FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA – Hampered by major funding cuts by the provincial government, Bruyere Health is laying off 55 frontline staff including 46 personal support workers and nine nurses, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
Douglas Currier, a registered practical nurse and president of CUPE 4540, said he was shocked to hear about the layoffs as patient care is already compromised due to threadbare staffing.
“It’s mind-boggling to hear about job cuts at our hospital when care is already at breaking point,” Currier said. “I have worked as a nurse here for over 30 years and I have never seen this level of exhaustion among staff. The staffing shortage is already hurting our ability to provide quality care – more cuts will be devastating for our community.”
In a recent union survey, 67 per cent of Bruyere staff said they work through their breaks due to understaffing.
CUPE will be revealing more information at a press conference on March 9.
Who: Douglas Currier, president, CUPE 4540, representing staff at Bruyere Health
Michael Hurley, president, CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE)
Suzanne Pinel-Asselin, Francophone vice president, OCHU-CUPE
What: CUPE press conference about staffing cuts at Bruyere
When: 10 a.m., Monday, March 9
Where: CUPE 4540 office, 288 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
-30-
For more information contact:
Zee Noorsumar
CUPE Communications
647-995-9859
znoorsumar@cupe.ca
