Union calls for answers after Villa Marconi cuts hours, lays off cleaning staff ahead of Board elections

Ottawa, ON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The union representing workers at Ottawa’s Villa Marconi Long - Term Care Centre held an information picket outside the home Friday morning, demanding answers after the management of the home issued layoff notices to five staff. The impacted staff, members of CUPE 4793 work in the Laundry and Environmental Services department. These workers ensure that clothing, bedding, and other linens are clean for the residents of the home.

“We are still having issues with supply shortages, we still have issues keeping up with care needs,” said Charmain Sutton Archer, President of CUPE 4793. “Staff can’t keep up with the care for our residents, but management is laying people off and cutting hours.”

Villa Marconi has had its share of controversy in the past few years. In 2024, management came under fire when a shortage of linens caused staff to use paper towels and pillow cases to clean residents. Villa Marconi has been outsourcing management of the homes to for-profit companies, namely Response Health to manage the care of residents, and Compass to manage maintenance and environmental services.

“It’s the same story, just two years later,” said Sutton-Archer. “The board keeps out-sourcing to these for-profit management companies, who cut corners to save money. It’s the workers and the residents who end up feeling the impacts of those decisions.”

These layoffs come just shortly after Minister of Long-Term Care Natalia Kusendova-Bashta visited Villa Marconi. The minister was in Ottawa to announce the construction of new Long-Term Care facilities to help meet the growing demand for Long-Term Care beds.

“The timing isn’t lost on us,” said Sutton-Archer. “The minister visits the home, thanks staff for our work, and then suddenly we are losing staff hours. Something isn’t right there.”

Villa Marconi is set to hold its elections for the new Board of Directors on Sunday. The information picket was aimed at educating resident families on the ongoing issues in the home and calling on the new board of directors to work with the union to fix the problems.

“The resident families and new board members need to understand what is happening here,” said Sutton-Archer. “Our residents deserve the best care possible. We need the board to understand that cutting hours for staff cuts hours of care.”

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