Harry Bains, Minister of Labour –

“All workers deserve stable employment that treats them with dignity and respect. Years ago, dedicated people who worked hard to provide quality services to support their families, unfairly lost their jobs due to contract flipping. They had to reapply – at lower wages, and without previously negotiated seniority and other collective agreement protections – for their own positions. I am so gratified to see that terrible injustice now will be corrected.”

George Chow, MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview –

“Health-care service workers play a critical role in our health-care system, ensuring that our facilities are clean and our patients are nourished. Bringing these vital workers back into Providence Health Care gives them the job security, good working conditions and fair wages that they deserve.” 

Melanie Mark, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant –

“I’m delighted to see the ongoing impact of our government’s work on Bill 47 as hundreds of food-service workers return to Providence Health Care. This move will improve the lives of the employees, as well as the lives of the patients and the health-care workers who rely on them.” 

Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA for Vancouver-West End –

“The repatriation of health-care service workers is good news for workers, patients and the health-care system. It ensures that those workers are treated with fairness and respect, which encourages them to stay in their roles and continue providing outstanding services to patients.”

Fiona Dalton, president and CEO, Providence Health Care –

“Providence Health Care values the close partnerships that we have built over the years with our food services staff, and we are pleased to welcome workers and services back into Providence. Food services workers are critical to ensuring the nutritional needs of those we serve are met throughout our hospitals and care homes. On behalf of everyone at Providence, we thank food services staff for their dedication to our shared work, and we recognize the important role food services has in improving the outcomes and experiences of countless patients, residents and families that they help each day.”

Meena Brisard, Hospital Employees’ Union secretary-business manager –

“A reunited health-care team recognizes the critical work that food-service workers play in public health and will deliver better care for patients. By bringing these workers back in-house, the provincial government is reversing nearly two decades of privatization that fragmented our public health-care system and devastated the working lives of thousands of health-care workers, most of whom are women or racialized workers.”

Tom Wong, food services supervisor, Holy Family Hospital –

“I am excited at the opportunity to work even closer with the rest of the health-care team in providing exceptional assistance to those staying in the facility.”

Mikole David, food services supervisor, St. Paul’s Hospital –

“Joining PHC is an exciting, yet natural, prospect for me. I am excited about the idea of working under one of the renowned health authorities in B.C., including the new experiences it will bring to my career. As someone who has worked in St. Paul’s Hospital for couple of years, it would be natural for us to be under the same health authority as the hospital, working together with other departments toward the goal of providing quality patient care.”