Local workers want more funding and a stop in cuts at North Bay Regional Health Centre

Members of CUPE Local 139 held a rally today (Monday) at the entrance to the North Bay Regional Health Centre.

It was to voice their displeasure with the recent job cuts at the hospital.

VP of CUPE Local 139 is Josie Levesque and she says they need proper funding to run this hospital.She says they can’t keep losing beds and services and they need the community support to keep the hospital open.

Levesque says they will also be holding a rally on November 30th at Lee Park to keep getting out that message.

Michael Hurley was also at today’s rally. He is the President of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions says the province needs to take back the responsibility of bringing in proper funding. He adds the cuts are worse in North Bay because it was built through the Private-Public Partnership model.

CUPE Local 139 will see approximately 68 jobs affected by the latest cuts. Some will be gone through retirement while others will come through job losses.