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In other places, CUPE members are fighting hard to stop privatization wherever and whenever it occurs:

  • CUPE members are fighting against public private partnership (P3) hospital proposals in Abbotsford and Vancouver in BC, and in Brampton, Uxbridge, and Ottawa in Ontario. In October, thousands marched in Brampton and Ottawa against the P3s. The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) just released a report by a former director in the audit operations branch of the Auditor General of Canada that concludes that the P3s will likely cost taxpayers millions of dollars more than publicly owned hospitals. Called Issues raised by Public Private Partnerships in Ontarios hospital sector, the report also raises serious questions about the impact these added costs will have on the quality of care and access to other needed medical services. CUPE, the Council of Canadians, and the Ontario Health Coalition have been pulling out hundreds of people to community forums around Ontario as part of the Campaign against for-profit health care.
  • In Moncton, local 51 is building community support to stop US Filter from taking over the management, operation, and financing of water distribution, sewage and stormwater collection, and water pipe infrastructure. The city is expected to complete its $500,000 study on the water system in the new year. US Filter has turned its sights on Saint John, as well the site of the first water system in Canada. But to date, Local 18 there has been successful keeping them out.
  • In North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Barb Plews, the president of local 287, has been punished for speaking out against a P3 for the new sewage treatment plant. The day after the local launched its campaign, Barb had her hours of work cut from 40 to 20 per week. CUPE has filed an unfair labour practice complaint and is mobilizing community support for the 20 year city employee. On November 25, CUPE members presented the city with hundreds of postcards signed by North Battleford citizens opposing the privatization of the citys water services.
  • In Nova Scotia, school board workers who are members of local 3890 at Chignecto-Central Regional School Board are fighting the sell-off of cafeterias in 16 schools. Ironically, the Board has decided to do this just when the cafeterias are making money for the first time in a long time, handing profits over to the private sector.
  • Also in Nova Scotia, the highway workers continue to mobilize members in their fight to stop contracting out. CUPE local 1867 has just started bargaining, where they expect to take on the fight against the steady erosion of jobs and services by private contractors.
  • In Ottawa, the city is considering P3s for an emergency medical services facility and a long term care center, as well as for ice rinks and and other recreation facilities. CUPEs District Council has taken a leadership role in community opposition, starting with a presentation to city council on the pitfalls of municipal P3s.
  • The Ontario government has created a crisis for itself by deregulating and trying to privatize hydro. In an attempt to sooth the public outcry about skyrocketing hydro rates since deregulation, Premier Eves has announced a plan to bribe Ontario citizens with their own money. Instead of scrapping their plans to deregulate and privatize hydro, the government is going to subsidize high rates while paying power producers hefty profits with money that belongs to citizens. CUPE is active in the Ontario Energy Coalitions continuing grassroots campaign aimed at forcing the government to reverse its electricity deregulation and privatization decisions.