happening in the workplace, and are on the frontlines upholding our collective agreements and standing up for members’ rights.

To every shop steward and local union activist out there helping health care workers navigate their working lives through these uncertain times, I salute you.

Our union is committed to deepening the support we can provide to you through regional stewards’ networks, more skills-building opportunities, and recognition for your advocacy.

And if you need it, I encourage activists to reach out for support. Your union is here for you. Together, we can weather this storm.

Jessica Zais Photography PHOTO

Trinity Smetaniuk puts her heart into her work, but that can make some memories tough to overcome.

The courage to carry on Workplace mental health injuries aren’t just an individual issue. Workload, staffing shortages and stress are becoming part of a new conversation.

Health care has the highest rate of work-related injuries in B.C. Injury claims are twice the provincial average – and four times higher for those working in long-term care.

THE FULL IMPACT OF MENTAL TRAUMA

But there’s a growing number of mental health injury claims related to workplace trauma, violence, workload, anxiety or fatigue, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

CAN COME DAYS, WEEKS OR YEARS IN THE FUTURE.

The impact may not always be felt in the moment, but it can return days, weeks or years in the future.

In 2019, the WorkSafeBC mental disorder presumption was extended to care aides.

This move means fewer barriers for care aides impacted by violence or work-related trauma.

HEU advocated for, and welcomed, this change. The next step is to extend this to all health care workers. It’s especially critical during and after our global health crisis.

Additional supports are needed for members, who are struggling with their mental health, such as addressing workload and staffing shortages.

The Guardian spoke to five HEU members around the province about some of the mental health hazards in their workplaces.

HAUNTING MEMORIES

Understanding depression as a result of psychological injury at work resonates deeply for Trinity Smetaniuk, an outpatient booking clerk at Kelowna General Hospital.

“My job and how much of my heart I put into it really does go back to a lot of the mental health struggles that I’ve had recently,” she said.

In September, Smetaniuk had one of the worst depressive episodes she’s ever faced, leading her to feel suicidal and seek counselling. But it wasn’t just the stressors of understaffing at her current job. She is a former lab assistant, and her memories of working on the emergency room floor haunt her.

In one instance, while working the night shift, Smetaniuk and her colleagues tended to a baby in critical condition. A team of

more..

WINTER 2021 | GUARDIAN 7

Crooked Chaos Photography PHOTO

Tanya Halbert says fastchanging protocols, and a PPE shortage, raised anxiety levels in her Dawson Creek workplace.

PANDEMIC STRESS

“IT AFFECTS US TOO, SOMETIMES WE CARRY IT BACK TO OUR HOME. WE’RE MAD – AT SOMETHING – AND OUR FAMILIES NOTICE.” PERFECTO RECLUSADO

multiple doctors, more than a dozen nurses, and a handful of technicians had surrounded the baby, but they were having trouble withdrawing a blood sample from its tiny arm. Since collecting blood samples was one of Smetaniuk’s specialties, they asked her to try.

She remembers touching the baby’s arm, and that it was colder than it should have been. “I tried my absolute darndest to get even a little bit of blood,” she said.

Eventually, she had to give up and let someone else try. But the baby died before they could even get a sample.

“As soon as I left the room, I went into this little storage room, I leaned against the wall, and I just wept because it was the most heartbreaking thing to see everybody give their all and have so many people looking at me and saying, ‘You can get the blood, just try one more time.’”

After the incident, she attended the team’s debrief, where a hospital chaplain was there to offer support. But even though the incident happened five years ago, she remembers it like it was yesterday.

Tanya Halbert, a cook at Rotary Manor long-term care home in Dawson Creek, says the mental health impacts from the stress of working in health care have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to working on the front lines of a care home, Halbert is the primary caregiver for her 72-year-old mother, who was immunocompromised during the pandemic due to other health issues.

Throughout the pandemic, and especially at the beginning, protocols around sanitizing and PPE were frequently changing, sometimes even weekly.

New health orders and shortages of PPE made it hard for workers and managers to anticipate what would be needed, and implement new procedures and training.

“This pandemic really brought a lot of people’s moods down,” said Halbert. “You just felt like you’re going to get it for sure. You’re going to get it from work. We’re all going to get sick.”

UNDERSTAFFING AND TURNOVER

Perfecto Reclusado, a care aide at Willingdon Care Centre, says that caring for patients with dementia while short-staffed is extremely taxing.

“You always have to be physically and mentally prepared,” he said. “It’s rewarding too. You need to have love and compassion, especially for the seniors.”

While the Centre was frequently shortstaffed before the pandemic, it’s been especially

Jennifer Gaulthier PHOTO

Frequent turnover of managers makes an already challenging job deeply stressful, says care aide Perfecto Reclusado.

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“IT’S JUST DOING A VERY, VERY DEMANDING,

Short-staffing can contribute to escalating behaviours and violence by patients, says Laurie Simpkins.

MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY TAXING JOB OVER TIME.”

VIOLENT ASSAULTS

Laurie Simpkins, a mental health rehab worker at Vancouver General Hospital and chief shop steward, says the demands of the job can overshadow the original reason why people chose to work in health care.

“Most of us went into this because we care about helping people,” she said. “I think that gets lost along the way, for some people.

It’s not due to anyone’s fault, per se, it’s just doing a very, very demanding, mentally and emotionally taxing job over time.”

Chronic short-staffing issues have worsened during the pandemic. Fewer staff means fewer eyes on the floor, making it harder to see and respond to situations before they become behavioural emergencies.

“Most of us who have worked in [mental health and substance use] have been assaulted at least once,” she said.

Simpkins says there’s a maximum of only nine security guards in all of VGH. This means that if a patient is violent, nurses and mental health workers on the floor might not get help for 30 minutes or longer.

A patient who is psychotic or high can be unpredictable and aggressive. Without enough security support, Simpkins says, “staff may have to go hands-on – for the safety of patients and workers – to help restrain a patient and place them in seclusion. Doing that changes you as a person.

“There’s a lot of emphasis on the patient’s trauma – and that is absolutely important, we are acutely aware of that… but what about our trauma? Our trauma gets lost.”

After a violent incident, the team debriefs.

But Simpkins admits many people are afraid to speak up and reach out for support.

In her role as steward, she has had to coax workers to see a trained professional.

“People will say, ‘Oh, my family is a great support,’ and that’s great… but family members aren’t necessarily trained clinical counsellors.

“Progress has been made in reducing the stigma around mental health, but there’s still mountains to climb,” she said.

OVERWORKED AND ISOLATED

Triffini Benedict, a scheduler at Royal Columbian Hospital, says she and her colleagues have struggled with inadequate training, unreasonable productivity expectations, and isolation.

“Sometimes, when you’re going into a portfolio that hasn’t had a program clerk for several months, the work piles up,” she said.

Administrative jobs don’t always have the same mentorship and training of frontline health care jobs, where you’re on the floor and getting hands-on experience. “Everyone has this expectation of a program clerk or an administrative staff to be able to walk in and just figure it out,” said Benedict.

Due to short-staffing and the delay of opening a new building at the hospital,

Benedict had to take on the workload of twoand-a-half people for a year. “I felt so alone and isolated, and asking for help didn’t yield any results,” she said.

Eventually, she got a new supervisor who advocated for more staffing. “Up until then, I was just working for free after work because I had to get it all done and I didn’t know what else to do.”

Nonetheless, the workload had taken a toll, and she had to take four months of unpaid sick leave to recover.

Since her return to work, efforts have been made to build more resilience and community within the program clerk team.

Regular lunch meetings and a work-related group chat give staff a way to ask for help and support each other through tough deadlines.

Doing the workload of more than two people left Triffini Benedict struggling, with nowhere to turn for help.

Jennifer Gaulthier PHOTO

hard with the Single-Site Order. On days when a patient isn’t cooperating, it’s trying. “It affects us too, sometimes we carry it back to our home. We’re mad – at something – and our families notice,” said Reclusado.

Good managers make the job much easier, he said. But since he started at Willingdon in 2013, there have been at least three different managers cycle through.

“Sometimes, it’s really hard because they each have their own set of rules,” he said.

Jennifer Gaulthier PHOTO

LAURIE SIMPKINS

GUARDIAN 9

HEU’S 32ND BIENNIAL CONVENTION • NOV. 1 - 5, 2021

Meet your new Provincial Executive A major order of business at every HEU convention is electing the union’s Provincial Executive.

These 22 women and men – including secretary-business manager Meena Brisard – are charged with carrying out the wishes of convention and leading the union over the next year. HEU’s 33rd convention will be held in the fall of 2022.

FULL-TIME OFFICERS PRESIDENT

Barb Nederpel health records clerk/care aide Kamloops/ Thompson Local

SECRETARYBUSINESS MANAGER

Meena Brisard

FINANCIAL SECRETARY

TRUSTEES

REGIONAL VICEPRESIDENTS – INTERIOR Ken Bennett SENIOR TRUSTEE residential care aide

Talitha Dekker SENIOR TRUSTEE-ELECT accounts receivable clerk Kamloops / Thompson Local

Betty Valenzuela health records clerk Vancouver General Local

cook Tri-Port Local

Bill McMullan 1ST VICEPRESIDENT residential support worker Kardel Local

care aide Vernon Local

TRUSTEE

Barb Shukin activity worker F.W. Green Local

Monica Thiessen lab assistant Shuswap Local

REGIONAL VICEPRESIDENTS – NORTH REGIONAL VICEPRESIDENTS – FRASER Bonnie Hammermeister care aide Surrey Local

Lisa Crema mental health worker / life skills support worker Prince George Local

Angela Sharf Charlotte Millington 2ND VICEPRESIDENT technical analyst Royal Jubilee Hospital Local

Erica Carr 3RD VICEPRESIDENT clerk Eagle Ridge Local

10 GUARDIAN | WINTER 2021

Scott McKay care aide Chilliwack Amalgamated Local

food service worker Seven Shining Stars Local

Louella Vincent

Malaspina Mid Island Local

Cathy Black

VICE-PRESIDENTS

Heidi Collins

Ratna Tithh

medical device reprocessing technician Prince George Local

REGIONAL VICEPRESIDENTS – VANCOUVER COASTAL

Mark Williams

Karen McVeigh

rehab assistant Eagle Ridge Local

care aide Dogwood Lodge Local

community support worker WHR Lower Mainland Local

REGIONAL VICEPRESIDENTS – VANCOUVER ISLAND Phil Henderson cook Arranglen Local

Ian Smith technical analyst Royal Jubilee Local

UNION DEMOCRACY AT WORK HEU’s Provincial Executive (P.E.) is elected by convention delegates every two years.

The P.E. is responsible for implementing the goals and policies set by HEU’s membership, and guiding the work of the union between conventions.

P.E. members represent all regions of the province, and come from a variety of occupations and sectors.

You can read more about your elected representatives in their bios posted on HEU’s website <www.heu.org/provincialexecutive>.

B.C. FLOOD EMERGENCY

HEU members race against rising waters Josh Berson PHOTO

IN NOVEMBER, an atmospheric river brought heavy rains to southwestern B.C., causing flooding, power outages, and fatal landslides that closed highways and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.

As frontline workers, HEU members in affected areas worked through the tumult. Tammie MacDonald, a care aide who lives and works in Merritt, was forced from her home when the town received an evacuation order.

But she didn’t just pack up her own belongings.

Residents of the long-term care home where she works, Gillis House, were also evacuated.

Rushing to safety

“We got the order to evacuate Monday morning… We were running around packing up stuff for residents, a couple of days’ worth of clothes, anything that they needed on a day-today basis,” said MacDonald.

MacDonald, two other care aides and a nurse packed up all 24 residents on their wing. The seniors were sent to temporary care homes in three different regions.

“We were feeding them lunch quickly, and the buses were pulling up already… Then, they got shipped off to each direction.”

MacDonald’s shift finished around 2 p.m. that day, after which she hurried home to pack her own belongings. She and her two daughters then drove up to 100 Mile House. When the Guardian spoke with her, she was still at the hotel near the care home that’s housing some of the Merritt residents, and where she’s temporarily working.

Her husband, a security guard, stayed down in Merritt to work. Their 13-year-old is hanging on, but “bored out of her mind” in the hotel room, and their older daughter is a care aide who works alongside her mother.

“I am safe, my family is safe, but I can honestly say there are many, many times throughout the day where I kind of get a little jerk in the eye

DEEP TROUBLE | When torrential rains triggered floods and landslides last month, health care workers scrambled to get patients and residents to higher ground.

and I get a tear,” she said. “I just want to go home with my kids to my husband and my animals.

“But on the other hand, I truly love my job and love being a care provider for these people, and I know they need me 100 per cent, and I would do anything to make sure they’re alright.

They’re my other family.”

Sheltering in place

In the town of Hope, the storms and floods meant residents were without power for more than 24 hours, and the whole municipality was cut off from the rest of the province due to highway closures.

While the town wasn’t forced to evacuate,

Riverside Manor, where Shirley Zeeman is head chef, has faced a mountain of difficulties.

Staff have been providing care under constantly changing circumstances, Zeeman said.

“Our basement flooded, and they didn’t have hot water for a week.”

Zeeman, who lives in a neighbouring town, was cut off from driving to work for several days, which meant the other chef had to work extra shifts.

“He made sandwiches and salads for them, and basic desserts like pudding,” she said. “Our food had to be flown in… We were doing things in the dark.”

NEWSBITES Changes stem from report on racism Associate Deputy Minister for Indigenous Health Dawn Thomas (Aa ap waa iik) spoke at HEU’s convention about the In Plain Sight report. The 2020 study addresses Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination in B.C.’s health care system.

Work stemming from the report’s 24 recommendations includes creating the associate deputy minister for Indigenous Health position, an Indigenous health vice-president in each health authority, and the appoint-

ment of two Indigenous board members for each health authority. Other recommendations include developing a culturally safe patient complaint process, anti-racism legislation, and a cultural safety and humility standard.

Minister Thomas said while much is happening as a result of the report, not a lot has changed at the point of care.

She encouraged HEU members to consider the words of Cree physician Dr. James Makokis: “Racism is hate. The opposite of hate is love. How will you infuse love into the health care system?”

Sick leave limits linked to outbreaks B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie’s report, released in October, links the lack of paid sick leave coverage and the contracting out of care staff to some of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the province’s longterm care and assisted living homes.

Mackenzie found more than half of private “for-profit” care home operators only offer six or fewer paid sick days a year. All health authority-operated sites and 44 per cent of non-profit-

operated workplaces allow 18 days of paid sick leave per year.

“The report’s findings are a direct result of privatization, which has left vulnerable health care workers without adequate sick days,” says HEU secretarybusiness manager Meena Brisard. “Twenty years ago, most government-funded care homes provided 18 paid sick days – we’re fighting to bring that standard back.”

HEU is calling for the restoration of common wages, benefits and working conditions across seniors’ care.

WINTER 2021 | GUARDIAN 11

LABOUR

News from here and around the world

ORGANIZING IN AMERICA

WHEN American media dubbed the month of October “Striketober”, it was a good indication that something big was happening for labour unions in the United States.

In October alone, there were 54 strikes involving 28,300 workers, including more than 10,000 at machinery company John Deere. And since the start of 2021, American workers in industries like health care, food manufacturing, automotive, and film and TV have launched about 300 strikes.

While only about 11 per cent of American workers are in a union (compared to 30 per cent in Canada), many of those workers are turning to the last resort – a strike – to improve their working conditions.

In many cases, they’re taking on some of the biggest private sector employers in their country.

Workers striking against food manufacturer Kellogg rejected a tentative deal in early December, even after eight weeks on the line.

Even after decades of union-busting, anti-labour laws, and a serious decline in organizing, American unions are on the rise.

Workers are seeking improvements in wages, benefits and staffing levels, but the key issue for the union is to eliminate the employer’s twotier wage system.

Labour leaders say two-tier

wages – lower wages for new hires – are not only unfair, but create divisions among workers, and weaken unions.

The Kellogg Company made a profit of $1.25 billion in 2020, with the CEO earning $11.6 million. The company is responding to the job action by threatening to outsource production and lay off employees.

Other workers are taking a different kind of action. It’s estimated that since April, four million Americans per month have been leaving their jobs. In August alone, 4.3 million – almost three per cent of the country’s entire workforce – quit.

This was the same month that the U.S. government ended COVIDrelated supplemental unemployment benefits.

There’s a lot of speculation about why people are leaving their jobs, including burnout, COVID19, retirement, and low wages.

Corporate America has moved on from trying to explain why it’s happening, and is reframing it as a labour shortage.

But Robert Reich, former U.S. secretary of labor, says in a recent Guardian UK op-ed that there isn’t a real labour shortage. There’s a “living wage shortage, a hazard pay shortage, a child care shortage, a paid sick leave shortage, and a health care shortage.”

But even after decades of unionbusting, anti-labour laws, and a serious decline in organizing, American unions are on the rise.

In September, a Gallup poll

www.intheshadow.photo PHOTO

Unions on the rise in U.S.

EMPTY BREAKFAST | Workers at a Kellogg cereal manufacturing plant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania walk the line against poor working conditions and a two-tier wage system.

showed union support is at a 50-year high of 68 per cent, with 77 per cent of young adults (aged 18 to 34) supporting unions.

So, it’s no coincidence that young workers are taking on organizing Starbucks. The coffee giant has a record of successfully staving off unionization by raising wages and holding “listening sessions” with employees.

But in early December, a location

in Buffalo, New York was the first of 8,000 U.S. stores to organize.

Labour activists hope that success unionizing one of the world’s most visible brands will launch a broader push for unionization across the fast food sector.

A Starbucks store in Victoria joined United Steelworkers in 2020, becoming the first, and so far only, unionized Canadian location.

SARA ROZELL

VOICES

Visibility for women health care workers CARE WORK is compassionate work. But with the added stresses of the pandemic, women health care workers often feel like they are sacrificing themselves for the benefit of others.

B.C. Women’s Health Foundation’s new report Invisible No More, developed in partnership with HEU and HSA, explores the experiences of women health care workers during the pandemic, and makes recommendations for change.

Using evidence from first-hand interviews with workers, the report exposes the stresses of frontline positions.

Health care workers describe desperately needing time off, but feeling responsible for the strain that it would put on team members. Some underwent traumatic situations at work, where they needed time at home to decompress, but felt too guilty to do so.

Those in long-term care felt obliged to work long 12 GUARDIAN | WINTER 2021

Report highlights the often high-risk, invisible challenges health care workers face.

hours and take on extra tasks, recognizing residents’ basic rights to care and increased needs due to the lack of family support.

And the report highlights the immense pressure that COVID-19 has added with continuously changing protocols, increased workloads, and lack of equitable access to personal protective equipment.

The recommendations include: raising public awareness; investing in training and recruitment; improving compensation and benefits; ensuring access to confidential, third-party support to report racism, discrimination or harassment; investment in child care; an increase in women’s representation in decisionmaking; and offering proactive support for mental health and burnout.

Read the report at <bcwomensfoundation.org/ invisiblenomore>.

GENESA GREENING is former president and CEO of B.C. Women’s Health Foundation

Jim Friesen is a recreation program coordinator at Central City Lodge in Vancouver and their in-house photographer, taking beautiful portraits of the residents.

Photo project lifts residents’ spirits How did you get involved in photographing residents?

Back in the 2000s, after the Gordon Campbell layoffs, I took advantage of some backpay. I bought a digital camera. And when I retired in 2009, I received a gift certificate, and purchased some lighting equipment.

When I came back from retirement to do casual work, I started an ongoing portrait studio at the Lodge. The photos on the residents’ doors were taken when they moved in. I didn’t think people looked their best in those moments, so I wanted to make sure we got a good photo.

I was recently asked by the dietician to put them on the table placements. They’re also up in our boardroom, and act as a reminder of who we all work for.

Does your work with seniors make you a better photographer?

Having to put other people’s needs before my own has taken me a long way in becoming more caring. When I first started, I wouldn’t have had the maturity to see the need for a program like this.

And so, all these things go hand-in-hand.

You don’t just become a better photographer.

Hopefully, you become a better worker, and a better person.

What kind of impact do your photos have?

The photos really help change the atmosphere. Having someone tell you how good you look in a professional studio setting,

Caelie Frampton PHOTO

LOOKING GOOD | Jim Friesen takes professional-quality photos of residents as part of his recreation program coordinator job at Central City Lodge.

and paying attention to you in a positive way, has a good benefit.

And it changes my relationship with people. A lot of them will ask me to take the pictures again.

Our clients all have unique histories and have often faced challenges. Many of them have a history in the Downtown Eastside.

They’re people with lots of personality.

NEWSBITES CUPE National holds convention CUPE, HEU’s national union, held its 30th biennial convention virtually this November, with delegates attending from across Canada.

More than 50 HEU members represented our union, and two were elected to roles on the national executive. HEU president Barb Nederpel was re-elected as a regional vice-president (British Columbia), and HEU senior trustee-elect Talitha Dekker was elected to a trustee position.

Mark Hancock was acclaimed

How do you make people feel at ease?

I treat everyone as an important client, and a friend.

I want residents to feel good, and make it a fun little five minutes where I take their photo.

It’s all part of the job, when it comes down to it. Showing respect and attention to people.

CONTINUED FROM PG 11

to a fourth term as national president. National secretary-treasurer Charles Fleury retired after 10 years in office and 40 years of involvement with CUPE. Candace Rennick, from the CUPE Ontario division, was elected as national secretary-treasurer, and is the first woman in 20 years to hold the position. Rennick was a long-term care worker in the seniors’ care sector before serving as the Ontario division’s secretarytreasurer for the past 12 years.

An anticipated constitutional amendment to add more diversity vice-presidents to the

CUPE National Executive Board (NEB) failed to achieve the twothirds’ majority required to pass.

Currently, CUPE’s NEB includes two diversity seats.

New CUPE secretary-treasurer Candace Rennick, with president Mark Hancock.

Five days sick pay new minimum in B.C. All B.C. workers covered by the Employment Standards Act will be eligible for a minimum of five days of employer-paid sick leave, as of January 1.

Workers with five or more sick days already will see no change.

But for the 53 per cent of B.C. workers with no sick pay, this is a welcome improvement.

The B.C. Federation of Labour continues to call for 10 paid sick days as the most effective approach for health and safety.

WINTER 2021 | GUARDIAN 13

COFFEE BREAK Members at Laurel Place long-term care in Surrey joined HEU in August 2020, and are currently negotiating their first collective agreement.

Convention comprehension

Myra Estrada is a care aide and warden of the HEU local. She’s worked at Laurel Place for eight years.

HEU just held its 32nd biennial convention.

Delegates debated and voted on resolutions and constitutional amendments, and elected a new Provincial Executive. How much do you know about how convention works?

1 2 3 4

How are local delegates chosen to attend convention? a. Chosen by the Provincial Executive b. Chosen by their local executive c. Elected by members in their local What does a “biennial” convention mean? a. Held twice a year b. Held every two years c. Held once a year How many times can a member be elected to the Provincial Executive? a. No limits b. One two-year term c. Ten years total

Bonnie Ayap is the secretary-treasurer of the Laurel Place local. “When I give the orientation to new workers, I say that giving quality care to our elders reflects ourselves.

“We had a large outbreak at our site and we lost more than 10 residents. I was swabbed many times and somehow I was one of three who didn’t get COVID. I tried to stay out of our house as much as possible and I even slept in my car to keep my family safe. It was very hard on my mental health, but I kept praying. I had a lot of help and resources with HEU.”

How many seats were added to the Provincial Executive this year? a. Two b. Six c. Ten

Send us your answers to be entered to win a prize!

Go to heu.org/coffeebreak and submit your answer online by January 31, 2022.

14 GUARDIAN | WINTER WINTER/Winter 2021 2018

Caelie Frampton PHOTOS

HEU MEMBERS:

Juling Rabaino is a care aide and the chairperson of the Laurel Place local. “We don’t want to see bullying happening at our site and having the union is very helpful for us. We want better protection for the safety of our workers and our residents.”

HEU PEOPLE RETIREMENTS After 34 years of service, Ross Dickson retired this October from Vancouver Coastal Health.

He began working at Lions Gate Hospital in laundry as a casual, before moving to housekeeping.

When the hospital had a shortage of staff working in the sterile supply department, Ross went back to school. He spent the next seven years working as a medical device reprocessing technician.

With his construction background, it was easy for Ross to switch gears and move to maintenance, first at Lions Gate, and then Squamish General Hospital, where he worked until his retirement.

“I enjoyed working with the residents and staff,” says Ross. “We have a tight community, and I will really miss that.”

Once retired, Ross plans to move to be closer to his children. He also plans on spending more time fishing, hiking and travelling, while he gets used to the next chapter in his life.

Retired at the end of October, Margot Dreher worked as a care aide at the German Canadian Care Home for more than 40 years.

“I was part of an amazing, dedicated team at the German Canadian Care Home Special Care Unit”, says Margot.

“Looking back over the years, my job really shaped who I am as a person today. The varied interactions with residents, families and staff often transpired into memorable heartfelt moments, valuable life lessons, and even lifelong friendships.

“I am thankful for having had the opportunity of practicing respect, dignity and empathy in serving others.

“I will miss being part of this dynamic team, and sharing in their daily challenges and workload. I will also miss the residents and the

50,000 members in 296 locals

special relationships that were formed over the years.”

Although officially retired, Margot still has plans to work remotely. Never one to sit still, she also has many hobbies, including outdoor activities, and a love for sewing, quilting and greeting card design. “I am never bored, and often wish there were more hours in the day to accomplish even more.”

In October, Doug Eftoda retired from Wrinch Memorial Hospital, were he worked in maintenance for more than 18 years.

Doug was active in his local, serving as chair and vice-chair for many years.

On his own time, Doug belonged to the Hazelton Paddling Club. He enjoyed hiking and fishing, and was selected to represent local anglers on a committee to develop fishing regulations for the region.

“It was both an honour and a pleasure to work with so many wonderful people over the years,” says Doug. “I will greatly miss all of you.”

Retirement plans include restoration of a recently acquired log home, as well as another home-improvement project that needs his time and attention. Doug is also looking forward to family time with his two grandchildren, and some more fishing and hiking adventures.

Lota Bordeleau recently retired from Haro Park Centre in downtown Vancouver, where she has been a food service worker since 1995.

Over the years, Lota has served as secretary-treasurer, assistant secretary-treasurer, trustee and conductor at her local. Her co-workers call her “a ray of sunshine, with a warm heart for everyone she meets.” In retirement, Lota looks forward to travelling, spending time with her family, and volunteering in the community.

Equity matters

Did you know that HEU has six equity standing committees? Working with HEU’s equity officers, they provide outreach and advocacy to HEU members, and work in solidarity with other social justice groups.

To learn more, call 1.800.663.5813 to speak with Equity Officers Sharryn Modder and Jennifer Efting.

Ethnic Diversity • Indigenous Peoples Pink Triangle • People with Disabilities • 2-Spirited, Women and Non-Binary • Young Workers

Guardian HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES’ UNION

“In humble dedication to all those who toil to live.”

EDITOR Caelie Frampton MANAGING EDITOR Elaine Littmann ASSOCIATE EDITOR Brenda Whitehall GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elaine Happer PRINTING Mitchell Press The Guardian is published on behalf of HEU’s Provincial Exec­utive, under the direction of the editorial committee: Meena Brisard, Barb Nederpel, Betty Valenzuela, Bill McMullan, Charlotte Millington, Erica Carr, Ken Bennett HEU is a member of the Canadian Association of Labour Media PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE BARB NEDERPEL President MEENA BRISARD Secretary-Business Manager BETTY VALENZUELA Financial Secretary BILL MCMULLAN 1st Vice-President CHARLOTTE MILLINGTON 2nd Vice-President ERICA CARR 3rd Vice-President KEN BENNETT Senior Trustee

SHOW OFF YOUR UNION PRIDE!

TALITHA DEKKER Senior Trustee-Elect CATHERINE BLACK Trustee

Dress up your local with our NEW T-shirts, pullovers, hoodies and hats!

And get the little ones started early with our Union Made onesies!

BONNIE HAMMERMEISTER Regional Vice-President Fraser SCOTT MCKAY Regional Vice-President Fraser MARK WILLIAMS Regional Vice-President Fraser

CHECK OUT OUR BOUTIQUE ONLINE AT www.heu.org/heu-boutique.

HEIDI COLLINS Regional Vice-President Interior

We’ll be adding new items as they come in!

HEU

BARB SHUKIN Regional Vice-President Interior MONICA THIESSEN Regional Vice-President Interior

KAREN MCVEIGH Regional Vice-President Vancouver Coastal RATNA TITHH Regional Vice-President Vancouver Coastal LOUELLA VINCENT Regional Vice-President Vancouver Coastal LISA CREMA Regional Vice-President North ANGELA SHARF Regional Vice-President North PHIL HENDERSON Regional Vice-President Vancouver Island IAN SMITH Regional Vice-President Vancouver Island LISA KREUT First Alternate Provincial Executive

HEU OFFICES PROVINCIAL OFFICE 5000 North Fraser Way Burnaby V5J 5M3 604-438-5000 1-800-663-5813 EMAIL heu@heu.org WEB www.heu.org REGIONAL OFFICES

Vancouver Island VICTORIA 201-780 Tolmie Avenue Victoria V8X 3W4 250-480-0533 1-800-742-8001 COMOX 6-204 North Island Highway Courtenay, V9N 3P1 250-331-0368 1-800-624-9940

Interior region KELOWNA 250-1815 Kirshner Road Kelowna V1Y 4N7 250-765-8838 1-800-219-9699 NELSON 745 Baker St. Nelson V1L 4J5 250-354-4466 1-800-437-9877 NORTHERN 1197 Third Ave. Prince George V2L 3E4 250-564-2102 1-800-663-6539

WINTER 2021 | GUARDIAN 15

Guardian HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES’ UNION

WINTER 2021 • VOL. 39 • NO. 3

happy holidays AGREEMENT NUMBER 40007486

RETURN TO The Guardian 5000 North Fraser Way Burnaby, B.C. V5J 5M3

Jennifer Gaulthier PHOTO

p7

WORKING THROUGH IT Workload crisis and its toll on mental health