BREAKING NEWS:
Tensions rose at Westmeath, Bermuda’s most expensive senior care facility, as staff took industrial action, downing tools in protest of what they describe as unfair labor practices and serious safety concerns within the facility.
Early reports confirm that between 15 and 20 unionized workers participated in the action, which followed the recent Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s public holidays. According to staff, management has refused to honor double-time pay traditionally awarded for public holiday work, instead offering straight-time compensation.
“We worked those holidays in good faith,” said several worker, who asked not to be identified. “Now management is trying to take away our public holiday pay. That’s the main issue right now.”
But workers say the pay dispute is only one part of a much deeper problem.
Staff raised serious concerns about client placement within the facility, alleging that residents with dementia are being housed in inappropriate residential sections without the proper safeguards. They also report violent clients being placed in areas unequipped to manage such behaviors, creating dangerous working conditions.
“We don’t have the proper tools or equipment to safely handle these patients,” the worker explained. “We have unlocked doors, residents who wander or run away, and when something goes wrong, it falls on us—not management, not the board.”
The worker emphasized that frontline staff bear the emotional and professional burden when families question how incidents occur. “Family members don’t ask management. They ask us: ‘Were you working when my mother ran away?’”
Westmeath operates as a 24-hour care facility with multiple shifts, including 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., and 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., with additional staggered shifts on certain units. Staff were careful to ensure residents were not put at risk during the action, strategically timing the protest after breakfast service and ahead of lunch.
“We would never put our clients at risk,” the worker said firmly. “We are devoted to our residents. The question is whether management is devoted to taking care of us.”
A BIU union presence was confirmed on-site, with meetings scheduled between union representatives and management. Workers anticipated discussions could last one to two hours, expressing hope that leadership would address what they described as increasingly unfair treatment of staff.
Westmeath currently houses approximately 60 residents and is widely recognized as the most expensive senior care facility in Bermuda. Staff say that status should reflect not only the level of care provided to residents, but also the treatment of those delivering that care.
“United we stand, divided we fall,” the worker concluded.
As this breaking story continues to develop, staff remain united in their call for fair compensation, safer working conditions, and respect for the workforce that keeps the facility running around the clock.
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