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"People Power"
Needed to save Medicare Over 50 years ago, Medicare pioneers like Tommy Douglas set up a public health care system, providing Canadians with accessible and quality health care. It wasn't easy. In 1947, Douglas' government took on the insurance industry, the medical establishment, and other governments to establish the first universal public hospital system. In 1961 the Canadian and the Saskatchewan Medical Associations mobilized doctors against the regulation of public medical services between a doctor and patient, but were unsuccessful. In 1971, the last province – Ontario – finally introduced Medicare or OHIP. This Labour Council has been an active partner in this long fight for public health care. We have organized countless petition campaigns, numerous demonstrations and as well lobbied elected representatives at all levels of government. In 1960, we organized the historic rally and filled Maple Leaf Gardens to the rafters. In 1984, we fought for both the Canada Health Act and the introduction of provincial legislation to outlaw extra billing and charging OHIP premiums. In 2002 we are once again locked in a similar struggle. The same corporate interests want to turn back the clock and move to a private market-driven medical system. The privatizers want to set up hospitals run by multi-national corporations. Their accomplices in the federal (Anne McClellan) and provincial governments (Ralph Klein and Tony Clement) are advocating user fees and setting up private cancer treatment clinics at Sunnybrook. As the right advances its vision of for-profit health care, we are in danger of slipping into a two tier health care system. This Labour Council with our affiliates and allies in the community must send a clear and strong message. We want to safeguard a public funded universal, quality , accessible health care system. The Romanow Commission must hear this message and more importantly we must deliver this message. The Commission will be in Toronto on April 2nd at the Colony Hotel. This Labour Council and our affiliated locals must work with the Toronto Health Care Coalition , seniors associations, Friends of Medicare and other community partners to organize a massive turnout for a rally at noon. We will insist that Commissioner Romanow meet us - he has to comprehend the passion that ordinary working people feel around this issue. Then we must start the process of mounting a targetted door to door campaign in Toronto in April and May to get our members to demand that their M.P.'s and M.P.P.'s act to defend public health care. In this campaign we will utilize a member-to-member approach that has been developed in the recent East York and Rexdale by-elections. We will take the fight into the neighbourhoods, directly underneath the politicians and more importantly, on their home turf. The battle to save public health care from privatization is far from over – this is a struggle we can not lose Therefore be it resolved that this Labour Council:1) Actively organize with the Toronto Health Care Coalition around April 2nd health care rally 2) Demand to meet with Commissioner Romanow on April 2nd 3) Work with our affiliates and our community partners to organize a targetted campaign in Toronto and York Region to defend Medicare opeiu 343  |