CUPE National President Paul Moist encouraged CUPE members to attend rallies organized in Ottawa to co-incide with US president George Bushs visit to Canada.
We can safely predict that Bush will be pushing policies that most Canadians oppose, Moist wrote in a letter to Ottawa-area CUPE locals. It’s a long list, and includes aggressive privatization of public services, the militarization of space, and a foreign policy dependent on war.
CUPE is especially concerned that Bush’s visit is timed to ramp up the pressure on Canada to participate in the misguided “Star Wars” missile defence project. CUPE delegates to our last convention opposed this project that will only lead to a new kind of arms race that will cost billions of dollars that could be so much better used on social programs.
Moist encouraged CUPE activists outside Ottawa to find out about and get involved in local activities. A list of other rallies is at the Canadian Peace Alliance website at: http://www.acp-cpa.ca/en/NOBUSHCANADA.htm