VIRDEN, MANITOBA - Hundreds of cards signed by Manitobans from Winnipeg to Virden will hit the mailbox in Virden today at 4:30 p.m. on their way to Health Minister Allan Rock.
“At every stop on our Save Medicare ambulance tour, Manitobans couldnt wait to tell the Health Minister how important Medicare is to them, their families and their communities,” said Marlene Tartsch, on tour with the CUPE Emergency Response Team. “We want to make sure their signed cards telling the federal government to stop private hospitals in Alberta and protect Medicare get to Rock as soon as possible.”
Tartsch said the response to the Save Medicare drive across Manitoba has been “absolutely amazing.” At every stop the ambulance attracted crowds of supporters.
“People are really concerned about whats happening to health care,” said Tartsch. “They want the federal government to take decisive action to protect Medicare.”
The ambulance driven by CUPEs Health Care Emergency Response Team will be turned over to a Saskatchewan delegation in Virden late this afternoon. Before that happens, the more than 1,400 cards signed by Manitobans will be put in the mailbox at the Virden post office in a brief ceremony at 4:30 p.m.
CUPE is Canadas largest union, representing 475,000 women and men including 140,000 health care workers. In Manitoba, CUPE has 23,000 members who work in health care facilities, hospitals, schools, universities, municipalities, social services, child care agencies and seniors homes.
For more information, please contact:
Marlene Tartsch (on tour), CUPE Emergency Response Team
Cell: (204) 794-6817
Lorraine Sigurdson, CUPE Health Care Coordinator
Cell: (204) 981-6499