PM urged to "put people first" in budget

Economic recovery needs quality public services, retirement security, adequate EI benefits.

With the federal budget being announced on March 4, three of Canada's largest public sector unions held a press conference on Parliament Hill to drive home their message that the country's social infrastructure needs to have its share of stimulus spending.

"If the recession has shown us anything, it is that Canadians need and expect more services from their national government, not less," said John Gordon, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), during a press conference on Parliament Hill. "They expect safe food and drugs, their environment protected, their military and veterans supported and their human rights enforced." ...

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Posted: March 02, 2010

Ontario home care contracts expiring, McGuinty may lift ban on competitive bidding

Citing the failure of private home care delivery in Ontario, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario and the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) are campaigning to stop home care privatization and build a public system.

Many home care contracts are set to expire March 31, and the provincial Liberals may lift a temporary ban on competitive bidding. The compulsory privatization policy was brought in by Conservative premier Mike Harris in the mid 1990s. In response, CUPE Ontario and the OHC have launched a province–wide media tour showing how they feel privatization hurts home care patients and workers. ...

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"Worst job crisis in a generation" needs job stimulus

According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), the federal government needs to step up to the plate in this week's budget and address what they are calling the "worst job crisis in a generation". They propose a six–point plan in the release of their annual Alternative Federal Budget. ...

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New Brunswick being run by "shadow government", letter to the editor

To Whom It May Concern:

Toronto Star columnist Chantal Hebert observed that the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro-Quebec was the most unreported story of 2009. I have been working with a Facebook group whose original creator notified seven friends of the "deal" to sell New Brunswick’s crown asset on October 29. That group creator had 10,000 friends 10 days later. ...

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Paris water public again, California resisting privatization

For activists around the world who support publicly–run water systems, January 1, 2010 was a day to celebrate. After 25 years of private control, the city of Paris, France moved its drinking water to a single public operator, Eau de Paris. The move delivered on a promise Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë made while campaigning for re-election in 2007. ...

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SK public servants settle, ON college teachers narrowly accept contract

After being without a contract for over five months, a tentative agreement has been reached between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union (SGEU) public service bargaining unit after talks broke down early this year. ...

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