Covenant Care Villa Marie staff hold rally for fair wages and compassionate seniors’ care

He said they’ve been without a new contract since it expired in 2024 and were hopeful for a resolution, but it hasn’t happened yet.

“Hopefully this is as far as we have to go, but they’re willing to go the distance if they need to,” Graham said.

“Bargaining is ongoing; it’s just going very slowly… They were waiting for their funding from the government was the last excuse. They’ve got that funding now, and we’re not seeing that come to fruition at the negotiating table. We are very hopeful they’ll bring something forward, but these folks are showing they’re willing to take a stand and if necessary, take those other steps as well.”

He said Covenant Care has been unwilling to match the AHS rates that were achieved in the last round of bargaining with Alberta Health Services, even though the government funding has come through for providers like Covenant Care and other providers in the province to provide similar wages to their nursing staff, health care aides, etc.

“These folks are getting very frustrated at the negotiating table. They don’t get the same benefits as other folks do that also work in healthcare, so that’s another sticking point with them,” he added. “Their colleagues in Covenant Health, for example, have access to benefits and a pension that these folks don’t have access to because they’re considered Covenant Care.”

Rallies have been held at other Covenant Care sites as well, including in Calgary on Wednesday and in Olds on Tuesday.

He said the employees in Red Deer feel like they’ve been left behind and are still looking for wage increases to offset inflation. He said if they do receive better wages and benefits, they hope to attract more people to the profession.

“These folks work short every single day, and that is a real concern when it comes to care of the residents who count on them every day,” Graham said. “People burn out and get sick because they’re working so hard. We’ve seen it in other jurisdictions: if you pay a decent wage, then you get people who want to come and work.”

According to the Covenant Care website, Villa Marie has 76 supportive living suites, 30 memory care suites, and 60 long-term care suites.

Graham said more and more residents who come to the facilities require greater care. He said it’s part of the aging population, and some require advanced care, such as patients with dementia and other conditions.

“When you’re working a night shift, and you don’t have enough people on staff to do a lift on a person, unfortunately they don’t get the care that they need either,” he said. “There’s a lot of safety concerns in continuing care.”

When asked how close employees may be to striking, Graham said that will be up to the bargaining committee.

He said they still do have essential service agreements, so if they do strike, the residents will be taken care of.

“As you can tell, these folks are sticking together, and if necessary, that’s what we’ll do,” he said.

rdnewsNOW reached out to Covenant Care for comment but did not receive a response before publishing. If and when they do provide comment, it will be added to the story.

by Ian Gustafson

Covenant Care Villa Marie staff hold rally for fair wages and compassionate seniors’ care

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