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"Our All Together Now! campaign has been providing people a way to fight income inequality for over three years now. And now, with the Fairness Express, they can see how we are building this grassroots movement for fairness right in their own community." - James Clancy, NUPGE National President.
Halifax (30 Sept. 2013) - Two weeks into the Atlantic bus tour on income inequality, the Fairness Express pulls into Halifax, Nova Scotia for a meeting with the National Executive Board of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) today.
Thousands of miles and conversations across four provinces about the impact of income inequality
Fresh from five days in western and central Newfoundland, the All Together Now! campaign's Fairness Express has covered more ground than many Canadians ever get to see. In the first two weeks of the campaign, the bus tour has visited Halifax, Summerside, Yarmouth, Saint John's, Charlottetown, Dieppe, Moncton, Corner Brook, Grand Falls-Windsor, Stephenville and Truro. With the goal of talking to Atlantic Canadians about the issue of income inequality, the bus tour has hit many unexpected places along the way. The tour has visited hockey arenas, fairgrounds, shopping malls, mills, coffee shops, colleges and universities talking about how tax fairness, good jobs, quality public services and strong labour rights can improve the lives of every Canadian.
"The response has been incredible," says James Clancy, NUPGE National President. "People are happy to see someone fighting to improve their way of life and concerned about the direction is country is headed."
Great feedback, great coverage
Across the provinces people see the connection between the issues. Tax fairness would provide essential resources to improve the public services that families rely on from one end of the country to the other. Good jobs allow people to improve their lives, invest in the community and play a part in the economy. Strong labour rights stop employers from not providing people what they need to care for themselves or their families, now and in the future.
"When we share conversations about how the last several years have been for people, since the 2008 recession, we hear about how people are struggling. We hear how middle class wages are not keeping up but it seems the rich keep getting farther ahead. People are frustrated and looking for ways to act, to make a difference."
"Our All Together Now! campaign has been providing people a way to do that for over three years now. And now, with the Fairness Express, they can see how we are building this grassroots movement for fairness right in their own community."
"It's all connected," says Clancy. "And people can see that when we work together - like we did when we forced governments to create health and safety and labour laws, the CPP, and health care - it has made a difference."
More information:
All aboard the Fairness Express
Fairness Express driving to close the income gap
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE