NDP-Liberal agreement an “unprecedented opportunity” for health care: Unifor Conference

By Pat Van Horne, USW member of the CHC Board of Directors

Canadian Health Coalition National Director of Policy and Advocacy Steve Staples says the recent Confidence and Supply Agreement between the Liberals and the NDP provides an unprecedented opportunity to make important improvements to public health care.

Staples was speaking to a three-day Health Care Conference of more than 100 front line workers, organized by Unifor at the Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario. Unifor is a member of the Canadian Health Coalition.

The conference was focused on bargaining strategies and challenges, and featured a panel discussion that included Staples as well as Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Nathalie Mehra and Susan Gill, a Unifor staff representative based in Cape Breton, NS.

“The Liberal-NDP agreement is important to all Canadians because it includes dental care, pharmacare, long-term care, and solving the crisis for health care workers,” said Staples. He thanked Unifor members “for your incredible dedication to public health care and your many years of membership with the Canadian Health Coalition.”

Katha Fortier, Assistant to Unifor’s National President, said health care workers across the country are demanding respect from employers and governments, including adequate pay.

“Considering the sacrifices health care workers made during the pandemic, these demands are reasonable,” she said.

“I want . . . every government across Canada to get their act together,” said Linda MacNeil, Unifor Atlantic Regional Director. “Start investing in public health care like our lives depend on it.  Because it does.”

Photo courtesy of Unifor.