UFCW activists call for end to Doug Ford’s cuts at Ontario Day of Action rally

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Toronto – October 30, 2019 – Activists from UFCW Locals 1006A and 175 and the UFCW Canada National Office, together with community groups and allies from the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), welcomed MPPs back to Queen’s Park on Monday by demanding that Doug Ford’s Conservative government stop its reckless cuts and create an Ontario for everyone.

At the rally, dubbed a “Day of Action to Win an Ontario for All,” hundreds of participants descended on the Ontario Legislature at Queen’s Park and called on the government to stop hurting families and communities by cutting health care, education, and other valuable public services. Attendees also encouraged the Ford administration to abandon its disastrous plan to sell beer in corner stores and start investing in people by ensuring that Ontario has decent work, strong communities, and access to the well-funded, publicly delivered services.

“After hiding from Ontarians for five months in a failed attempt to help Andrew Scheer win the federal election, Doug Ford and the Conservatives have finally returned to work,” said Debora De Angelis, UFCW Canada Regional Director for Ontario.

“Together with our Local Unions, we are here to send a message that we have not forgotten about the government’s attacks on workers and their families, and we will be holding the Ford Conservatives to account for their actions,” she added.

“It is still not too late for the government to change course and do the right thing by investing in working families and ensuring that Ontarians have access to high quality health care, education, and child care.”

Prior to the rally, UFCW also attended a press conference where our union, together with other OFL affiliates, was joined by workers who have recently lost their jobs as a result of Doug Ford’s cuts.

During the press conference, OFL President Chris Buckley pointed out that two-thirds of Ontarians oppose the Conservatives’ current direction according to recent polling. He then called on the government to change its agenda by improving workplace health and safety, enacting decent work laws, and strengthening public services across the province.

As Canada’s leading union, UFCW Canada believes that political action is essential to achieving a better life for workers and their families. Our union takes politics seriously because the decisions made by political parties and elected officials impact UFCW Canada members in their workplaces, homes, and communities. To learn more about our union’s work in the political realm, visit the UFCW Canada Political Action webpage.