Cuts recently announced by the St. John’s Nursing Home Board may be an early sign of a possible P3 plan.
CUPE Local 879, which represents workers at St. Patrick’s Mercy Home, says the cuts will have a direct impact on patient care. CUPE represents Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) at the home.
Local 879 President Sheree Juneja says, “Eighteen months ago they cut 3 full-time LPN positions. That amounts to 5,800 hours of direct patient care. Last week they announced cuts equaling 3.6 LPN and PCA positions, which is over 7,000 hours of direct patient care. How can the Board say this doesn’t affect patient care?”
“Ironically,” says Juneja, “management and non-union jobs have not been touched in this round of job cuts.”
“With talk of a P3 (Public-Private-Partnership) coming to the Nursing Home Board, it sure looks to us like this employer is making the operation leaner and more ’attractive’ for a potential private partner,” adds the Local 879 president.
CUPE is holding a P3 conference in St. John’s the first weekend in March, to look at some of the myths and facts around public-private-partnerships. Premier Grimes has recently said his government is considering the controversial P3 model for the province’s nursing home sector.
CUPE Local 879, which represents workers at St. Patrick’s Mercy Home, says the cuts will have a direct impact on patient care. CUPE represents Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) at the home.
Local 879 President Sheree Juneja says, “Eighteen months ago they cut 3 full-time LPN positions. That amounts to 5,800 hours of direct patient care. Last week they announced cuts equaling 3.6 LPN and PCA positions, which is over 7,000 hours of direct patient care. How can the Board say this doesn’t affect patient care?”
“Ironically,” says Juneja, “management and non-union jobs have not been touched in this round of job cuts.”
“With talk of a P3 (Public-Private-Partnership) coming to the Nursing Home Board, it sure looks to us like this employer is making the operation leaner and more ’attractive’ for a potential private partner,” adds the Local 879 president.
CUPE is holding a P3 conference in St. John’s the first weekend in March, to look at some of the myths and facts around public-private-partnerships. Premier Grimes has recently said his government is considering the controversial P3 model for the province’s nursing home sector.