The 15 HEU women health workers, supported by members of the HEU C&W local, ended their peaceful occupation of the new ambulatory care building at B.C. Children’s and Women’s Hospital just in time to attend the National Save Medicare Day rally at noon today in downtown Vancouver. In front of an enthusiastic crowd of public health care proponents, HEU financial secretary Mary LaPlante repeated the occupation team’s call for a moratorium on the contracting out of health services and an independent investigation into the impacts of privatization on patient care.
“HEU is fighting for a public health care system that takes care of everyone,” LaPlante said after seniors from a number of organizations performed a skit demonstrating the disastrous effects that Victoria’s actions - including tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy - have had on Medicare in B.C.
“We will not allow Gordon Campbell’s government to cut our health care services, close our hospitals, attack health care workers and put corporate profits ahead of patient care.”
The audience applauded as LaPlante said that HEU would continue to fight for better public health care across the province. “We will join with concerned citizens, seniors, community groups and the rest of the labour movement to ensure that public health care is preserved and improved for all British Columbians,” she said. “We have just begun to fight.”