The B.C. Nurses’ Union held a vigil outside of a Burnaby care home for veterans, protesting the centre’s move to layoff all of its nursing staff.
The Tuesday evening vigil drew hundreds of nurses from all over the province who were in town for a union convention.
"These seniors are veterans and they’ve served our country. We owe them the best quality nursing care,” union president Gayle Duteil said in an emailed statement to the NOW. “The executive director of George Derby is using vulnerable veterans as pawns in his financial dispute with Fraser Health. Now, he's got the yo-yo effect happening - we're going to contract out, we're not going to contract out. It's an unacceptable strategy for seniors' care and they deserve better."
The layoff notice went to 54 nursing staff May 9. Executive director Ricky Kwan said he would have to contract out nursing care if he doesn’t get more funding from Fraser Health. Kwan then said he would hold off on the contracting-out process. However, he said he would still meet with potential contractors but he would not sign any deals until he speaks with Fraser Health, most likely in early June.
Paul Ballinger, chair of the centre’s family council, said the rally was a nice gesture of support from nurses to the George Derby nursing staff.
“It just showed they are really trying to show their emotional commitment to their colleagues,” he said.
George Derby Centre houses roughly 300 residents, half of whom are veterans.
