The Presidents of Canadian Union of Public Employees New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador responded to the study of Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) system with the following statement:
The Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) study is correct in saying that EI needs fixing, but ignores the realities of regional economics and fails to offer solutions that meet the needs of all Canadians.Read More
FREDERICTON: The mandate of the Horizon Health Network CEO, John McGarry, is not to privatize health care but to provide public health care for all New Brunswickers.
“John McGarry is not a private health-care consultant anymore. His role is not to promote a ‘greater use of private health-care firms’ but to deliver public health services”, said Daniel Légère, President of CUPE NB.
“We are very concerned when Horizon’s CEO is promoting at public functions ‘opportunities for the private sector to get more involved in our system’.”
“Health Minister Victor Boudreau wants the private sector to play a greater role in the province’s health-care system and it seems Horizon CEO shared his views.”
“Health care is not-for-profit. New Brunswickers are already funding public health care with their taxes. Why would they have to pay a private company to get a public service? If we go down that path, where will it stop? What will happen to New Brunswickers who can’t afford to pay for private services?”
“The Liberals were not elected on a mandate to privatize health care and to reduce services to rural New Brunswickers. In their election program, they talked about ‘better health care’ not private health care”, concluded Légère.
MONCTON : The Greater Moncton Wastewater Commission -TransAqua – made the right decision not to pursue a public-private partnership for the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant.
“We are pleased that the Commission decided to build the upgrades to the treatment plant using the traditional funding model”, said CUPE NB President Daniel Légère.
“This decision will allow the Commission to keep control over the management of the wastewater plant and the cost of the project. As well, this 80 million dollar project will be a great boost to the local economy.”
“After completing a thorough due diligence study process, the Commission came to the conclusion that a P3 project would be too costly for taxpayers.”
“We are calling upon the provincial government to go through the same due-diligence study process for the P3 nursing homes projects in Miramichi and Fredericton.”
“Across the country, we have examples where P3 projects have cost hundreds of millions more than if they had been delivered publicly. Last December, Ontario’s Auditor General found that P3 projects in that province cost at least $8 billion more over the last decade than they would have if they’d been publicly delivered. Fully $6.5 billion of that was due to the higher cost of private financing.”
“The government cannot wash its hands from its responsibility and leave the care of our seniors in the hands of for-profit companies”, concluded Légère.
CHIPMAN: The Gallant Government is taking the wrong path with its attacks on
Healthcare services and rural New Brunswick.
“Yesterday, we were informed that one ambulance servicing the Chipman area would be eliminated by mid-June”, said Daniel Légère president of CUPE NB.
“It is obvious, this government has its sights on rural New Brunswick. Rural communities are more dependent on public services because of their distance from major centers. The government should be improving theses services instead of slashing what’s left in our communities”, said Légère.
“The Liberals of Brian Gallant were elected on a promise of creating jobs and growing the economy. Yesterday’s announcement does just the opposite. This decision from the government will affect between 8 to 10 fulltime and part-time paramedics”, concluded Légère.
CHIPMAN: Ambulance New Brunswick has been directed by the Gallant Government to cut one ambulance stationed in Chipman.
“We have been informed this morning that one ambulance will be taken out of service in mid-June”, said Ralph McBride, coordinator for CUPE Local 4848, which represents the paramedics and dispatchers in the province.
“The paramedics staffing the ambulance will receive their 30-day layoff notices tomorrow. This decision from the government will affect between 8 to 10 fulltime and part-time paramedics.”
“Right now, four ambulances cover the Minto-Chipman-Mill Cove area. Two of the ambulances are stationed in Chipman. Under the Dynamic Deployment System used by Ambulance NB when one ambulance is responding to an emergency call, they still have one ambulance as backup. This decision to eliminate one ambulance will have an impact on services offered in Boiestown, Doaktown, Stanley and even Fredericton.”
“Health Minister Victor Boudreau seems to think of profit over patient safety and care. Once more, the Brian Gallant Government is targeting rural New Brunswickers and is showing us they don’t care about the wellbeing of New Brunswickers; they only thing that seems to matter is balancing the books,” concluded McBride.
Saint John: The hours of operation at the St. Joseph’s Hospital Urgent Care Department will be reduced to the bare minimum as of May 1st.
“It has been brought to the attention of CUPE Local 1252 that the operating hours of the Urgent Care Department will be reduced by 4 hours by the end of the week,” said CUPE Local 1252 Coordinator Ralph McBride.
“The current hours of operation now runs on a 12-hour day and will be reduced to an 8-hour day service instead. St. Joseph’s Hospital provides a valuable service to the residents of Saint John, especially those who live in the Southern Peninsula.”
“This move is not only going to increase the wait time at the Saint John Regional Hospital, but it will also place unnecessary hardship on people that cannot afford the transportation cost to the regional facility.”
“The people in that area either walk to the facility for care or take a short taxi ride, if this care is needed after hours then they will be looking at a longer more expensive taxi ride which then means they could have to make a choice between food or their health,” said the President of CUPE Local 1252, Norma Robinson.
Norma Robinson is very concerned with the province’s decision, which she feels is unfair to those who are less fortunate.
“Now, the government wants to cut an additional 10% which is the equivalent to $250 millions to Health Care Services. It seems this government is willing to place people who are living at or below the poverty line in jeopardy regardless of their needs.”
“It is important that the people of the Saint John region speak up about this new reduction in service or what will be next. They should be contacting their area MLA to voice their concerns” concluded Robinson.
FREDERICTON: Delegates at the CUPE NB 52nd Annual Convention reelected Daniel Légère as president, last weekend in Fredericton.
Daniel Légère told the delegates that he was committed to work for advancement of the workers’ issues.
“We have many challenges in front of us this year. We need to stop the Gallant Government’s austerity agenda.”
Convention delegates adopted an action plan to fight the government’s austerity agenda. The plan will focus on the mobilization of CUPE membership. “We will reach out to New Brunswickers. We need to stop the erosion of our public services.”
“We need to protect public services for all New Brunswickers. We can’t let the government slash public services.”
Daniel Légère, a member of CUPE Local 1251, was first elected president of the Division in 2005.
Women on the March until we are all free: Rally for Equality and Solidarity
In front of the NB Legislature, Fredericton, 12 noon, Friday, April 24, 2015
New Brunswick will join the International World March of Women 2015 in a global day of action on Friday, April 24, which marks the second anniversary of the horrific Bangladesh factory collapse that killed 1,135 workers. The focus of this year’s march is precarious work.
The New Brunswick rally, to be held at the NB Legislature at 12 noon on Friday, April 24, 2015, is part of a global social movement that aims to eliminate the causes of poverty and violence against women. This year’s theme is “Freedom for our bodies, our land and our territories.”
Approximately, 100,000 people in New Brunswick, almost one in seven, live below the poverty line. Almost one third of single-parent households in New Brunswick are poor, according to 2011 statistics.
Following the most recent economic crisis, governments have been implementing austerity budgets and New Brunswick is no exception. New Brunswickers are still struggling for pay equity, access to reproductive health care and child care.
Elsipogtog women made international headlines when they put their bodies on the line to defend their territories against shale gas. Maya women in Guatemala are demanding justice in Canadian courts for rape and murder committed by a Canadian mine’s security guards. Rape is a weapon used in wars around the world.
More of us are demanding action be taken for our missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and making the links to capitalism, colonization and destruction of the land.
This global feminist movement brings together diverse groups, including women’s groups, unions, anti-poverty groups, Indigenous activists, international solidarity groups and many others. Since the first March in 2000, activists have organized local, national and global marches, hundreds of workshops and actions and lobbying of governments and international organizations.
Speakers:
Odette Robichaud, CUPE NB VP and liaison to the CUPE NB Division Women`s Committee
Phylomène Zangio, Common Front for Immigrant Women and Visible Minorities
Tanna Pirie-Wilson, Female Aboriginal representative, National Aboriginal People’s Circle, Public Service Alliance of Canada, on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls
Johanne Perron, the NB Coalition for Pay Equity – Coalition pour l’équité salariale du N.-B.
Sorcha Beirne, Fredericton Youth Feminists
Wendy Johnston on Snapshot on Women and Poverty in NB from the Common Front for Social Justice.
Amély Friolet-O’Neil, Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick
Speaker TBA, Reproductive Justice NB
Astrid Deurloo, Fredericton Gender Minorities Group
Tracy Glynn, BTS Guatemala-Maritimes Solidarity Network, on Canadian mining and sexual violence.
Daniel Légère, president of CUPE NB, on reinstating the Advisory Council on the Status of Women
More speakers TBA.
The 4th International World March of Women was launched on March 8, International Women’s Day, and will conclude October 17, 2015, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
More info here: http://www.mmfqc.org/english
Info : http://www.mmfqc.org/mouvement
Contact: tracy.a.glynn@gmail.com.
MONCTON: About fifty people demonstrated today outside the constituency office of Conservative Member of Parliament Robert Goguen to mark the one-year anniversary of the expiration of the Health Accord.
The demonstrators demanded the renewal of the Health Accord.
“Since the 10-year Health Accord negotiated between the federal and provincial expired, the federal Conservatives have already reduced health care funding by $987 million.” said Odette Robichaud, CUPE NB vice-president.
“In New Brunswick the transfer cut is about $17,5 millions this year. This reduction is equivalent to 44 hospital beds or 240 long term care beds.”
“Over 10 years, New Brunswick will lose approximately $ 715 million.”
“The refusal of the conservative government to renew the Accord puts our system of public health care at risk.”
“The Health Accord provided the provinces with stable funding and sets national standards and ensured that in every province, we received the quality health care we needed.”
“Already we are asking overstretched health care workers to do more for less. The Conservative cuts need to be reverse,” concluded Robichaud.
Fredericton: The Union representing the New Brunswick Paramedics, CUPE local 4848, is disappointed with the government tactics to delay the adoption of a legislation which would allow first responders to access Workers’ Compensation coverage for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“Last week, the government supported the principle of a Private Member Bill that proposed amendments to the Workers’ Compensation Act. The amendments would allow first responders to be eligible for workers’ compensation for PTSD without having to prove that their condition is work-related”, explained Denny Cogswell, spokesperson for CUPE 4848.
“Bill 15 was adopted in second reading by the members of the Legislature but it’s more than likely that it will never come back for a third reading. It seems the government will not fully support the amendments until lengthy studies and more detailed information can be obtained.”
“This is very disappointing. We are seeing more first responders suffering from PTSD and we need to have a system in place that will give them the help they need at an early stage.”
“Similar legislation was adopted in Alberta three years ago and other provincial jurisdictions are following in their footstep. We urge government to work with the opposition parties on this really important legislation and not delay any further the adoption of those amendment which will streamline the process for first responders seeking help for PTSD,” concluded Cogswell.
