14 workers affected: union
The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre has begun serving notice of layoff to addiction counsellors working in the inpatient substance use and concurrent disorders program, according to Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).
The decision affects five regular and two part-time members of OPSEU with 100 years of combined experience in addiction treatment. Seven casual employees are also losing their jobs, said the union.
"We are deeply dismayed that The Royal has decided to put the livelihoods of these workers and the treatment of their patients in jeopardy by shutting down a program that has been serving the community for 30 years," said Marlene Rivier, president OPSEU Local 479 .
OPSEU had been in talks with the hospital for months to try to avert the layoffs, but all of the union's proposals were rejected.
The laid-off addiction counsellors will be replaced by social workers and psychologists, according to the union.
"Given the scarcity of health care dollars in this province, hospitals are being forced to find more cost-effective ways to deliver their services without compromising patient care," said Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU president.
