Close to two dozen health-care workers rallied at the busy Highway 97 and First Street intersection in 100 Mile House on Oct. 27, protesting Interior Health Authority (IHA) plans to potentially privatize laundry services in the region.
Up to 11 cities and towns throughout the Interior may lose their local hospital laundry, along with 175 in-house jobs, including four in 100 Mile House, should the privatization plans go ahead.
Street-side demonstrations organized by the Hospital Employees Union (HEU) were also held in Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson, and Penticton.
No decision has been made yet in terms of the laundry service review, says IHA communications officer Michaela Swan.
“We had anticipated a decision by the end of summer, but we have extended that time and anticipate a final decision later this fall. We certainly understand the weight of the decision on our staff.”
Barb Matfin, HEU 100 Mile House chairperson, says the rally is intended to raise awareness in this community regarding the upcoming decision.
“Here in 100 Mile, we have relatively new laundry equipment.... We're quite modern; we're fast; the girls work really hard.
“Nothing touches you more than laundry when you're in a hospital. You want to make sure you have super clean laundry.
These are local jobs, family-supporting jobs, Matfin adds.
“Write your MLA, write the Minister of Health, write Interior Health, to let them know 100 Mile doesn't approve of privatizing our laundry.”
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett says she does not support laundry service privatization.
“Sending laundry out of Williams Lake and 100 Mile House makes no common sense, and as far as economic sense, I have seen none.”