October 13, 2015
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
On October 19th the federal election will decide Canada’s direction for many years to come.
I am writing to encourage you, first of all to participate in our democratic right to vote and to also encourage you to get family and friends involved in this very important federal election on October 19, 2015
Many members I have talked with have shared with me that they have originally come from countries where democracy either does not exist or is very challenging – they have told me how much they appreciate Canada’s strong democratic tradition.
It is important to note that our union and our local are not telling you how to vote – but it is our responsibility as your representative in the workplace to point out the facts.
Unfortunately, the current Conservative government led by Stephen Harper has repeatedly passed legislation that hurts unions like ours and workers like you – and has intervened only on the side of employers and against workers – in contract negotiations.
We have also seen the Conservative government make cuts to much needed public services and a loss of good, family-supporting jobs. These are not one person’s opinion – they are the facts.
I recently spoke with Irene Lanzinger, President of the BC Federation of Labour, and asked her about her views on the upcoming federal election. As the leader of over 500,000 unionized workers in BC, she responded to me as follows:
“In this federal election British Columbia is a critical battleground. We have an opportunity on October 19 to elect a government in Ottawa that stands up for working people, respects the labour movement, and supports vital public services. The choice for union members is clear – this is our chance to elect Tom Mulcair and the NDP.”
Personally, I completely agree – but the decision is up to you.
If you have questions or would like more information about the issues on the important upcoming federal election on October 19th or about advance polls, please contact me through the office and I would be happy to speak with you about this important election. For additional information I encourage you to check out canadiansunitedforchange.ca . Thanks for listening.
United We Stand,
Adrian David
Business Manager, IUOE Local 882