🚀 go-pugleaf

	The recent newspaper reports of a MSA Hospital Nurse who was
stabbed by a intruder while on shift are in several local papers.
This was a very unfortunate incident to say the least.  This prompted
the Hospital to seek a Security consultant team to assess the needs at
the Hospital.  The findings are that they need 24hr security.  This is
a fact we as staff have known for some time.  However in there typical
fashion the Management does not acknowledge what their own staff have
to say.

	The staff of the Plant Services Department were called to a
meeting on the 5th of August to discuss how Management wants to
restructure the Department.  The meeting was hosted by the Hospital
employee�s union.  The staff were told that due to the security needs
at the Hospital, there were going to be several changes to the
structure of the Department.

	These changes included deleting 3 Maintenance worker 5
positions and 2 Maintenance worker 3 positions.  It is the personal
opinion of the Regional Director that MW5 positions are a waste of
money, although most other hospitals in the province are retaining the
MW5 positions as they are more versatile.  These positions have been
in place for approx. 6-7 years now. MW5�s hold 4th class steam tickets
and run the Boiler plant and do Maintenance on equipment, when time
permits.  Mostly we are doing demand maintenance work from the wards.
There is little or no preventative maintenance done on equipment.  We
have spoken to Management about this but they will not listen to us.
Management thinks it is OK to let equipment breakdown.  They actually
think its cheaper, even though I have personally given them
information from credible sources on the contrary!  We are unable to
meet the present Workers Compensation Boards indoor air quality laws,
and there are many other CSA standards and Boiler codes that are being
ignored by the Management on a daily basis.  Management seems to like
playing games with staff and patient safety.  I recently called WCB to
come out to the plant, this was 2 months ago now, I have not seen
them, and there is no record of them ever coming out!

	In their infinite wisdom, the management  wants to make 5
security positions to give them the 24 hour coverage.  However what
they are not telling the public is this,  the new security positions
will be 3 jobs in one.  Yes that�s right folks, not only will these
security guards be vigilant at their jobs, they will have to do
repairs on equipment and also run the high pressure steam plant.  The
present Security positions had a cleaning part of the job in the past,
this was dropped due to high workload for 5-7 years.  However now they
can take on 2 more responsibilities?  Leaving a high pressure boiler
plant is illegal, but that does not seem to matter to management.
Having the new guards certified as  5th class engineers by September
is logistically impossible.  However management seems to play by a
different set of rules.  The workload will still be the same and there
will be even more equipment unchecked and in disrepair.

	Our Department has been harassed by the Management and the
staff, from Chilliwack General Hospital, since the Manager from
Chilliwack has taken over as Regional Director.  The new Regional
Director has no engineering or maintenance qualifications, yet he is
making decisions that will affect 100�s or 1000�s of people!
	The Harassment got to the point where several of the staff
put in a harassment charge against him, only to find that Management
has two sets of rules for the harassment policy.  One set if you are a
union member and the other if you are a Manager.  The complaint was
not dealt with in accordance to the policy.  What a surprise!!

	My question is this, if the management will listen to a
security review consultants findings,  why will they not get a
consultant to review the Plant Services Department problems??  I�m
sure they�re not hiding anything else.  One other interesting fact,
several years ago we were asked by our supervisor to falsify equipment
maintenance records prior to a accreditation survey.  There is nothing
wrong with the present management though.  They are saving your tax
money right.  I mean they go to meetings all the time and  treat there
staff with contempt and  Harass them.  Morale could never be better.  


	By the way our Manager that we had for 6-7 years resigned
several months ago.  His resignation came after he had submitted a
report to upper management, on the need for more staff in the
maintenance department to keep up with the daily maintenance and the
preventative maintenance. He said he was not getting any cooperation
from above and they were making things difficult for him.  Could this
be possible??  We have since had to endure an acting manager from
Chilliwack who has told us that our positions would be cut, and that
we were not needed etc.
	
	There is a new Association in the province, the BC Hospital
Maintenance and Trades Workers Association  http://www.bchmtwa.bc.ca
There presence shows to the public all is not well in the Hospitals of
B.C.�s  plant Maintenance and repair departments.  It is not just us
at MSA that have problems.

	Wake up BC and call your local MLA�s, tell them you would like
to see a public inquiry into the state of the Maintenance of the
Hospitals in this province.  Do it for yourself and  your family and
friends.


               						Sincerely:

							Rod Silliphant
							#26-333161
Wren Cres
							Abbotsford BC
							ph
604-852-9411