CUPE Nova Scotia Anti-Racism Statement

We’ve all witnessed the response to the murder of George Floyd, both in the United States and Canada. This is not the first time we’ve seen the police exercise their authority to kill an unarmed black man. We’ve seen it far too often. It must stop! There are those among us who believe this is a problem in the United States only. It isn’t. Canada has a long history of racism, including anti-black racism. In Nova Scotia the police have used their power to racially profile members of the black community and to make violent arrests of black men, women and children. A December 2019 video shows an unarmed black man being tasered by four police officers. Officers later claimed he assaulted one of them. In Bedford, a 15-year-old boy sustained injuries while being arrested after security at the Bedford Place Mall called to have him removed. Santina Rao was … Read more…

CUPE launches Fix Long Term Care campaign

Today, CUPE launches a national campaign to Fix Long Term Care. Canada’s long-term care system is in crisis. Our parents and loved ones living in care homes are not getting the care they deserve. It’s time to fix long-term care now! Underfunding, understaffing and a focus on profit instead of care have been wearing down the system for decades – and it has left us tragically unprepared for the health crisis we’re currently facing. Four out of five COVID-19-related deaths in Canada have either been residents or staff of a long-term care home – the worst record in the developed world. We must act now to ensure this never happens again. We need to make sure that the federal government hears our concerns, in a big way. Please click on the campaign link below to send a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today. https://fixlongtermcare.ca/  

Steve Joy CUPE 1867

P3 highways: Further along the road to ruin

The Liberal government’s decision to protect the consortium hired to build the new P3 highway near Antigonish from extra debt-servicing costs due to COVID-19 has CUPE 1867 (Highways) President Steve Joy shaking his head. “Interest payments will already be millions of dollars more on private sector financing,” says Joy. A report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives last year estimates it could cost up to $66.6 million more to finance the P3 highway debt through private loans than it would through government bonds. Nova Scotia NDP Leader Gary Burrill told All Nova Scotia this week that the government should not have assumed the risk posed by COVID-19, rather, “a public-private contract is supposed to protect government from risk.” Burrill goes on to say that the private partner has buttered both sides of its bread. “If they are paid a premium as they are in a P3 arrangement to assume … Read more…