A commentary by the ­secretary-business manager of the Hospital Employees’ Union.

Seniors’ care depends on one thing above all else: The steady presence of skilled, dedicated workers.

When staffing is stable, seniors see the same caregivers each day, relationships deepen and care improves.

When staffing is unstable, everything becomes harder. Routines break down. Families worry. Seniors lose the comfort of familiar faces.

For too many years, that stability has been missing. The challenges in seniors’ care did not appear on their own.

They came from political decisions that cut wages, reduced protections and pushed experienced workers out of the jobs they loved.

The result was a system that struggled to keep staff and to give seniors the consistent care they deserve.

The recent decision to bring eligible publicly funded contracted seniors’ care operators back under the Health Employers Association of B.C. is another step toward repairing that damage. It moves more care homes into a framework where working conditions and care standards are predictable and fair.

It means more care homes will operate under public sector standards for wages, benefits,........

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