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'It makes little sense to issue these layoffs when the possibility remains that replacement jobs may be created.' - Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
Brockville (26 Jan. 2010) - The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) is calling on the Ontario health minister to place a moratorium on jobs cuts at the Brockville Mental Health Centre (BMHC) until the future of the facility has been determined.
Health Minister Deborah Matthews has been given a series of proposals to consider on the future of the institution. They include creating a secure treatment unit for female offenders, new forensic beds and an alternate level of care facility for patients who are leaving psychiatric hospital beds but are unsuitable for nursing homes.
Matthews is studying the ideas. George Weber, CEO of the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, which operates the Brockville site, has said several of the proposals have merit but he has also insisted that transitional beds continue to be phased out. They are scheduled to be closed by March 2011.
In a letter to Matthews, OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas reminds the minster that the provincial government has been trying to stimulate jobs, not eliminate them.
“At a time when the province is incurring considerable debt to stimulate the economy and create jobs, it makes little sense to issue these layoffs when the possibility remains that replacement jobs may be created to take advantage of the experience of these professional and support staff,” Thomas argues.
OPSEU says laying off workers this year only to face the prospect of recruiting them back next year could be a costly mistake.
The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre has suggested that the changes are included in the recommendations made by the province's health restructuring commission in the 1990s. However, the hospital is ignoring the fact that the enabling conditions set out by that commission have not been fulfilled in the community, OPSEU notes.
“It seems there is a lot of good will out there to preserve these jobs in Brockville,” adds Dave McDougall, president of OPSEU Local 439. “We just need the time and space to bring this all together.”
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE