Every Ontarian will suffer loss as front-line services devastated
TORONTO– Tim Hudak’s pledge to cut 100,000 jobs will directly impact every citizen in the province of Ontario. It especially targets women and vulnerable people in Ontario, said Fred Hahn, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario.
“Cutting 100,000 jobs will mostly hurt women who already earn only a modest living,” said Hahn. “What has Tim Hudak got against women?”
“You can’t cut 100,000 people without cutting the people who provide special education, who prevent the spread of infectious diseases in our hospitals, who support people living with developmental disabilities.”
“These cuts will affect child care workers, people providing direct support to the elderly and people with disabilities, hospital cleaners, school board support staff, and other front-line support workers,” Hahn also explained. “That’s why every family in Ontario, every community in Ontario will be hard hit.”
Hahn says Hudak’s proposal will be even more drastic than the 100,000 figure announced because it will cause further job loss because it withdraws public employee spending from the economy, as well as eliminates spending on materials and equipment that support at least 67,000 people in the private sector.
Tens of thousands of Ontarians are already on wait lists for child care, long-term care beds, developmental services, home care and other vital public services. Hudak’s plan would dramatically expand those lists and leave people on them years longer, said Hahn.
Ontario already spends less per capita on public services than any other province. The results are particularly damaging to people in smaller and medium-sized communities. For example, North Bay already faces 60 hospital bed closures because of underfunding, and Children’s Aid in Brant is closing for five days because of budget shortfalls, leaving at-risk kids in danger.
“Hudak doesn’t have a jobs plan, he has an unemployment plan. Cutting these public-sector jobs will also mean a loss of at least 67,000 jobs in the private sector,” said Hahn. “We know, for example, that public child care allows women to work and contribute to the economy. Hudak’s plan will pull women out of the workforce and dramatically increase inequality. And for what? Higher unemployment.”
CUPE is Ontario’s community union, with members providing quality public services we all rely on in every part of the province every day. CUPE Ontario members are proud to work in social services, health care, municipalities, school boards, universities and airlines.
