The Pain of Privatization

In a city that is becoming increasingly expensive to live, a medical emergency is often the last thing many of us are prepared to face. Even with our wonderfully socialist universal healthcare policies it can often be difficult to supplement hospital costs, visits to health care specialists or even just take a sick day from work. As a child of government employees I will admit I've always taken health insurance for granted but recently, in conjunction with UBC and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, I've been learning that the dazzling reputation of Vancouver's hospitals are far from the reality inside them.

Six years ago, under the control of the Liberal government, Premier Gordon Campbell broke an election promise when he introduced Bill 29, essentially turning over 50,000 public sector jobs to private companies. This legislation was directed at hospital support staff throughout Vancouver's health care system; cafeteria workers, housekeepers, laundry services and maintenance staffs were all affected. Wages dropped by almost half, health benefits were extinguished and the Hospitals Employees' Union (HEU) no longer recognized their membership. Instead, support staffs are now hired on short-term contracts which results in little job security, minimal training and virtually no mobility. So six years after Bill 29's introduction, we are finally seeing the long-term consequences for not only low-wage workers but for the overall quality of health care we as Canadians so fervently take pride in.

Using survey data of approximately 100 individuals, the preliminary findings show an increase in work-related accidents, a decrease in patient interaction and specialized care, ongoing disputes between unionized and non-unionized workers and a support staff-patient ratio that produces long hours, minimal vacation and an abundance of overtime. They complain of unsafe work environments, feel too rushed in order to properly complete tasks and are generally frustrated with their subordinated position within the hospital. The quality of life for these individuals have forced many into poverty while many more struggle to manage two or even three jobs just to make ends meet. The privatization of public sector jobs may not be isolated to our city's hospitals but it will surely affect whatever medical emergency you next encounter.