City council: Keep laundry jobs local

NEWS/ CITY HALL — If shutting down laundry service at Royal Inland Hospital and shipping it out to a contractor goes ahead, it will be over the objections of Kamloops City council.

Hospital Employees Union financial secretary Donisa Bernardo asked, and received, support from council today (Tuesday) asking the Interior Health Authority’s plans to reconsider contracting out laundry service in order to save $10 million in equipment upgrades over the next decade.

Bernardo described the “tough, dirty work” done by laundry employees, saying their efficiency is not at issue; it’s strictly about saving a “modest” amount of money. She pointed out the IHA has spent $170 million on equipment in the 10 years that ended 2012.

She said some local employees have 28 years of seniority and most have been on the job 18 years or more. The 20 RIH employees make $10 to $20 an hour. Those jobs would disapper, she said, as laundry is shipped to the Coast or Alberta.

“My fear is if privatization of the laundry goes forward it will be just the beginning.”

Her comments resonated with most of council, which approved a motion of support. Coun. Tina Lange said that, as a citizen, she doesn’t mind paying “a bit of a premium” if jobs can be kept in the community.

Coun. Dieter Dudy agreed. “To think that 20 good-paying jobs can be lost because of this sticks in my throat to some extent,” he said.

Councillors considered combining the motion asking for reconsideration of the job cuts with one inviting the IHA to appear as a delegation to explain its intentions, but decided to deal with it in separate motions.

The motion to send a letter to IHA asking for reconsideration was approved, with Councillors Pat Wallace, Donovan Cavers, Dieter Dudy, Denis Walsh and Tina Lange in favour. Councillors Arjun Singh and Ken Christian were opposed.

IHA announced Feb. 11 it would move ahead with a Request for Solutions to privatize laundry services and start a 90-day consultation period with HEU.

Staff provide laundry services at five large and six small laundry sites throughout the health region. They offer linen services to hospitals, health centres and IHA-owned and operated residential care facilities.

About 100 IHA staff in total would lose their jobs if privatization goes ahead.