VICTORIA - Nurses, care aides and recreational workers at Victoria's Beacon Hill Villa and Nanaimo's Seniors Village are keeping their jobs after all.
 
Last week, their employer Abbey Therapeutic Services announced it could no longer cover the salaries of 200 employees. ATS claimed the operators of the care homes, Retirement Concepts, were failing to pay.
 
Retirement Concepts says that claim is false. The company says it last paid ATS on time and on schedule - November 17th.

But in light of the contract dispute and uncertainty for staff and the elderly residents of the homes, Retirement Concepts met with the HEU - the union representing the 200 workers over the weekend.

In agreement in principle was hammered out so that the operator will pay the staff of the facilities until the current contract expires in April 2010.

NDP Leader Carole James says "for years there have been concerns raised about a crisis in seniors."  The NDP is calling for province-wide changes to prevent a revolving door of subcontractors.