VICTORIA: After thousands of surgeries have been cancelled, the B.C. government brought in back to work legislation for the province's 41,000 hospital cooks, groundskeepers and laundry workers. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) applauded the government's move and its efforts to redirect health care dollars to patients and essential services.

"Every provincial government in Canada is trying to find ways to contain ballooning health care costs. In B.C. 70% of every health care dollar goes to compensation, health care costs cannot possibly be contained if wages and benefits are excluded from scrutiny," stated B.C. director Sara MacIntyre.

"Governments have a responsibility to use taxpayer money effectively but somehow the HEU thinks that it's exempt from today's fiscal realities. Taxpayers want their dollars to go to medical services not gold-plated compensation packages for support workers. It is outrageous that the HEU is demanding taxpayers dole out $20 an hour for non-essential health services when they can be done for far less."

HEU members are the highest paid hospital support workers in Canada. According to the Health Employers Association of British Columbia, a cook is currently paid $21.37 an hour, 34% more than the provincial average of $15.89. In an effort to realign the excessive wage rates for non-essential workers, the B.C. government wants 15% in cost savings from the HEU, which can be realized even without reducing hourly rates.

"Four per cent can be saved by moving from a 36 hour work week to the national average of 37.5 hours, and the remainder can be taken from the benefits package. Even with the 15% of costs savings, B.C.'s support workers will still be the highest paid in the country. The $200 million in annual savings can buy and operate 50 MRIs or pay for 25,000 hip replacements," said Sara MacIntyre.

"Right now, the HEU is violating a back to work order, holding patient care hostage and are trying to blackmail taxpayers. Waiting times are growing, surgeries are backlogged and the HEU wants its members to work 36 hours a week. Their demands are out of touch with reality and they are putting patient care in jeopardy. "