Health Sciences North confirmed Wednesday it is changing providers for the hospital's laundry services, in a move that will eliminate at least 36 local jobs next April.
Health Sciences North spokesperson Dan Lessard said the hospital has estimated moving away from Sudbury Hospital Services for its laundry services will save around $500,000 per year.
In a written statement, Joe Pilon, Health Sciences North's senior vice-president and chief operating officer, said Mohawk Shared Services will provide laundry services for the hospital starting in April.
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, Pilon said.
Sarah Watters, general manager of Sudbury Hospital Services, said she received notice last Friday that the hospital plans to change providers as of April 1, 2017.
Watters said in addition to 36 unionized jobs that will be eliminated with the loss of the laundry contract with the hospital, up to eight management positions could also be threatened.
“At this point in time we're still waiting for further information on other parts of our organization,” she said.
Health Sciences North said it plans to continue using Sudbury Hospital Services for its dishwashing needs.
Watters said that service employs seven people.
