Union asks government to step in after Brandon clinic lays off nurses

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This article was published 03/06/2023 (831 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Clinic has laid off seven health-care workers responsible for biopsies, mental health exams, dressings and pediatric support.

The workers — five full-time nurses, one casual nurse and one person responsible for transcription — were told about their termination Friday morning, which came as a “huge shock” to Dawna Klemick, a 16-year veteran of the clinic.

Klemick said it’s uncertain the clinic can provide the treatment offered by the nurses, which means that Westman residents will need to go to the Brandon hospital or another local provider.

“This is certainly going to impact the community since other health services are already overwhelmed. Where are people going to go?” Klemick said in a news release from Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2096. Klemic is president of the CUPE local, which represents 44 health-care workers.

Unless the decision is reversed, Klemick said she and her colleagues’ last day will be June 30.

CUPE said its members blamed the seven layoffs on “funding constraints.”

CUPE Manitoba and the Manitoba Health Coalition are calling on the Manitoba government to work with the clinic to ensure the layoff notices are withdrawn.

“There is no legitimate reason that nurses at Brandon Clinic should be receiving layoff notices, especially with the critical shortage of health workers across Manitoba,” CUPE Manitoba president Gina McKay said in the news release.

A Manitoba government representative told the Sun via email the province does not provide operational funding to the Brandon clinic since it is a private entity.

Brandon Clinic CEO Darcy Bell was not available to comment.

— Brandon Sun