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CUPE leaders in Atlantic Canada endorse NDP plan to reverse EI cuts
FREDERICTON – The presidents of CUPE in New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador are all endorsing the federal NDP’s plans to scrap Stephen Harper’s unfair changes to Employment Insurance (EI).
CUPE NB President Danny Legere, CUPE PEI President Lori MacKay, CUPE NS President Danny Cavanagh and CUPE NL President Wayne Lucas have all given the NDP plan a big thumbs up, saying the Harper government changes were an attack on unemployed Canadians and seasonal workers in particular.
CUPE says the NDP plan will ensure Canadians who pay EI premiums will be able to get those benefits when they need them, and will go a long way to reversing the damage done by past Liberal and Conservative governments.
The CUPE presidents say the NDP plan will support regional economies and workers in seasonal industries by providing a maximum of five extra weeks of benefits in regions where unemployment is high and work is hard to come by.
Privatization in Health Care: Pay More, Get Less
FREDERICTON: The New Brunswick Council of Hospital Unions – CUPE Local 1252 which represents hospital workers, released a report today that portrays a poor picture of the situation that prevailed in hospitals and other institutions where food and cleaning services have been privatized. “We are very concerned that the Liberal government is negotiating with a private firm to take over the management of food and cleaning services in the Province’s hospitals” explained Norma Robinson, president of CUPE Local 1252.
“This report has been prepared for Health Minister Victor Boudreau and since the Minister doesn’t seem interested in meeting with us, we decided to release it to inform the public. We believe it is important for New Brunswickers to understand the impact of such a move, especially when it comes to the cleanliness of a building which the public relies on everyday.”
“Our research into the three companies being considered to take over those services, Sodexo, Aramark and Compass, shows a very troubling picture of the quality of the services provided. All over the world, all three competitors have shown very poor track records when it comes to cleaning and food preparation. The latest being in Ontario’s Niagara Health Region where the Hospital Board ended that relationship with Aramark after a major outbreak of C. difficile that caused the death of 37 patients.”
Paul Moist, Tom Mulcair Join CUPE NB Members in Campbellton
From Left to right: CUPE NB President, Daniel Légère; NDP Leader, Tom Mulcair; Madawaska-Restigouche NDP Candidate, Rosaire L’Italien; CUPE National President, Paul Moist; and Acadie-Bathurst NDP MP, Yvon Godin.
Paul Moist, National President of CUPE joined members of CUPE NB on a hot and sunny day in a Campbellton park for a barbeque and discussion about CUPE’s stance in the election. He took the opportunity to thank members in the province for all of their hard work, saying that CUPE members make their communities the places that they are, and the work they do every day is what makes New Brunswick great.
Paul Moist and CUPE were joined by special guest Tom Mulcair, Leader of the NDP. Mulcair pointed out CUPE NB President Danny Légère’s t-shirt to the crowd, which bore the logos of the NDP and CUPE side by side and read “our party, our voice.” “Every time Paul Moist talks about the NDP he talks about ‘our party’, and that’s the best possible signal that we could send,” said Mulcair.
Paul Moist addressed the assembled crowd, saying “wouldn’t it be nice to have a Canada that talked about a job strategy for all regions, that talked about living wages, that talked about retirement security for all Canadians, that talked about affordable, accessible childcare for all Canadians. Under Tom Mulcair’s leadership we have watched this grow over the last three years. We stand on the shoulders of giants; of Tommy Douglas, of Ed Broadbent, of Jack Layton. This is leadership that all Canadians can believe in.”
CUPE Holding Premier to Campaign Promises
At a press conference today, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) called upon Premier Brian Gallant to honour his campaign promises to sit down at the table with groups representing civil servants and retirees to look at alternatives to the previous Conservative government’s pension reforms.
EI Study correctly identifies problem, but gets the solutions wrong: CUPE
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
Horizon Health Network CEO must change his ‘ideology’
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.
TransAqua made the right decision
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.
Ambulance cut in Chipman another attack on rural New Brunswick
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.
Liberal government cuts ambulance services in Chipman
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.