Monday, May 12, 2008

Sodhexo wins contract

By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published Oct. 4, 2003


The Fraser Health Authority is expecting to save more than $50 million over five years after it signed a contract with Sodexho MS Canada Ltd. for the provision of housekeeping services at 12 area hospitals and two residential care facilities.

Chris Allnutt, secretary-treasurer of the Hospital Employees Union, said the decision is bad news for both patients and more than 800 unionized employees who will lose their jobs.

"After a summer of SARS, the public understands that good infection control in our hospitals and long-term care facilities is key to patient and staff safety," Allnutt said in a press release issued Wednesday.

"I question the decision of the FHA to toss hundreds of skilled and experienced cleaning staff out on the street and replace them with a company that has a checkered past in providing contract services to the public," he said.

The transition to non-unionized housekeeping staff is expected to begin in December and continue until mid-February, when Burnaby Hospital will be among the last of the FHA facilities to make the change.

In a press release, the FHA said it is contracting out its housekeeping services because it has been told to reduce its costs by $126 million over the next two years.

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