Office, Editorial 985-2131 Display Advertising 980-0511

April 5, 1992 52 pages

NEWS photo Terry Paters

LGH laundry detati

LIONS GATE Hospital president Bob Smith swaps his suit and tie jor jeans and a golf shirt as
he helps do the laundry at the North Vancouver hospital. LGH management staff av: been
forced to help out with hospital laundry duties during the current jabor dispute between the
Hospital Employees Union and the Heaith Labor Relations Association, which represents B.C.

hospitals.

23 Payee

hte

ERY DOO

Special feature on

spring

fashion: 13

Singapore sights: 39

Classifieds 986-6222

Distribution 986-1337

91 beds closed; management
mans laundry, food services

LIONS GATE Hospital (LGH) braced itself Friday morn-
ing for a full-scale strike by the Hospital Employees Union

(HEU).

The union, which represents
approximately 1,100 LGH
eniployees who work in a wide
variety of areas from laundry to
finances, has been without a col-
lective agreement for over one
year and is embroiled in a labor
dispute with the Health Labor
Relations Association (HLRA),
which bargains for all B.C. hospi-
tals.

The HEU began another series
of job actions at 150 health care
facilities across the province on
Friday. At LGH, HEU members
walked off the job in nutrition
services, stores and purchasing.

LGH president Bob Sinith said
management staff were employed
Friday in cooking and delivering
patients’ meals,

“We don't know how long this
will last. We are, in terms of
management, keeping ourselves on
standby for the bility of a
full-scale strike today
this weekend,”” said Smith.

But the HEU, which has served
its mandatory 48-hour strike
notice, had littl to say Friday
morning about the dhreat of a
full-scale strike.

“There are job actions taking
place today (Friday). We are
prepared r one (full-scale
strike), but not happening at
this time,’’ said HEU spokesman
Chris Gainor.

Meanwhile, LGH has closed 9}
beds since Tuesday in anticipation
of an HEU strike. There are 373
acute care beds in the hospital.

“By the end of today (Friday)
we anticipate closing 123 beds.’’
said Smith.

The HEU has also held two
three-hour work stoppages at
LGH during the past two wecks to
back contract demands.

The work stoppages have
resulted in a three-day backlog of
laundry, and LGH management
have been forced to help out with
the laundry chores.

By Surj Rattan
News Renorter

On Thursday, Smith
his suit and tie for a pair of
golf shirt and sneakers and began
helping out with the hospital
laundry duties.

The hospital is also under con-
tract to provide laundry service
for Burnaby General Hospital and
Sunny Hill Hospital in Vancouver

hard physical work,
Sinith said.

Smith added that working in the
laundry was ‘‘very frustrating
because nothing gets done from
an adminsirative point. Nothing
gets done in terms of planning for
the hospital. | think this type of
strike is very costly,’ said Smith.

He added that bout 20
management people were spending
part of their afternoons doing
laundry chores at LGH.

Smith said LGH receives ap-
proximatley 20,000 pounds of
laundry cach day. The hospital’s
Jaundry can wash about 2,000
pounds of laundry per hour.

Despite the labor dispute, Smith
praised the work the HEU laundry
employees do.

“This is probably the most effi-
cient hospital laundry service in
B.C. To some exteni some people
(management) find it (doing laun-
dry) a novelty. tt gives them a
chance to find out how things
work,”’ said Smith.

“You develop a great apprecia-
tion for the quality of work the
staff do.””

In 1989 a strike at LGH lasted
17 days.

Said Smith, ‘‘We’re in a situa-
tion where if the union does go
into a fuli-scale strike we sure as
hell won’t be ready for it. 1 don’t
think the employees want to go on
strike.”’

Index

M8 Classified Ads

@ Cocktails & Caviar
@ Comics

@ High Profiles

B High Tech

Horoscopes

@ Lifestyles......
@ Municipal Affairs
@ Travel

Bi Vintage Yea

Weather

Monday & Tuesday, mostly cloudy with showers, Highs 12'
Lows 5°C.

Second Class Registration Number 3885

saree 2

SINCE 1