OPSEU protests closure of Northcrest Youth Centre

Hamilton: - OPSEU will hold an information picket outside of the annual meeting of the Family Services of Hamilton-Wentworth Inc., to protest the closure of the Northcrest Youth Centre.

OPSEU president Leah Casselman will join members of local 216 on the picket line.

Date: Tuesday September 21,1999

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Location: Family Services of Hamilton-Wentworth Inc.
                105 Main Street East,  Hamilton

OPSEU, which represents 28 staff at the centre, says the fate of the Centre’s 10 residents remains unknown. The Centre provides care for hard to serve male youth aged 12-17.

"We help young males with problematic behaviours who have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused. Management here has abandoned them," said Terry Schwendiman, Local 216 president. "This could be your child."

The Centre’s board of directors claims the closure was forced by continual operating deficits and the inability to change programs. OPSEU blames the closure on poor money management, poor fund raising campaigns and failure to meet contract commitments due to staff reductions.

"Twenty-eight people are losing their jobs and ten residents have nowhere to go because of poor management and we think the people attending the annual meeting today should know this," said OPSEU staff representative Sue Brown.

-30-

For more information:

Bill Trbovich    416-561-5613/793-0092
Richard Abbott    905-836-3177
Sue Brown    905-525-5527

Return to Top