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Thorold, Ont. – More than 2,000 Niagara residents gathered in Thorold on Friday, August 22nd to hear rock band April Wine. The show, organized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), was part of the Rock for Public Services series taking place across Ontario to promote and celebrate the importance of well-funded public services.
For Fred Hahn, CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer, this success in Thorold was a perfect occasion to discuss with local residents about the effects on public services of provincial underfunding.
The province and the Local Health Integration Network are restructuring’ health services in Niagara region through their Niagara health system improvement plan’, said Hahn. I can tell you that right across the province, this government is using restructuring to rationalize and cut services.
This series of cuts will obviously have a direct impact on the lives of Ontarians. In Niagara, for instance, this so called improvement plan means that all obstetric and pediatric services will be moved to the new St. Catharine’s site. Emergency departments will be closed in Port Colborne and Fort Erie.
This is shameful, replies Hahn. Residents should not have to travel hours to access important health services. I can assure you that CUPE workers from across the region are prepared to work with the Local Health Coalition and residents to stop this restructuring in its tracks.
As well, this region is suffering cuts in the social services area, specifically child care and child protection services. Already, Family and Children’s Services Niagara has cut two Best Start and Early Learning and Parenting programs and a day care centre.
CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer also wanted to warn people of Niagara about the threat of privatization and public-private partnerships (P3s): Municipalities think P3s will save them money when building arenas, water treatment plants and other community facilities, but they’re wrong argued Hahn. They cost more and deliver less. The solution becomes more and more obvious: to build and strengthen our communities, we need to keep our services public and ask for decent funding.
For information:
Fred Hahn
CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer
416-299-9739
Luc Tittley
CUPE Communications
(416) 910-2389
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