Canada’s unions to engage Premiers at the Council of the Federation on strengthening public health care

OTTAWA––Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, will be available to talk about next week’s Council of the Federation meetings, which will be focused on health care.

“Extreme staffing shortages and years of chronic underfunding are placing an unbearable strain on health workers and putting our public health care system at risk,” said Bruske. “Canada’s unions will be in Victoria to bring a clear message to the premiers from workers: we need urgent action to strengthen health delivery, improve access and make sure Canada’s public health care system is there to care for Canadians, for generations to come.”

Bruske said that repairing the public health care system will take the combined efforts by all levels of government and warned that Canada’s unions will strongly oppose any attempts to further privatize Canadian health care.

“We agree with the premiers that fixing health care requires substantial additional investments from the federal government. But new funding must include accountability for improving the delivery of health care,” continued Bruske. “Creeping privatization undermines access to quality care and must be stopped in its tracks.”

Bruske added that Canada’s unions are looking to the premiers to agree on urgent action to fix health care worker shortages; improve access to care; implement pharmacare; establish a standard of care and get profits out of long-term care; invest in mental health care; and ensure affordable dental care is there for everyone.

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