The Canadian Labour Congress organizes an annual lobby day, which the CFNU participates in as an affiliated organization. CLC lobby days focus on several priority issues, with the aim of influencing decision-makers to take concrete action to improve public services, strengthen the rights of workers, and build a more just and prosperous future for all workers and the public.
In the past year, the CLC led two lobby efforts, an in-person gathering on February 25, 2020, and a virtual lobbying week that took place November 2-6, 2020. Both occasions represented an opportunity for labour activists to talk to elected officials about a number of priority issues.
In February, close to 300 labour activists came to Ottawa to lobby MPs and Senators in favour of:
During the virtual lobby week in November, the CLC successfully mobilized thousands of Canadians across the country to contact their MPs and Senators for urgent action on:
Learn more about the Canadian Labour Congress and their work here.
Nurses proudly lobby @CdnHealthMin Petitpas-Taylor on national #Pharmacare with @CanadianLabour, business, doctors and retirees. Canadians deserve strong #RxPoli and affordable prescriptions. #CdnHealth #CdnPoli #CLCLobby pic.twitter.com/dInTlKlWEz
— Canada's Nurses (@CFNU) February 6, 2018
Jeremy Burke my @Teamsters colleague great meeting w/ MP @JimEglinski agrees with our priorities on #pharmacare #pensions #payequity #employmentinsurance #CLCLobby @CanadianLabour @CFNU pic.twitter.com/SXuOLExpYW
— Pauline Worsfold, RN (@PaulineWorsfold) February 6, 2018
The Canadian Health Coalition organizes an annual lobby of parliamentarians to promote public health care and propose solutions to improve our public system. As a supportive and active member of the CHC, the CFNU participates in the lobby, contributing information and materials, and attending meetings with parliamentarians.
The most recent CHC Lobby was held virtually and focused on the implementation of national pharmacare, looking at how to overcome obstacles to implementation and move ahead in a timely manner.
More than 70 people from health coalitions across the country participated, including a strong CFNU delegation. Together, they lobbied dozens of representatives from all the parties represented in the House of Commons. Given the virtual nature of this lobby – which was initially held over two days on May 10 and 11, 2021 – the assembled teams continued to meet with interested legislators in the weeks following.
Learn more about the Canadian Health Coalition and their work here.