In May 2001, management of the Victoria SPCA met with the union to tell them that ARC needed to expand the role of volunteers to an all year round basis, rather than being restricted to a few months a year. The union was told that the union staff at the centre would keep their jobs and that the additional use of volunteers would not impact on them, but there was a concern that the needs of the rescued wildlife could not be met without the volunteer component. The union was told that if this couldn't be sorted out this way, the centre may have to be closed. The union came back and said that the staff at the ARC wouldn't agree to an expansion of the volunteers. So now, all of the staff but two have been laid off, there are no volunteers allowed at the ARC and many injured and orphaned wildlife that are sent out there are killed. No one can convince me that the union at the Victoria branch gives a hoot about the animals. I couldn't stand it anymore and quit in disgust.