Hospital workers protest cuts in Moncton

MONCTON – It has been tough week for Shelly Crossman, who is one of dozens of hospital workers who received their lay off notices last week.

“I went through a 12-hour shift you know in tears,” she said.

She joined a protest Saturday morning in front of Moncton Hospital to show what the cuts mean.

“Care is going to be less. There’s going to be less nursing staff … less skilled people,” she said.

Laundry workers and support staff in Moncton are also losing their jobs.

“I have bumping rights and all I could think about was I’m going to have to bump a coworker somewhere along the way. And that’s a hard thing to do … the bumping within your building,” said support staff worker Karen Steeves.

The Horizon Health Network says they need to save money, but the employee’s union, CUPE, says they are making a mistake.

“Its going to have an economic impact because we’re talking about 55 positions in the Moncton area that will no longer be here doing laundry,” says union spokesman Ralph McBride.

Members say it’s not just their jobs they’re worried about. They are also worried about the future of patients.

Shauna Hill says nurses like herself treat patients like family.

“Me and my coworkers we’ve cried about this,” she said. “We’re the ones who kiss and hug them when they go to sleep at night. We’re the ones holding their hand when they take their last breath.”

She’s worried about how the cuts will impact them.

“If there’s less staff on the floor, patients aren’t going to get the care they deserve and need,” she said.

With hospital units under review, more cuts are expected to come.

“Just the morale around here is terrible these days. People are sad and they just feel lost,” Hill said.