Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU) members serve Canadians across the country and around the world. We ensure your employment insurance (EI) payments come on time, help reunite Canadians with their families immigrating to Canada and much more. This week has been disheartening: first, the passing of Bill C-51, the Anti-Terrorism Act, against all reason and virtually every expert witnesses advice to the government. While we applaud the Honourable Jack Harris, MP for St. John’s East for his steadfast opposition to the bill, we noted with disappointment that Liberal MPs Judy Foote, Scott Simms and Yvonne Jones supported this shameful piece of legislation. In addition, the government’s unprecedented attack on Collective Bargaining with the Budget Implementation Bill, C-59, is extremely troubling. Nevertheless, our members continue to rally in support of quality services to Canadians. We’ve been engaging with our colleagues in the Public Service Alliance of Canada and with ordinary Canadians for the past year: monthly Days of Action in our workplaces and flash mobs in shopping malls are just the beginning. We will not stand idly by while our employer chips away at the rights and freedoms of ordinary Canadians. Healthy workplaces, guaranteed through collective bargaining, don’t just benefit our members; they ensure quality public services for all Canadians.

Sincerely,

Paula Whittle
National Vice-President for Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Employment and Immigration Union
Public Service Alliance of Canada