“Defending public services” this year’s Labour Day parade theme
Posted September 6, 2010 11:29 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Thousands are packing the streets for the annual Labour Day parade Monday morning, with this year’s theme being “the defence of public services.”
Ken Lewenza, President of the Canadian Auto Workers Union, told 680News the theme concerns “enhanced public services, because there’s ongoing budget cuts that are cutting public services in hospitals, in schools, in long term care facilities, so it’s really important to emphasize the importance of public services.”
“Dalton McGuinty’s talking about wage freezes in the public sector, without enhancing public services, so that’s a challenge for us”, he added.
“In the labour movement more generally, there’s lot of employers using the global financial crisis of a couple of years ago to fight against labour progress in collective bargaining.”
Lewenza stated that while the economy is still on everyone’s mind, the CAW looks at the facts somewhat differently.
“Some people are talking about the economy turning around, but we don’t judge the economy by stocks and things like that. We define the economy with high unemployment. Until unemployment comes down, then the economy is in serious trouble, so you have to take a look at good jobs also on Labour Day.”
The parade started at Nathan Phillips at 9:30 a.m., and is travelling west on Queen to Dufferin, before heading south to the CNE.
