Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

It’s time to rise again – we all need a universal child care program

International Women’s Day represents nearly a century of struggle for the equality of women world-wide.

This March 8th women in the PSAC are not only celebrating the gains we have achieved over the last century, we are also actively participating in a campaign to ensure that child care is publicly (and not for profit) delivered, universal and affordable.

Given the election of the Conservative government, the challenges facing working women and their families are greater than ever. In fact, the threats to the rights we have won at are stake and PSAC women will not stand by and allow those rights to be eroded.

That is why the PSAC has made CHILD CARE one of our main priorities this year. We know that the number of women in the labour force is high and growing. At the same time, the overwhelming responsibility for the care of children remains with women and the lack of affordable child care spaces in quality public and not for profit centres remains a major obstacle to women’s full equality.

We were on the right track when the former government signed agreements with provinces that promised to make a universal, publicly-funded child care program a reality. These agreements are in jeopardy under the new Conservative government. They have vowed to dismantle them by 2007.

While the Conservatives will be implementing their version of “choice” in child care, this $100 per month cannot begin to cover the real cost of child care for most women in the workforce.

What can we do?

We must urge Prime Minister Harper to honour the signed agreements between 10 provincial premiers and the government of Canada to deliver a universal child care program.

Download and sign the letter to PM Harper to pressure the Conservative government to uphold those agreements.

Lobby your local Members of Parliament to pressure the government to defend and honour the agreements with the provinces.

Join your Regional Women’s Committee and take on the child care campaign by educating our union sisters and brothers and our communities about the importance of a child care program.

Get involved and support child care coalitions like the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada.