Workers at Bayshore HealthCare join the union – UFCW 401
Strathmore, Alta. – November 20, 2019 – Home care workers at Bayshore HealthCare are the newest members of UFCW Local 401 after recently voting to join the union.
After a significant effort from Bayshore employees in Wheatland County to form a union, a strong majority voted in favour of joining UFCW in order to secure better working conditions.
“We are really happy and proud of what you have been able to achieve,” said UFCW Canada Organizer Jason Parrell in a message to Bayshore employees. “We stood strong, and we won!”
Parrell described the organizing campaign as an “uphill battle” and the employees’ win as a testament to the resolve of working people to come together and make things better.
“We are pleased to welcome Bayshore HealthCare employees to our growing UFCW family,” says UFCW Local 401 President Tom Hesse. “They work in a caring profession, and the services they provide to people in our communities should give them immense pride. We’re excited to help them achieve all that they set out to accomplish in forming a union,” he adds.
Bayshore HealthCare is a large, private, for-profit health care provider with over 100 locations across Canada, employing more than 13,500 staff who service roughly 350,000 clients.
The forty newly unionized Bayshore employees will now be canvassed on their priorities for their first union contract, and UFCW Local 401 will soon send notice to their employer to commence negotiations.
“When people stand together, they can win,” says UFCW Local 401 Executive Director Chris O’Halloran. “This vote is the first important step towards a better workplace for those who take such great care of others. We’re proud they’ve chosen to stand with us,” he adds.
UFCW Local 401 is Alberta’s largest private-sector union, representing more than 32,000 working Albertans in diverse sectors of the economy, including retail, food processing, health care, and education. To learn more about UFCW 401, visit the Local Union’s website.
How can I join the union?
Are you a non-unionized worker who would like to enjoy the benefits of a UFCW Canada collective agreement? Do you and your co-workers want to gain the union advantage at work? Join Canada’s best union, UFCW Canada, and make your workplace better today. Click here to join now.