Workers from Fir Park and Echo Village rallied yesterday, protesting working conditions they say are affecting resident care.
Mark Chase, who has been a resident at Echo Village for the past 11 years, joined with protesters and said the reduction in service has become very noticable.
“They’re being overworked, they’re being picked on my management, and they’re not getting paid their proper pay,” he said. “They’re so short-staffed they can’t run properly with what they’ve got.”
Workers who didn’t want to be identified said the facilities were once the best places to work in the Alberni Valley, but not any more.
Denis Sauve, a former member of the board of directors, says staff shortages have become a big problem, and he blames management and the current board.
“You’ve got your loved ones in there and they haven’t had a bath for one, two, or three weeks, it’s just unheard of, so that what we’re trying to address, is that they get the proper care,” he said. “And for the board of directors of the continuing care society, they have one responsibilty, one employee, which is the executive director that reports to them, and they need to hold that executive director accountable for what’s going on here.”
Sauve said staff are afraid to speak out because of bullying in the workplace.
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