The United Steelworkers union (USW) urges federal politicians of all stripes to vote Yes to pharmacare, so people don’t have to choose between paying the rent or mortgage and taking the medication they need to stay healthy.
Momentum is growing for NDP Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Julian’s private member’s bill, Bill C-213, An Act to Enact Pharmacare.
Steelworkers can help.
Build support for Bill C-213 by signing Peter Julian’s petition and emailing your MP to urge them to vote Yes Bill C-213.
“We don’t need more studies or promises, we need action. Vote Yes on Bill C-213, and bring in pharmacare,” said Ken Neumann, USW National Director.
The USW has long supported a single-payer pharmacare plan that is universal, public, accessible, comprehensive and portable. Bill C-213 will bring in pharmacare for Canadians modelled on the Canada Health Act and will improve the health and lives of millions of Canadians.
Pharmacare brings fairness when women, racialized people, Indigenous people, young people and those with lower incomes have more difficulty accessing the drugs they need.
“Union members tend to have better health care and drug benefits than workers who do not belong to a union that negotiates on their behalf,” said Neumann. “But all workers – and all Canadians – deserve public drug coverage to ensure that people can access the medication they need.”
The Liberal government’s own advisory council recommended universal pharmacare in 2019, before the pandemic.
As studies have shown, pharmacare will save lives. Too many Canadians die from preventable causes because they lack medication coverage.
Since the pandemic began, many workers have lost their jobs or benefits coverage. Pharmacare would mean all Canadians could get the medication they need to stay healthy without having to pay out of pocket or worry about not being able to afford the cost.
Email your MP to urge them to vote Yes on Bill C-213.
#PharmacareNow
#VoteYesonC213
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