Tannis Chwartacki: Selkirk Laundry Operations

Quote

I act as if a family member is in the hospital...I’d want them to be satisfied with the quality.

Local 126 - Health Care Support Services Component

If there’s one thing Tannis Chwartacki sees a lot of on a daily basis, it’s laundry. The Selkirk Laundry Operations worker is part of a giant undertaking that sees 10,000 pounds of laundry cleaned every two hours – some 40,000 pounds per day!

Selkirk Laundry provides laundry services for several facilities, including the Selkirk and District General Hospital and many personal care homes in the area. Tannis takes pride in helping Selkirk Laundry deliver the best service possible. “I act as if a family member is in the hospital,” she says. “I'd want to make sure they're comfortable. I’d want them to be satisfied with the quality.”

Tannis is the President of Local 126 – WRHA Selkirk Laundry Operations and a worker representative for her Local’s Health and Safety Committee. She values her connection with her union and the ways it can help improve the workplace. Reflecting on when she first got involved with the MGEU, she says she wanted to show her colleagues how they can have more of a say in their working conditions than they might realize.