CUPE 204 Members Rally to Save Concordia E.R. - Largest health care local in Winnipeg says chaos and cuts must end

WINNIPEG, June 11, 2018 /CNW/ - CUPE 204 members plan to rally on Tuesday, calling on Premier Pallister to keep the Concordia Hospital Emergency Room open, and to end the chaos and cuts in public health care.

"The Pallister government was elected on a promise to protect public services and the workers who deliver them. This promise has not just been broken, it's shattered," said Debbie Boissonneault, President of CUPE 204, Winnipeg's largest health care union local, "CUPE members at Concordia Hospital want to show the community that we will fight for our E.R."

Ignoring the concerns of front-line workers and the community, the provincial government announced last month that it will continue with plans to close the Concordia and Seven Oaks Emergency Rooms. Local 204 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing health care support workers in both facilities, is concerned that the closures would leave vast parts of the city and surrounding areas with inadequate emergency services. CUPE points out that Pallister's plans are creating uncertainty for housing, social services, health, business, and transportation networks that have arisen around the hospitals over decades.

"The provincial government had months since it delayed the closures to work with health care providers, to restore its commitment to emergency health services," concluded Boissonneault. "We're rallying with a message for Premier Pallister:  we will not give up, we will continue to speak out and work to keep the Concordia E.R. open."

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada's largest union representing more than 643,000 members.  In Manitoba, CUPE represents 26,000 members working in health care facilities, personal care homes, school divisions, municipal services, social services, child care centres, public utilities, libraries and family emergency services.

SOURCE Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)