Chiron Health Services Vote 95% in Favour of Strike Action
BCNU members at Chiron Health Services have voted 95% in favour of strike action, to back up their demands for fair treatment and continuing employment with the new contractor taking over health services at BC Corrections on October 1, 2017.
The 335 Chiron members, who deliver medical and mental health care services to inmates at BC's ten adult correctional centres, are threatened with potential job loss due to a transfer of the service contract to the BC Ministry of Health's Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).
In the past, correctional care has been supplied by a variety of private contractors, all of whom have recognized established practices for their employees when contracts changed. But for reasons that remain unclear, PHSA has decided to terminate all Chiron employees come September 30, and then 'allow' them to reapply for their old jobs.
The proposed mass layoff potentially jeopardizes the wages, benefits, pensions and seniority of Chiron members, while rating the group's long-service and commitment to correctional services at zero. Along with LPNs, RNs and RPNs, the group represented by BCNU includes addictions counselors, mental health coordinators, and medical office coordinators.
BCNU has also launched a public petition calling on Premier Christy Clark and the Minister of Health to intervene and direct PHSA to "respect the experience and quality of service delivered by this professional health care team to a difficult population". All BCNU members are encouraged to add their names to the petition.
The petition also calls for every employee to receive a job offer in the facility they currently work at, or a mutually agreed-to facility, and for the regular rules of seniority to be used to ensure no one loses any pay, vacation, pension or benefits as a result of changing contracts.
BCNU supports the transfer of health care services for inmates to the public health care system in principle, but contests the unfairness of the layoffs and the potential victimization of current providers who are highly skilled professionals.
On a breaking news positive note today, PHSA has invited us to meet on Thursday May 4 and BCNU is hopeful that these important issues will soon be resolved.