Hundreds of nurses, health care workers and union activists were at the Burnaby Hospital in Vancouver June 11, 2002 to protest the BC government’s “extreme” health care agenda.
The hospital may become the first urban casualty of the Campbell government’s cutback agenda for health care. The “protest” lines were also set up to denounce the Fraser Health Authority for recent decisions to privatize some services at the hospital.
Members of the Hospital Employees Union’s Burnaby local say these moves will cost the hospital more than doing the work “in house.”
CUPE National President Judy Darcy told the crowd that the protest line was “a line in the sand that no government dare cross.” She said health care workers were determined to protect the public health care system from profiteers.
Darcy also expressed outrage over the Campbell government’s plans to close nursing homes and seniors residences.
“Seniors who built this country and built the Medicare system are now facing the threat of being arbitrarily moved from nursing homes or residents in which they had lived for years, jeopardizing their health and in some cases, seperating couples,” she said.
Health care workers and other union members from across the country were on hand Tuesday morning to show their support for HEU’s protest action against the Campbell government’s extreme health care agenda, which saw protest lines go up around Burnaby Hospital.
The action lasted from 6 am until just before noon.