Standing Together For Public Services - Photos

On Thursday March 1st the Public Service Alliance of Canada organized a Day of Action to highlight the damage the Conservative austerity budget – scheduled for March 29th – will have on Canadian families and communities.

• Click see some photos of the Day of Action here in BC.

The government says it is going to slash public services by $8 to $10 billion over the next two to four years. This will cripple key social, environmental and cultural services that Canadians rely on and could mean the loss of more than 100,000 public and private sector jobs across our country.

Last Thursday, members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, joined by the Professional Institute of the Public Service and other federal government unions, congregated with other Canadians – all standing united to bring attention to the harm that Stephen Harper’s austerity agenda will cause.

Here in British Columbia, thousands of PSAC members in dozens of locations throughout the province gathered outside their worksites with signs and banners, demonstrating their opposition to the Conservative austerity budget.

“The economic crisis was not created by the public service, nor was it created by hard working Canadians who depend on public services,” said Bob Jackson, PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President for BC, speaking at a rally in downtown Vancouver, “We are here today to show governments, both federal and provincial, we are standing together to challenge them on any plans to cut public services or take away workers’ rights. And we’re standing together – union members acrooss the province, including other worksites here in Vancouver, in Victoria, in Campbell River, in Prince George, Prince Rupert, Kelowna, Penticton, Kamloops, Abbotsford and Surrey, are all participating in our Day of Action.”

“Back in Ottawa, Harper says Canadians must choose between paying off the deficit and keeping the public services we rely on. In reality, the Conservatives are about to seriously harm both.”

“We need a better way forward – a third choice that protects our economy and invests in strong public services.” he concluded, “We’re here today to send that message to Ottawa.”