Local health care aides voicing concerns

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Local health care aides employed by Bayshore HealthCare continue to voice their concerns regarding their working conditions and compensation amid ongoing negotiations. 

To date, the process between the unionized workers and the employer has spanned over three years in Strathmore.

“There is burnout, there is frustration, there is stress, there are feelings of giving up. We all feel very much like they do not care anything about us. We are very underpaid in Alberta for what we do,” said Shannon Neufeld, a health care aide employed by Bayshore. “It is hard making ends meet when your pay scale is so low right now and nobody is really listening or cares to listen from what we feel.”

Despite their feelings of hopelessness towards the issue, Neufeld explained those who have remained as local aides do so out of a motivation to their clients. 

She added the current roster, consisting of just under 40 aides, is consistently short staffed while new clients are added to their schedules. This results in being required to spend less and less time with any one client before taking to the road again to reach the next. 

“We start anywhere from 6 (o’clock) in the morning, before what we would typically start at, in order to incorporate most of our clients somewhat on time. We start extra early, and you go from house to house until you’re done,” said Neufeld. “A lot of times, we are driving extra fast to get to the next client and people are waiting for us to show up for their medications, or showers, or wound care … when there are sick calls, they (Bayshore) are asking us to pick up even more clients to put in our schedules.”

Under current agreements, Bayshore compensates their employees for mileage incurred at a certain distance beyond Strathmore’s municipal boundaries. 

Legally within Alberta, there is no defined requirement to provide any reimbursement for mileage. Despite this, for many employers, some kind of reimbursement is considered a standard practice.

Driver safety being its own discussion, Neufeld explained due to the amount of driving required for the job, without an increase in reimbursement, many Bayshore employees are often forced to choose between paying their rents, feeding themselves, or putting gas in the tank. 

“It seems like we’re not getting anywhere. I personally know the union is doing everything in their power, but we all seem to talk and say that it just seems like Bayshore doesn’t care at all, and they’ll keep it going stagnant forever if they could,” she said. “It shouldn’t take this long to come up with an agreement or a respectful offer. We should be actually negotiating, and it should be wrapped up, I would think, well within a year.”

Bayshore responded to a request for comment regarding the ongoing negotiations with a statement provided by Kari Cuss, executive director of public affairs and communications, but declined to engage with questions. 

“Bayshore HealthCare values the important role Health Care Aides (HCAs) play in delivering patient care in Strathmore and across Alberta.

“Bayshore HealthCare is currently engaged in collective bargaining with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) representing Health Care Aides in Strathmore, Atla. We are bargaining in good faith within Alberta’s regulated healthcare labour relations framework with the objective of reaching a fair collective agreement.

“Throughout this process, our priority remains ensuring uninterrupted, high-quality care for patients and their families. We look forward to continuing constructive dialogue with the union.”

Neufeld added for many of her colleagues, there is an ever-present fear of speaking up about their situation, wishing to not put their continued employment at risk by doing so. 

Les Groeller, who with his wife, were former clients of Bayshore, opted to decline further services, instead contracting a private home care company administered through Blue Cross.

“With Bayshore not being able to provide anything more than four to six hours a week on a consistent basis, it did not give me any confidence that they would be able to provide the help that we were qualified for,” he said. “The home care aides have really tried to keep the service the same when they are actually here … the girls are overworked and underpaid. I don’t know what their pay scale is; I know private, by anecdotal information, pays better.”

Neufeld and Groeller both iterated after a certain point, clients and regular aides develop an almost familial relationship – something Neufeld said becomes a major motivation to remain with the employer. 

As of 2023, health care aides in Alberta receive an average compensation between $16 and $22.70 per hour. The current provincial minimum wage has sat stagnant at $15 per hour since October 2018. 

Bayshore took over delivery of in-home health care services from Calgary Family Services in 2013 for clients within Strathmore and Wheatland County. At the time, Bayshore employees were represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). 

The current contracted collective agreement for Bayshore in Strathmore is held and negotiated by UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) Local 401.