The ongoing dispute been the South Bruce Grey Health Centre and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union over the introduction of re-thermed or re heated food, is heating up.
The Durham and Chesley Hospital sites are the first to see their full kitchens eliminated and equipment to re-heat the prepared food installed, a move the union is opposing.
OPSEU President Warren ‘Smokey’ Thomas says the hospital management is being very heavy handed in this operation, and at the Durham site, hospital administrators removed all staff food and beverages without advance notice.
He says after complaints were made, access to complimentary beverages to the staff was restored.
Thomas says another incident saw a Hospital official walk away with the cutlery from the former cafeteria, forcing one doctor to eat with makeshift cutlery made from tongue depressors.
He says the hospital decision to eliminate full kitchens is not only bad for the patients, but the local community as food purchases now are made from out of town suppliers.
Thomas says the Walkerton and Kincardine hospital are to make the transition to re thermed food by the end of the year.
He is so convinced about how bad this food is he is challenging Hospital officials to live on the food for a week, and if they are still healthy at the end of that period, he will donate one thousand dollars to the Hospital Foundation.
