The BC Care Providers Association says the government needs to fund the collective agreements it signs, after the province announced today (Dec. 1) operators of care homes receiving a threshold of provincial funding could be brought under a labour agreement, the Facilities Collective Agreement, over the next two years.
This is part of a tentative agreement that would bring eligible care-home operators into the Health Employers Association of B.C., and therefore bring an estimated more than 5,000 workers into the Facilities Collective Agreement.
The province is pitching this as supporting a more resilient and equitable long-term care system with reduced turnover, more stable staffing and a better continuity of care for residents. But the announcement says nothing about covering any added labour costs after a long-term care site is brought under the agreement.
If the province is able to finalize this tentative agreement this month, more 5,000 staff across different sites will join the larger agreement.
However, industry advocate BC Care providers Association CEO Mary Polak told CFAX 1070 this won't make care better if care home operators are left to foot the bill.
“This announcement does absolutely nothing to do the recruitment of new staff or even more importantly, the training of new staff,” she added, saying seniors are increasingly going without care because B.C. is not making a commitment to address the issue.
We have asked the province to confirm if any funding commitment is expected to come with this change.
More to come.