AUPE rally outside the Revera Aspen Ridge retirement home in Red Deer on Tuesday against cuts to staff hours and layoffs. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

Red Deer rally against cuts to retirement care worker hours and layoffs

Aug 24, 2022 | 1:30 PM

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) held a rally at the Revera Aspen Ridge retirement home on Tuesday against cuts to staff hours and layoffs.

AUPE members and Aspen Ridge staff and residents marched in front of 3100 22 St. chanting “What do we want? No layoffs” as cars honked on their horns.

Although Revera has two retirement homes in Red Deer, the other on 10 Inglewood Dr., Bonnie Gostola, AUPE vice-president, says this location alone has had 450 hours cut in a two week span, adding up to 11 full-time positions, spanning from servers, to housekeeping and nursing.

“Eleven full-time jobs taken away from the care of these residents is a huge burden for the remaining care staff that are here,” said Gostola. “Revera is doing this across Canada and definitely across Alberta and it is really a care practice that is unacceptable when you start putting basically greed above care.”

Bonnie Gostola, AUPE vice-president, at the Rivera Aspen Ridge rally in Red Deer on Tuesday. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

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She claims that not only was the retirement home understaffed during the pandemic, but that the demand has risen since then with the occupancy level now at roughly 77 per cent.

One resident, Lois Bourret, says she can attest to that as President of the Revera Residents Council.

“They are taking advantage. There may be some places they need to cut staff but definitely not ours. If you talk to any manager in there, right now, we’re short two managers,” she said.

While many residents are more independent, she says there are some that require daily assistance.

“We feel this is very unfair,” she said. “They work hard; we can’t complain a bit but if they cut the staff, yes there will be a problem.”

Gostola says not only will services be affected if hours are cut, but the cost to residents aren’t being reduced as a result and they will, therefore, be paying more for less.

While the Revera website shows multiple jobs available, 26 currently in Red Deer, Gostola says the positions are mainly for part-time or casual workers, leaving many employees to juggle multiple jobs.

Brian Yee, Director, Regional Operations for Alberta at Revera issued the following statement:

“Revera’s number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our residents. From time to time, we are required to align our staff based on the needs of our residents. Our goal is to deliver quality services to our residents, coupled with the personalization and choice we know our residents want in retirement living. Our focus is ensuring we have the right staff, at the right place, at the right time.

“At Revera, we work closely and collaboratively with our Union partners, and information pickets are a right of the Union which we respect. We will continue to work with employees to resolve any outstanding issues, working through the well-established, mutually-agreed upon processes that are in place.”

A health care aid herself for 35 years with a parent currently living in long-term care, Gostola says residents and full-time staff become family to each other.

“The message is ‘you’re going in the wrong direction’. It should be about providing adequate care, if not better care, than what the standard is now. You shouldn’t be going to the lowest denominator. We should actually be looking to provide the best care we can to those individuals that actually helped shape this province and stop taking it away from them and stop putting money over need,” she said.

Revera has 174 retirement homes and long-term care facilities across Canada.

Related: Ottawa giving Alberta $115 million for seniors care