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Seventy people joined a CUPE 4800 rally last week in front of Hamiltons General Hospital urging the re-opening of the citys Downtown Detox Centre and reinstatement of workers.

The centre was closed abruptly on July 5 in a shift to new standards of qualification for workers. None of the existing staff were deemed qualified though almost all the workers have new or similar qualifications. New qualifications for addiction workers have come into force across Ontario but no other centre has closed. Workers believe the shift in standards is being used as an excuse.

A former detox centre patient moved the rally crowd to tears when he spoke of his own personal triumph and his appreciation for the workers who had helped him and countless others.