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B.C. Liberals destroyed our lives! | by Illiad | 2005-05-16 09:42:25 |
| Bill 37 |
by drugless |
2005-05-16 11:04:08 |
As someone who was affected by Bill 37 almost exactly one year ago, I can tell you that my union job was not high paying before Bill 37 and definitely not after Bill 37. It is approximately $15,000 less than an identical position in Alberta. I have never owned a BMW, and am driving around in a ten-year old minivan and hoping for another five years out of it. I definitely don't have a 4000 square foot home, more like about 1/4 of that size. As a double-whammy, my wife also works for healthcare and was hit with a 15% reduction in pay. Essentially, if I didn't take a second job, I would be in danger of losing my house, as humble as it is.
As a highly-trained computer professional, I am earning significantly less than I could in private industry. Not only that but a large number of skilled tradespeople (plumbers, electricians, gasfitters, etc) are bailing out of hospitals because they too were affected by Bill 37. There is a shortage of trades people in the lower mainland, so people are leaving the so-called security of a union position in healthcare for the higher pay of working in private industry. Many of these trades people are earning $10 or more per hour outside of healthcare.
Biomedical technicians were earning about the same as an entry level in Alberta. The top wage in Alberta was $16,000 more after five years of service. Pharmacy techs in BC, regardless of experience, earn $1.50 less than the starting wage in Alberta.
Don't forget -- the people affected by Bill 37 were not just the dietary / laundry / housekeeping as the government states.
So... what happens to healthcare in BC when the people supporting the infrastructure start bailing? It is great that the nurses in BC are the highest paid in Canada, but it is pretty difficult for the nurses to do any work without the support of the infrastructure. A hospital is considerably more complex than a typical office building or factory. As such, the people supporting it also have to have a great deal of training, knowledge, experience and expertise in their field. This is what makes them attractive to the much higher paying private industries.
So, that said, why am I voting Liberal tomorrow? I personally think that Bill 37 was repulsive. However, I do find that the fact that certain unions are spending millions of dollars to get the NDP elected even more repulsive. They aren't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts -- they will want something in return.
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[ Reply ] |
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Yes... | by Illiad | 2005-05-16 14:04:02 |
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