Union Bug Blog
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May 24, 2022 -
Don’t underestimate impact of privatization
Manitoba Government Air Services provided Manitobans with a reliable, efficient and safe public service until just a few years ago, when the current provincial government began privatizing the service, despite warnings from experts. The government recently doubled down on this privatization scheme by issuing a second RFP for continued private operation. But a thorough, transparent and independent review of patient safety, flight safety and costs is what is really needed right now.
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Feb 05, 2021 -
Privatizing snow-clearing contracts a big concern
The Department of Infrastructure has been undergoing a full review of services to determine what should be privatized, contracted out or sold off for well over a year. Last summer, the province auctioned off numerous plow trucks and other equipment typically operated by seasonal staff hired for winter road maintenance. In Ontario, safety was compromised in the pursuit of private profits. So why is the Pallister government going down this same risky path?
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Jan 31, 2020 -
Together we can send the message to stop cutting services, save our rural communities
After more than three difficult years, our rural communities are continuing to feel the effects of the Pallister Government’s cuts, closures and privatization schemes. But it doesn’t appear the pace of this government’s damaging cuts will be slowing any time soon.
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Jun 08, 2018 -
This Public Services Week we Celebrate and Fight for our Services
Prior to being elected as Premier of Manitoba, Brian Pallister pledged that front-line public services and the people who provide them would not face any cuts or reductions. But in the two years since that election, what we’ve seen is a continuous erosion of our public services. Whether they’re big or small, cuts to our public services threaten our quality of life.
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May 02, 2018 -
Privatizing Air Services Would Take Manitoba into Troubled Skies
The Manitoba government recently made a baffling announcement about our Air Services branch, which transports critically ill patients to hospital and protects our communities from forest fires. If given the opportunity, the workers who deliver this lifesaving service would tell the Premier that keeping Air Services public is the best of both worlds – providing excellent value with a proven safety record.
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Mar 30, 2007 -
McFadyen’s Record on Privatization is Clear
It was ten years ago this week that the former Progressive Conservative government of Gary Filmon announced that Manitoba Health had selected Olsten Health Services to deliver home care services to new clients in Winnipeg. In short, this was the first step in an effort to privatize home care. At the time, the arrangement was deemed, “the best model to use to deliver high quality patient care while curtailing escalation of costs.”