Niagara health care workers’ union to rally against layoffs, understaffing

SEIU Healthcare, the union representing thousands of health care workers in the Niagara region, is holding a rally Thursday against Niagara Health’s decision to cut 100 jobs ahead of the holiday season.

In a release, SEIU Healthcare warns of how the cuts will put both patients and workers at risk in an already “overburdened hospital system” during one of the busiest times for hospitals.

The union says Niagara Health is already facing staffing shortages and wait times double the provincial standard; saying some patients in Welland wait up to 45 hours in the emergency room before they are admitted.

The union will be holding a region-wide car rally on Thursday starting in St. Catharines and travelling to Niagara Health sites in Welland, Port Colborne, Fort Erie and Niagara Falls.

The rally is expected to conclude at around 1 p.m. with final speeches.

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