Workers with Sudbury Hospital Services who provide laundry and linen services for Health Sciences North rallied today as the hospital looks to cut costs by switching to a different provider.
Some 40 to 50 Sudbury Hospital Services employees rallied today. Sudbury.com was told the group is planning another demonstration for Nov. 2, this time outside Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault’s office. They also have a meeting scheduled with Thibeault this weekend.
Health Sciences North confirmed on Oct. 5 it plans to switch to a different provider for its laundry services, based in southern Ontario, in a bid expected to save $500,000 a year.
The new provider, Mohawk Shared Services, will provide laundry services for the hospital starting in April 2017.
The company, with a head office in Burlington and facilities in Hamilton, provides laundry services for hospitals across the province, and will provide laundry services for Health Sciences North at “a price substantially lower than Sudbury Hospital Services” due to its larger scale, the hospital told Sudbury.com.
But Gisele Dawson, president of CUPE Local 2841, which represents the 36 Sudbury Hospital Services workers expected to lose their jobs next year, said she does not see how the move saves Health Sciences North any money.
“The wages they're making out at Mohawk Linen Services are very comparable to ours,” Dawson said, hinting she believes there’s more to the story because transporting hospital linens from Mohawk’s facilities in Hamilton to Sudbury will incur added costs.
“There's a puzzle piece missing,” she said. “We don't believe it's money savings.”
When asked what other reasons Health Sciences North might have to switch providers, Dawson said she could not answer.
She said the hospital hasn't provided full disclosure about its reasons for changing laundry service providers.
Sarah Watters, general manager of Sudbury Hospital Services, told Sudbury.com that in addition to the 36 employees that will lose their jobs if the hospital changes laundry providers on April 1, eight management positions could also be at risk.
