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In October 2003, three Hospital Employees' Union members at Holyrood Manor-a private for-profit seniors' care facility in B.C.-came to work wearing stickers with big, sad, crying eyes and the slogan "Contracting out. It's a crying shame!"
Employees at several other facilities also wore the stickers.
The workers were opposing the intention of their employer to contract out housekeeping, laundry and dietary workers. Retirement Residences Real Estate Investment Trust is Canada's largest profit-driven provider of seniors' residential care.
When the employer demanded they remove the stickers, the workers grieved. The grievance said that by denying the employees the right to wear protest stickers, the employer was in violation of their current collective agreement.
In January 2004, a labour relations board arbitrator agreed with the union. In his ruling, the arbitrator cited several related cases and found "the grievor's actions in this case to be a reasonable expression of her views regarding the effect of contracting out in the context of what was happening at this particular facility."
He concluded that he was unable to find "any proper basis for the employer to issue a direction to remove the sticker and threaten discipline if the employee did not do so."
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