PETERBOROUGH, Ont. – On Friday, March 6, employees of the Peterborough County-City Health Unit will be joined by Fred Hahn, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario, for a rally at the constituency office of Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal.

Public health workers will highlight the dire state of public health funding for the region and its impact on services and workers.

“Chronic underfunding of public health services affects everyone in this community. Food safety, rabies protection, defense against infectious diseases – this is about public safety,” said Hahn.

“These front-line workers deserve fair treatment, and the residents of Peterborough deserve better than to have these vital public services funded at levels significantly lower than other health units in Ontario.”

The event is being organized by members of Local 4170 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Joining them at the rally will be their colleagues represented by the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA). Both unions are negotiating new collective agreements with the Peterborough County-City Health Unit and will be in a legal strike or lockout position at one minute after midnight on March 13.

Rally information:

Who:     CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn

Pam Pressick, President of CUPE 4170

Employees of the Peterborough County-City Health Unit represented by CUPE and

Ontario Nurses’ Association

What:     Rally to demand greater provincial funding of Peterborough region’s public health services

When:   Friday, March 6, 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Where: Constituency Office of Jeff Leal, MPP for Peterborough

236 King Street, Peterborough

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Pam Pressick, President, CUPE 4170: 705-872-1208

Alison Davidson, CUPE National Representative: 705-760-5113

Mary Unan, CUPE Communications: 647-390-9839