Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Responds to OPSEU

Thunder Bay. It is unfortunate that OPSEU president, Warren Thomas, has come forward with a number of public statements regarding the Health Sciences Centre which are false. As with any organization our size, there are issues which workers will grieve. We respect that right and manage grievances within our Collective Agreement process.

OPSEU states that there are 700 outstanding grievances against the hospital. This is not correct. As with any corporation of our complexity and size, we know that there will always be grievances as workers are challenged with new responsibilities and working environments. However, the fact is that there are only a small fraction of grievances currently under review. It is inappropriate to overstate or understate the facts of this matter because we are fostering a culture of collaboration and respect.

As well, w hen Mr. Thomas publicly states that, “the hospital is the subject of at least 120 Ministry of Labour orders”, we must respond factually because that information is not correct. There are currently no outstanding Ministry of Labour orders. In the first three and a half years of being on the new site, as one would expect, there have been issues of concern have been resolved in an appropriate manner and time-frame. Health, safety and accessibility for our patients, staff, volunteers, physicians, and visitors are of paramount importance and monitored.

Mr. Thomas has commented on a number of building maintenance concerns. These issues are all part of the regular maintenance activities in our 700,000 square foot building and are appropriately addressed by our Maintenance staff or external specialists, as required.

It is with regret that Mr. Thomas did not provide us the courtesy of expressing his concerns directly to us before making his statements publicly. Clearly, from his statements, it is obvious that he is not aware of the facts. We would encourage Mr. Thomas to follow through with his offer to meet with the Regional's Administration to clear up this misinformation.

For more information, please contact:

Don Edwards

Director of Communications

(807) 684-6010

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