CUPE Quebec has launched a major campaign to put pressure on political parties to say no to privatization and yes to reinvestment in public services.
In the midst of the provincial electoral campaign, one million leaflets are being delivered door to door by more than 600 union activists throughout the province. The leaflet calls on candidates to make clear commitments regarding the future of public services, focussing on health care, education and municipal services.
“It is our task to sensitize people to the major issues at stake in this campaign. Quebec is at a crossroads,” said division president Claude Genereux and regional director Gilles Charland. “More than ever, our public sector is threatened. Beyond grandiose general promises, we demand specific commitments with respect to the amounts of money that will be reinvested, particularly in relation to the operation and role of the public sector in the delivery of public services.”
The Division is sharply critical of the federal government for its cuts to transfer payments to the provinces and rejects the “Americanization” of Quebec society and the type of policies that have been adopted by the Harris government in Ontario.
The provincial office responsible for elections had sought an injunction barring the distribution of the leaflet but a Superior Court judge rejected the claim, accepting CUPE’s argument that the leaflet was political but non-partisan. The text of the leaflet can be viewed on the Internet here.