(Quebec City - Convention) Thousands of demonstrators including child care workers from across Canada will rally in support of Quebecs $5/day child care program in front of the provinces National Assembly, Tuesday, October 28 at noon.
Quebecs new Liberal government is threatening to cut the provinces groundbreaking social program, which many advocates feel is a model that other Canadian jurisdictions should follow. The demonstrators are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, who are attending the unions bi-annual national convention at the Quebec City Convention Centre until Friday, October 31. CUPE is Canadas largest union, with 535,000 members, including thousands of child care workers.
Demonstrators will also be calling on Quebecs Charest government to drop its proposed controversial changes to Article 45 of the Labour Code, and protect public sector workers from private contractors. Charest is attempting to pass the same kinds of privatization laws that voters in Ontario just rejected when they threw out the Harris/Eves government earlier this month.
Speakers at Tuesdays demonstration include Mario Gervais, President of CUPE Quebec; Claude Gnreux, National Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE; and Judy Darcy, CUPEs outgoing National President. Delegates at CUPEs national convention will elect a new national president on Wednesday morning.
Other highlights of the CUPE convention:
- Tuesday 10:30 a.m. Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
- Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Election of new national president and secretary-treasurer
11:00 a.m. Henri Mass,0020Quebec Federation of Labour president
2:00 p.m. Ken Georgetti, Canadian Labour Congress president - Thursday 2:00 p.m. Jack Layton, federal NDP leader
8:00 p.m. Tribute evening for outgoing National President Judy Darcy
For more information:
Kaj Hasselriis, CUPE Communications, 613-798-6925