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Hundreds of health care workers and public health care advocates rallied to demand action on health care as Canada’s premiers met at the annual Council of the Federation meeting in Halifax on July 16. Organized by the Nova Scotia Health Coalition and the Canadian Health Coalition, of which Unifor is a member, the rally sent a strong message at a time when more provincial governments are choosing to privatize health care services rather than to address longstanding issues and funding shortfalls in the public system.
Workers, their unions, patients and patient advocates are united in their message that privatization of Canada’s treasured public health care system is a poison pill and must stop.
Unifor National President Lana Payne spoke to the crowd gathered at Peace and Friendship Park.
“The unfortunate reality is that every single generation of Canadians has had to fight for public health care in this country,” said Payne. “It's our responsibility as the current generation to make sure that we're fighting for it and defending it, and that we're building it better for the next generation of Canadians.”
Payne spoke to the financial pressures Canadians are currently facing, as evidenced by a dramatic increase in job action across the public and private sectors.
“When you're living through an affordability crisis like we are right now, health care is even more important, because it is the great equalizer,” she said.
To loud chants and cheers, Payne told the premiers that we need their commitment to public health care more than ever and that the teams who save lives and uphold our dignity each and every day deserve the support of our public contributions.
Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray mobilized workers from across Nova Scotia to attend the rally and spoke to members about the importance of this fight.
“There is nothing else that we will do as a group that will compare to protecting and expanding public health care for all,” said Murray. “One of the things that makes us most proud as Canadians has been the free and fair access to diagnostics, to support and care, to medicine – to our very own wellbeing. We will not allow that to be taken away so our very existence can be monetized and milked for profit.”
See photos from the rally on the Unifor Facebook page.
