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HOSPITAL JOBS:Employees at Brockville General Hospital are fighting back after job cuts and bed closures were announced last week.

March 19, 2010

EMPLOYEES AT BROCKVILLE GENERAL HOSPITAL ARE FIGHTING BACK AFTER JOB CUTS AND BED CLOSURES WERE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK.

AS NEWSWATCH'S MORGANNE CAMPBELL REPORTS, UNION REPRESENTATIVES AND EMPLOYEES ARE FOCUSING THEIR CAMPAIGN ON THE PROVINCE .... TO GIVE B-G-H FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

MARTHA GODIN

"WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN HEALTH CARE. WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE HEALTH CARE GIVEN BY THESE EMPLOYEES AT B-G-H TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS NOTHING NOTHING ELSE. "

A STRONG MESSAGE DELIVERED BY THE CUPE PRESIDENT REPRESENTING HOSPITAL WORKERS AT BROCKVILLE GENERAL.

MARTHA GODIN IS LEADING A CAMPAIGN TO REVERSE BED CLOSURES AND JOB LOSSES.

MARTHA GODIN:

" OUR FRONT LINE SERVICES ARE BEING CUT WE'VE LOST FIFTEEN BEDS WE ARE AN AGING COMMUNITY AND WE NEED THOSE BEDS. "

17 STAFF AND 15 BEDS IN THE ACUTE CARE UNIT ARE BEING ELIMINATED IN AN EFFORT TO RESTORE THE HOSPITAL TO A BALANCED BUDGET BY APRIL OF NEXT YEAR.

THIS COMES AFTER THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS PROJECTED A TWO MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT THIS YEAR.

THE HOSPITAL C-E-O SAYS THE BEDS THAT ARE BEING CLOSED ARE TYPICALLY UNDER-USED.

RAY MARSHALL:

"THE BEDS THAT WE'RE CLOSING DON'T HAVE PATIENTS IN THEM CURRENTLY--WE'VE HAD TEN BEDS CLOSE SINCE EARLY JANUARY BECAUSE THEY'RE EMPTY SO THERE WAS NO POINT IN HAVING A STAFF MEMBER HERE THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR A BED THAT'S EMPTY."

GODIN FEARS THIS COULD BE THE START FOR FURTHER CUTS.

CUPE IS ASKING RESIDENTS TO SIGN THESE POSTCARDS TO SEND TO THE MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT.

THE CAMPAIGN CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO COVER THE HOSPITAL'S TWO MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT.

MARTHA GODIN:

"WE FEEL THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPE PROBABLY MORE LAY OFFS AND IF WE DON'T STAND UP AND CRY FOR OUR COMMUNITY WE COULD END UP LOSING OUR HOSPITAL. BROCKVILLE CANT AFFORD THAT."

HOWEVER RAY MARSHALL INSISTS PATIENT CARE WON'T BE AFFECTED BY THE CUTS.

RAY MARSHALL

"OUR BELIEF IS THAT WE CAN FUNCTION AND PROVIDE GOOD ACCESS TO CARE WITH THIS LEVEL OF BEDS. "

MORGANNE 

ON MONDAY MARCH 29TH EMPLOYEES AND UNION REPRESENTATIVES HERE AT THE BROCKVILLE HOSPITAL WILL BE LINING THESE SIDEWALKS FOR A RALLY TO ASK THE COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORT IN LOBBYING THE PROVINCE TO COME UP WITH THE TWO MILLION DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE HOSPITALS DEFICIT. MORGANNE CAMPBELL CKWS NEWSWATCH BROCKVILLE.

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