Union supporters walking down 98 St (photo by Liam Verster)

By Liam Verster

Protest

Over a dozen protesters march against UCP cuts and privatization of health care

Feb 14, 2020 | 2:17 PM

Sixteen supporters of United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), and Canadian Public Employees Union (CUPE), took to the streets over the lunch hour on Friday, February 14, to raise awareness of the importance of public health care and the work front line workers and nurses do, and to oppose cuts and privatization of health care.

Protesting the UCP’s cuts and privatization of health care (photo by Liam Verster)

The protestors started at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, walked to the Provincial Building, passed the RCMP Detachment, before circling the block and returning to the hospital.

Protesting the UCP’s cuts and privatization of health care (photo by Liam Verster)

Kerrie Mealey, the president of UNA Local 37, says the march in Grande prairie was part of an Alberta-wide movement, to bring attention to the front line staff caring for Albertans, and to show that nurses are the “Heart of Health Care.”

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“We chose Valentines Day [for the march] to show that nurses care, all frontline workers care. Public health is important to us, publicly funded health care bing delivered is very important. We cannot afford to privatize.”

Mealey says she wants to raise public awareness of what she calls “deep cuts” to healthcare, which could cause a lot of problems not just to health care and frontline workers, but to anyone who needs to access these services in the future.

“This is ridiculous, in this day and age, that we are fighting for public health. Why are we outside, making public health aware to everyone, in Canada, in Alberta?”

Protesting the UCP’s cuts and privatization of health care (photo by Liam Verster)