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workersjoinSupport staff workers went on strike at 12:01 a.m. today at Concordia General Hospital, restricting the service available at a second major Winnipeg hospital.About 100 patients remained in the 132-bed East Kildonan hospital by the time 119 support workers, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, left their jobs.Sig Enns, Concordia’s executive director, said more patients would be discharged today and. by the weekend the patient load could be reduced to 60.FireevacueesreturninghomeBy Brian ColeSome of the more than 3,500 Red Lake, Ont., area residents forced to flee from a raging forest fire last week have begun returning home.Heavy rains and successful suppression efforts in the area made it possible for essential service personnel to return yesterday in preparation for the arrival of the bulk of the evacuees during the weekend.The 2,400 evacuees in the Winnipeg area and the 110 staying in Brandon are to bo flown home tomorrow in Canadian Armed Forces Hercules aircraft supported by commercial aircraft. The 713 evacuees in Gimli and the 273 staying in Rivers will go back Sunday, along with hospital and nursing home evacuees.Flights beginThe airlift is being co-ordinated by CFB Winnipeg with the first flights scheduled to begin at 5:20 a.m. tomorrow.The Red Cross was to begin calling evacuees staying with friends and relatives in the Winnipeg area this morning regarding departure times. Winnipeg evacuees will report to the St. James Civic Centre, 2055 Ness Avenue, from where they will be bused to the airport and waiting planes.Any evacuee not contacted by the Red Cross by 7 p.m. tonight regarding a flight home is asked to call 772-2551.While fire conditions improved yesterday throughout Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, the Manitoba government has urged people not to travel to several areas because of extreme fire conditions.See FIRE page 4The hospital plans to keep open its emergency department and provide emergency surgery during the strike, he said, as well as providing care for all-four intensive care patients.Striking employees at Concordia include those working in medical records, admitting, dietary, central supply services, housekeeping and several clerical departments, but doesn't involve laundry or x-ray services.The strike at Concordia; and by 75 workers at the Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home next\door to the hospital, brings to more than 3,000 the number of non-medical CUPE workers who are on strike.Health facilities now facing strikes include the 1,287-bed Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg’s Cancer Foundation and hospitals and nursing homes in Brandon, Dauphin, Selkirk, Gimli, Swan River, Portage la Prairie and Pine Falls.Separate talksCUPE is negotiating with the Health Sciences Centre separately and with the Manitoba Health Organization inc. for workers at Concordia and at hospitals and nursing homes outside Winnipeg.Eugene Kostyra, CUPE’s chief negotiator, described a settlement proposal from HSC yesterday as “insulting” and accused the hospital of failing to bargain, in good faith.“By the offers the Health Sciences Centre is making U seems to us there’s nobody there with the mandate or authority to negotiate to reach an agreement. That concerns us a great deal,” Kostyra said.Proposal reducedDuring the day-long talks, the union reduced its proposal by five to six per cent, Kostyra said, but talks broke off at 5 p.m. without a settlement.MHO board chairman Wendy MacDonald said all union members left their jobs at only nine of the 20 hospitals and nursing homes outside Winnipeg affected by the strike.Workers in the other 11 institutions are on strike, but some union members have crossed picket lines, she said.Affected hospitals and nursing homes outside the city are operating at 75-percent efficiency, MacDonald said.In the legislature yesterday, Health Minister L. R. (Bud) Sherman said conditions have not become serious enough yet to prompt baek-to-work legislation.Although obstetrics, gynecology and abortion cases have been reduced sharply, Sherman said no lives were at stake because of the strike.Opposition members continued to press Sherman to become directly involved in the contract negotiations.NDP leader Howard Pawley argued unsucessfuliy that Sherman must offer to increase the eight-per-cent, grant increase provided to hospitals thisyear.
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Fri, May 30, 1980
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Jay F.
CA 28 Jul 2020
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