March 31 B.C. Rallies Against Medicare Cuts

The Hospital Employees’ Union joined with other health care advocates at rallies at the offices of six B.C. Conservative MPs on March 31, as part of a national day of action highlighting major reductions in federal health care transfers.

Hundreds of HEU members and other concerned citizens attended rallies in Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, Kelowna, Kamloops and Campbell River, while several provincial executive members took part in the national rally in Ottawa.

The B.C. rallies were supported by HEU along with the BC Health Coalition, the Council of Canadians, CUPE, BCGEU, HSA, local community organizations and several other trade unions.

HEU secretary-business manager Bonnie Pearson speaks to the 100-plus crowd in front of MP Wai Young's office in Vancouver
HEU provincial executive members rally for medicare in Ottawa with Victoria NDP Murray Rankin (centre)
Young health care supporter in Richmond gets into the rally spirit in front of MP Alice Wong's office
Campbell River rally draws nearly 50 medicare supporters
Health care supporters march to the rally in front of Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod's office
Rally organizer Kelly Aujla speaks to media in front of Surrey MP Nina Grewal's office
HEU vice president Ken Robinson speaks out against medicare cuts in front of MP Ron Cannan's office in Kelowna
Burnaby city councillor Pietro Calendino and HEU's financial secretary Donisa Bernardo at Vancouver's morning rally
Richmond rally organizer David Huespe (centre) rallies with union members from HEU and BCGEU
Raging granny lends her voice to Kelowna protests
HEU rally organizer Barb Nederpel speaks to crowd before dropping off 900-plus postcards against cuts at Kamloops MP's office
HEU's Karen McVeigh and Ronnie Nicolasora attend Vancouver rally
HEU regional vice-president Bev Trynchy hands out information about the cuts to passersby
More than two dozen attend the lunchtime Surrey rally to protest health care cuts
HEU member Gino Porco (right) and three dozen other citizens protest Conservative cuts at Richmond's afternoon rally
HEU and Council of Canadians deliver over 900 postcards against cuts to Vancouver Island North MP John Duncan's office
More than 100 people took a stand for medicare in Kelowna at a noon hour rally
Nearly 80 Kamloopsians rally against $5-billion federal cuts to health care in B.C.
Large Vancouver crowd kicks-off first of six rallies at federal Conservative MPs' offices held across B.C. on March 31