Public health care is Canadians’ proudest achievement. We embrace it as a social right in Canada, one that speaks to our best values of fairness, pragmatism, inclusion and hope.
There is no other social program or national initiative that we identify with so passionately, but it is being weakened by private forces and complicit governments.
We are standing up to defend, expand and improve public health care and we invite all Canadians to join us.
Join us as we stand up to propose alternatives such as homecare and a national pharmacare plan. Join us as we re-double our efforts to oppose further privatization through the growth of private insurance, private clinics or other for-profit forces. Join us as we advocate innovation and improvement within the public system.
We refuse to let any government dismantle this country’s most cherished social program.
We will make our voices heard whenever and wherever politicians and private forces gather to undermine our country’s best expression of democracy.
We commit to stand up for Canada’s public health care system by:
- Campaigning daily to monitor, expose and challenge every step taken that would weaken our public health care system;
- Working together to develop a national campaign to make public health care a major issue leading up to the next federal and provincial elections;
- Reaching out to engage our own members, youth, seniors, faith groups, anti-poverty groups, new Canadians, women’s groups, aboriginal peoples and others in the fight to save public health care; and
- Working through the Canadian Health Coalition, provincial health coalitions and with our allies in Quebec.
Signed by:
Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) *
Canadian Health Coalition (CHC)
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) *
Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) *
Council of Canadians *
National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW)
National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) *
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) *
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
United Steelworkers *
*indicates organizations who indicated support for revised statement that was circulated after May 30
