Jerry tells us about a raging debate

The national president of a union that represents local healthcare workers is on a tour of Northern Ontario, meeting with members about their concerns in ongoing contract negotiations.

Jerry Dias, Unifor national president, was in Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday morning, leading a rally outside Sault Area Hospital.

“We are having a raging debate across the province and the country about the role of healthcare and universal healthcare. You have (Stephen) Harper federally taking 36 billion dollars as a result of not renegotiating the healthcare accord. That puts all kinds of pressure on everyone,” said Dias.

The health accord was a multi-billion dollar agreement between the federal and provincial governments which expired last spring.

Today's rally was held to raise awareness for contract negotiations and was not a strike or lockout.

“We have about 1,300 healthcare members who will be without a contract come as of October,” said Laurie Lessard-Brown, local president of Unifor 1359.

“This is a group of workers who haven’t had wage increases since 2011 and yet management found ways to give themselves pay increases,” said Dias in an interview during the rally.

Local 1359 represents healthcare workers between Wawa and Elliot Lake and includes workers at Sault Area Hospital and Mapleview Extendicare.

Lessard-Brown said healthcare workers have done their part by accepting a wage freeze, now it’s time to receive an increase to at least meet minimum standards.

Dias was in Thunder Bay on Monday and is continuing to Ottawa from the Sault later on Tuesday.

In another jab at Harper during the rally, Dias questioned why government has continued to refuse to call an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.

“You can believe if there was 1,200 murdered and missing Bay Street bankers there would be an inquiry called tomorrow,” he said.

(PHOTO: Jerry Dias, national president of Unifor, speaks Septemeber 30, 2014 during a rally in front of the Sault Area Hospital. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)