ST. CATHARINES: Community leaders will join a rally to support Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) staff in the Niagara Peninsula who will lose their jobs as a private for-profit corporation from outside the Niagara Region takes over the service.
Date: July 8, 2004
Time: 5:00 p.m
Place: Montebello Park - St. Catharines
Speakers: Wayne Samuelson, President, Ontario Federation of Labour
Peter Kormos, NDP MPP, Niagara Centre
Kim Craitor, Liberal MPP, Niagara Falls
Chris Madill, Regional Vice-President, OPSEU
Fred Susi, Representative, PNAO
Members of the community question the transparency and fairness of how the five-year contract for home health care in Niagara was awarded. CarePartners, headquartered in Belgrave Ontario (near Goderich) is the major recipient of the contract tendered by the Niagara Community Care Access Centre (CCAC).
OPSEU is asking Minister of Health and Long Term Care George Smitherman to suspend the contract until a complete review of this process can be done. “The managed competition process is destroying home care, and putting continuity of patient care last,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman. In March 2004, OPSEU asked Smitherman for a
province-wide investigation after a similar process went awry in Ottawa.
The VON, with its 85-year history of providing service to Niagara, has strong community support. “We urge the CCAC board to listen to the voices of the people of Niagara before signing any contracts,” said Casselman.
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For further information:
Debbie Charbonneau - 905-684-2693
Virgery Vanier - 905-227-3770
Or see:
http://www.opseu.org/bps/health/community/index.htm
