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Last Saturday, union members across the country got together to have their message heard: we\u2019re all affected by these cuts. Thousands of our members have had their jobs eliminated \u2013 with many more job cuts to come.<\/p>\n
Doug Marshall, the national president of the Union of National Employees, attended the event in Ottawa, where he shared his thoughts on these massive cuts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government says these are just back office jobs. Well first of all, the back office is very important. The people who have contact with Canadians, that\u2019s where they get their support. We\u2019re not only losing those support workers, but we are losing people who directly affect the lives of Canadians in a very immediate way,\u201d said Marshall.<\/p>\n
The UNE, Marshall said, is very concerned about the loss of a number of crucial jobs that could put members of the public at risk, including lifeguards at Tofino Beach in B.C., fire protection officers across the country, water inspectors who keep drinking water safe for First Nations people living on reserves \u2013 and those are just a few examples.<\/p>\n
Events all across Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, PSAC members gathered at Memorial Park with PSAC President Robyn Benson. \u201cThe crowd was electrified by Robyn Benson\u2019s speech,\u201d said Chris Little-Gagn\u00e9, the assistant vice-president of the UNE\u2019s Manitoba region. \u201cWe had face-painting and juice for the kids \u2013 and the grownups wrote messages to Harper on a large banner.\u201d<\/p>\n In an interview with Global Winnipeg<\/a>, Benson touched on how these cuts are affecting morale in the public service.<\/p>\n “It is really disconcerting to be sitting at your desk day in and day out proudly serving Canadians and not knowing if tomorrow a [layoff] letter will show up on your desk,” said Benson.<\/p>\n A moment of solidarity<\/strong><\/p>\n In Kitchener, Ontario, PSAC members rallied in Victoria Park. \u201cIn Kitchener, we have members from FedDev Ontario, Passport Canada and Parks Canada,\u201d said Mary Anne Walker, assistant vice-president of the UNE\u2019s Ontario region.<\/p>\n One affected member from Parks Canada gave an interview. Kathleen LeFaive told CTV Kitchener<\/a> that she\u2019s passionate about the work she does at Parks Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t work for money,\u201d LeFaive told CTV<\/a>. \u201cI work in heritage because of the love history and the love of teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n PSAC members in Kitchener were joined by public education teachers, who are standing up to the Ontario provincial government after the legislature passed a controversial anti-strike bill.<\/p>\n We have pictures of the rallies in Ottawa, Kitchener and Winnipeg. Got photos from your event? Send them to communications@une-sen.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last Saturday, union members across the country got together to have their message heard: we\u2019re all affected by these cuts. Thousands of our members have had their jobs eliminated \u2013 with many more job cuts to come. Doug Marshall, the national president of the Union of National Employees, attended the event in Ottawa, where he … <\/p>\n
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