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Transfer of employees elsewhere will not save money and the region will lose badly needed medical lab technologists, says Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
Toronto (27 Jan. 2010) - The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) is asking the Ontario government to reverse a decision to close the Windsor public health lab.
In a letter to Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas says the closure will mean moving 21 good paying jobs to London, Hamilton and Toronto while leaving medical lab technologists (MLTs) unemployed and forced to look elsewhere for work.
"Once these MLTs leave the region, they will be difficult to recruit back. Ontario, like most other jurisdictions, is bracing for acute shortages of MLTs over the next five years," Thomas writes.
"The Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) runs these lab services to support health providers, the public health system and partner ministries in making informed decisions and taking informed action to improve the health and security of Ontarians," he says.
"While the OAHPP claims that this consolidation of lab service will make the agency more efficient, I would respectfully remind you we have heard this story before. Hospital amalgamation and consolidation of community lab work are just two recent examples of such claims going terribly wrong."
Thomas said one in three Ontario hospitals is operating in deficit and private labs doing community work are costing Ontario taxpayers about 50% more than if it were performed at community hospitals. The work should be reclaimed by the hospitals, he argues.
"We would ask you to speak to the minister of health about placing this closure on hold until all evidence can be evaluated," Thomas writes. "We would also ask your government to place a moratorium on any public sector job cuts at this time, particularly in hard-hit communities like Windsor."
NUPGE
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