4/22/2009

2009 Day of Mourning Media Release

National Day of Mourning Events in Niagara

The St. Catharines and District Labour Council will sponsor three memorial ceremonies in Niagara On The Lake and St. Catharines to mark the April 28 National Day of Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured on the Job. One will be held at the Day of Mourning monument next to the Centennial Arena in Niagara On The Lake at 9:30 am and another will be held at the worker’s monument next to the Homer Bridge11:00 am in the morning on Tuesday April 28, 2009. The main ceremony will be held in St. Catharines at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 and take place at the Day of Mourning monument in Merrit Park next to the Burgoyne Bridge. The keynote speakers at the main ceremony will be Al Bieksa of the Ontario Federation of Labour and Dan Crow of CUPE Ontario. The main ceremony will also feature local labour leaders and politicians.
These ceremonies serve to focus public attention on the shocking extent of workplace fatalities and injuries in this country. They also express our renewed commitment to fight to prevent workplace deaths and injuries and achieve safe workplaces.
Members of the media are cordially invited to attend the April 28th Day of Mourning events. Persons wishing to obtain further information are encouraged to contact: Bruce Allen at (905) 682-2611 ext. 225 or (905) 934-6233.

4/20/2009

Labour Council Fights Hospital Cuts


Labour Council activists join the Niagara Health Coalition to protest cuts to Niagara Hospitals.

4/02/2009

Major Cuts to Niagara Hospitals Threaten our Health

Niagara’s Hospitals are Particularly Hard Hit

The NHS has to find cuts to eliminate a budget deficit of approx. $16 million this year and $15 million next year, even though all experts agree that the hospital system is grossly underfunded.

The Niagara Health System has already announced major cuts to staff and services, including:Closing the Emergency Rooms and surgical beds – and ultimately the entire hospitals in Port Colborne and Fort Erie. These ERs saw more than 40,000 patients last year -- patients who will now have to travel into St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls. This is threatening to overwhelm our already overstretched ERs and hospital beds.

Closing birthing and mental health services across the peninsula – all patients will have to travel into St. Catharines further overcrowding the hospital here.

Cuts to hospital beds and other services

The hospital cuts and restructuring plan for Niagara will result in a net loss of hospital services for our whole region. We should be very concerned that our hospital cannot take the influx of patients from all across the Niagara peninsula as services are cut and closed down.

What We Can Do: Take Our Fight to Jim Bradley

Did You Know?Ontario’s hospitals are funded $100 less per person than hospitals in other provinces. This equals $1.2 billion in total less than other provinces. McGuinty is forcing these cuts by funding the NHS at less than the rate of inflation. It is very important that our local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Jim Bradley, hears from us in St. Catharines, that we are concerned and want him to stop the cuts.

April 4 : Mass leafleting day.Join us at the market square at 8:00 am or at the CAW Hall, 124 BuntingSt. Catharines at Noon . We will be leafleting for two hours.

April 8: Planning Meeting Niagara Health CoalitionCAW Hall , 124 Bunting RD, 7:00 pm

April 18: Join in the Cross Province Protest atJim Bradley’s office at noon. Unit 2, 2 Secord Drive, St. Catharines.

Write/call/email Jim Bradley our local MPP:Unit 2, 2 Secord Drive, St. Catharines, ON, L2N 1K8T: 905-935-0018 F: 905-935-0191 E: jbradley.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

Write/call/email Premier Dalton McGuinty:Room 281, Main Legislative Building, Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M7A 1A4T: 416-325-1941 F: 416-325-3745 E: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

Volunteer with the Niagara Health Coalition: 905-932-1646