ST. CATHARINES: Liberals are in open revolt over the contracting out of home care in Niagara to a for-profit firm over the much loved Victorian Order of Nurses (VON).
At an emotional rally in St. Catharines, Liberal MPP Kim Craitor (Niagara Falls) and MP John Maloney (Welland) yesterday joined NDP MPP Peter Kormos, and others in criticizing the Tory-mandated managed competition model for contracting out home care.
“The RFP process is flawed. It is so apparent in this case in Niagara. The process must be changed,” said Maloney. Craitor said he asked Health Minister George Smitherman to put the plan on hold. The ministry rejected OPSEU’s request in March, 2004 for a province-wide review of the managed competitionmodel.
Yesterday OPSEU again faxed the minister with an urgent call to stop contracting out home care. Chris Madill, the union’s regional vice-president said: “If he’s the new sheriff in town, Smitherman should shine up his badge and get down here.”
Speakers at the rally, some in tears, questioned the fairness of awarding the five-year contract to for-profit CarePartners. Company owner Linda Knight has a “groom them or broom them” business model, said Sue Hotte, president of the local labour council. “Groom them for lower quality care . . . lower wages and part-time work, and broom
them if there is any dissent.”
Also speaking in support of the VON were:
· Peter Partington, Niagara Regional Chair
· Wayne Samuelson, President, Ontario Federation of Labour
· Evelyn Earle, Chief Steward, OPSEU Local 267
· Fred Susi, Representative, Practical Nurses Federation of Ontario
· Debbie Charbonneau, President OPSEU Local 267
· Linda Varga, mother of a VON patient
· Lois Boggs, OPSEU Community Health Sector Chair
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For further information:
Debbie Charbonneau : 905-684-2693; Virgery Vanier : 905-227-3770
See more on the event at:
http://www.opseu.org/bps/health/community/index.htm
