President's Commentary: Austerity has never been the answer

As a union, we have always believed that great things can happen when we work together. This time is no different. We will keep fighting for good jobs with good wages, safe working conditions, and decent pensions. We will continue to fight for better communities and workplaces, free from racism and intolerance. We will fight to make equality and fairness part of any recovery.

by Larry Brown, President

Ottawa (16 Dec. 2021) — 2021 has been an incredible year. As we moved through lockdowns, outbreaks, and reopenings, we witnessed patience, perseverance, and a large dose of courage. The introduction of vaccines has allowed people to feel some long-awaited relief. Now, with the availability of vaccinations for children, we’re a step closer to having entire families more protected. Yet, there are still speed bumps on the road to recovery. As I write this, the coronavirus variant Omicron has been discovered and is spreading rapidly. This roller coaster continues, and we hang on.

This last year, as we focused on the well-being and rights of workers and the public, we leveraged our collective power to force governments to continue providing support and benefits to those impacted by this health crisis. We pressured governments and employers to increase their care and concern for the most vulnerable people in our communities, including our seniors.

Our leaders, nationally and in the Components, continued as always to make the safety and security of our members job #1, and we were largely successful in those efforts. NUPGE members in every sector continue to play an important role in the fight against COVID. And we know that without public services, our country would have been even more ravaged by the effects of the virus.

We need to be part of building solutions to many other issues: climate crisis, income and wealth inequality, and the looming wave of austerity.

Climate change is among the biggest challenges of our lifetime. We are seeing the worsening effects every day in more extreme weather events, displaced communities, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss. The science is clear: we need urgent action to minimize future impacts, to keep global warming to 1.5 °C, to help our communities adapt to the effects, and to ensure there is a jJust Transition plan for workers.

The climate crisis is directly connected to our fight against social and income inequality. Just as the pandemic exposed and exacerbated inequalities in society, so, too, does climate change, with front-line workers, communities of Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour, and of low-income people bearing the brunt of its impacts. These voices need to be included in any action plan to create a more equal and just society.

We will continue to play an important role in the recovery of families, and communities, and Canada’s economy. But we know there’s another challenge on the horizon. Governments are getting ready to issue austerity mandates. The heroes on the front lines that protected the public will be told that the cupboards are bare and that they now need to sacrifice, again, for the sake of the economy.

There are false narratives in play here. The federal government funding covered 86% of COVID-19 pandemic costs, so provincial governments are in far better shape than they are admitting.  Plus, all that federal spending boosted provincial income and sales taxes, for a windfall of unexpected income.

There is clearly an alternative to austerity. Governments can reverse the 20-year trend to cutting corporate taxes on profitable companies. They can curb tax dodging. They can institute an excess profits tax and a wealth tax to raise the revenue needed to keep our public services running at full capacity, and to pay a good wage to the workers who make that possible.

This is a rich country. The wealth is being hoarded to a huge degree by the mega-rich. The idea that we can’t afford public services is hogwash. What we can’t afford is to let profitable corporations and the wealthy continue to be tax scofflaws, especially now, when so many people are struggling.

For the most part, the public has been so grateful for the work you have done and are doing to keep people safe and cared for. They understand the importance of strong public services. People want more investment in public services like a national child care program, public not-for-profit long-term care, and real action on climate change. We need to make sure they know what austerity will mean for them and their loved ones. We all need to move forward, not back to the way things were. We have done too much, seen too much, to allow that to happen.

We have seen a glimpse of what is possible in the face of crisis — not only communities coming together but also governments mobilizing the necessary resources to address a crisis through a strong public sector. I am confident we will face our challenges with strength, hope, and optimism as we have always done.

And before I go, I want to thank you, our members. Without your determination, commitment, and good humour, our challenges may have overwhelmed us. But you have been there at every step, working hard, putting yourselves on the line, to serve the communities you love.

May the end of 2021 find you healthy, safe, and surrounded by those you love.