BCGEU celebrates victory at Mountain View Home

BBQ to be held to celebrate keeping mental health facility in Abbotsford open.

Vancouver (16 March 2016) — The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) will be holding a rally on March 19 in celebration of the decision to keep Mountain View Home open.

BCGEU/NUPGE members, family, and friends of Mountain View Home are all welcome to attend. It will be held at the facility itself, 5133 Boundary Road in Abbotsford, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a barbecue lunch and an opportunity to hear from the people who made this possible.

Grassroots campaign suffessful in keeping mental health facility open

This decision shows how well-organized, grass roots activism can make a difference — solidarity amongst members plus good working relationships with community and an employer can benefit everyone. 

In August 2015, BCGEU/NUPGE members at Mountain View Home in Abbotsford were told that the Fraser Health Authority would be closing the 25-bed mental health facility in 12 months. The news hit the owners and workers at this family-run facility very hard, and they began a well-focussed grassroots campaign to save the home.

Mountain View Home will remain open until residents decide to leave

Along with the owner and families of patients, BCGEU/NUPGE members started a petition and garnered significant media attention. On February 25,  the Fraser Health Authority informed Patrick Newby, owner of the Mountain View Home, that they have decided not to close Mountain View Home directly, but let the facility phase out as residents moved.

You can find more information from earlier updates here.

NUPGE 

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE