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Closure will have a profoundly negative impact on the offshore search and rescue capabilities in this province – an impact that could put people’s lives in danger.
St. John's (29 June 2011) - The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) has joined MAYDAY-NL Coalition to stop the planned closure of the Maritime Rescue Centre in St. John's.
The federal government announced the closure of the centre in St. John’s despite warnings that it will have a profoundly negative impact on the offshore search and rescue capabilities in this province – possibly putting people’s lives in danger.
The issue was presented to the National Union of Public and General Employees' (NUPGE) Champions 4 Change at the recent conference held in Halifax. An overwhelming message of solidarity was extended by the activists in attendance.
In the first week of the campaign NAPE gathered over 1,900 signatures on a petition to reverse the closure (available for download here).
Then 2,500 people attended a rally to protest the closure. The rally, organized in part by NAPE, was designed to send a united message to the Harper government that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians strongly oppose the closure and want the decision overturned immediately.
“Stephen Harper says they are closing our rescue centre because they have a deficit," said NAPE president Carol Furlong when addressing the rally.
"At the same time the Harper government is putting the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at risk to deal with this deficit, it is giving wealthy corporations billions of dollars in tax cuts. Putting big business before lives is an irresponsible and unacceptable decision, Mr. Harper. And we will not stand for it.”
The MAYDAY-NL Coalition is a broad-based group of organizations consisting of labour, municipalities, students, political parties, community groups and concerned individuals who have come together to oppose the closure of the Marine Rescue Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
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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