Edmonton seniors home strike enters 2nd week

Conditions at a northeast Edmonton seniors home seem little affected by a strike now moving into its second week.

About 100 licensed practical nurses and nursing aides at the Hardistry Care Centre walked off the job over a wage dispute Tuesday.

"The girls work pretty hard, but they were short of staff all the time," said resident Bobby Dmytriw. "It's about time that he paid them what they want and they go back to work."

Meals are taking longer to prepare, but little else has changed, Dmytriw said.

The company that operates the 180-bed seniors care home, Park Place Seniors Living Inc.,  has brought in workers from other facilities it owns.

Sue Gizzie visits Hardisty daily to see her parents, both who live there.

"I come because I want to make sure they're okay, because I don't know these other people and there's just not enough staff."

No meetings are scheduled between the union and the company which operates the home.

The union says the company pays workers 30 per cent less than what is called for in the Alberta Health Services collective agreement.

But the company says it can only afford a 10 per cent pay raise and wants the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees to agree to binding arbitration.