News Conference - Press Conference

I can confirm now that 3872 PSAC members in ten federal deparments received notices today saying they could lose their jobs Today's workforce adjustment notices bring the total number of affected PSAC members since the federal budget to 11,957 in 40 federal government departments and agencies And we are astounded by how quickly and mercilessly this government is moving to put people out of work and cut the services Canadians across the country rely on. 3872 PSAC members in ten federal deparments received notices today saying they could lose their jobs les avisant qu'ils pouvaient perdre leurs emplois Today's workforce adjustment notices bring the total number of affected PSAC members since the federal budget to 11,957 in 40 federal government departments and agencies And we are astounded by how quickly and mercilessly this government is moving to put people out of work and cut the services Canadians across the country rely on. This government is clearly demonstrating its so-called budget for jobs and growth is one of cuts to jobs and destruction of services. The government isn't telling us how they plan to adjust. What's clear is that Canadians can expect fewer services and shorter seasons at national parks and historic sites. How can this government say on the one hand that it's all about jobs and prosperity and on the other hand they're cutting the very jobs and services that help Canadians find work or to transition between jobs. The intent of the employer is to shorten the season and shorten the days of the canals and waterways. This will have a devastating effect not only on our members but also on local business along the canals and the waterways and tourism They are eliminating the second level of the inmate grievance process. That takes an already dangerous working environment Takes away the official channel - one level for the inmates to complain. And we all know for anyone that's spent time in an institution. When inmates complain and don't get listened to we have problems in our sights. Roger Smith from CTV - you've got a convention here we've got a majority government on Parliament Hill What is it you can do to resist this? Or try to mobilize more public support to counter these cuts? John Gordon: we have a majority government we know that they can pass the budget and go on with these cuts Our job is to make sure they don't get away with closing things down quietly and when they come up for election in 2015 everybody's forgotten. Our job is to make sure we're in the face of these politicians in their communities every day and every oppportunity we get to remind them of the decisions they're making.