The B.C. Federation of Labour (BCFL) and Health Coalition organized the action, the largest yet of the ongoing strikes, rallies, marches, and meetings across the province.

To meet the enthusiastic response of people wanting to fight government cuts, unions rented some 100 buses and chartered a ferry called the "Solidarity Queen" to bring people to Vancouver Island. Protesters came in buses and cars from up and down the island.

Driving off the ferries near Victoria, protesters were greeted by members of the Ferry and Marine Workers Union holding banners and signs on an overpass welcoming participants in the demonstration. A few kilometers away, a group of Hospital Employees Union (HEU) members carried a banner that read, "Save B.C.'s hospitals."  
 
Contracting out jobs
Most people on the 7:00 o'clock ferry that morning were heading to the rally in union buses or cars. A group of HEU members who work in building services at Surrey Memorial Hospital boarded as foot passengers, confident they could find transportation to Victoria at the other end. They said they were joining the protest because of government plans to contract out their jobs to private firms, which, they fear, would mean a 50 percent cut in their wages and an end to real job training. A co-worker of theirs who works for one of the private companies said she decided to participate in the action because she thinks all hospital workers need union protection.

Donna Harper said she is opposed to the government cuts to health care and education taking place throughout Canada. "One of my friends is studying to be a teacher in Alberta," Harper said. "She told me that government cuts mean larger class sizes, especially in poorer areas like Edmonton's inner city." The Alberta government ordered teachers back to work February 21 after thousands had been on strike for more than two weeks.

Along the march route demonstrators chanted, "Hey, hey, ho, ho! Gordon Campbell's got to go" and "Liar, liar, pants on fire"--a reference to the fact that many workers feel betrayed by Campbell for breaking his promises to avoid cuts in health care and education and to respect union contracts.

Many participants brought their own signs, showing the degree of their involvement in the fight. "The Campbell nightmare continues; fight on and make your voices heard," read a sign carried by a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. "Only the wealthy will be healthy," and "Cuts to health care and welfare = death" were two signs highlighting the class character of the Campbell government's attack on working people.  
 
'Aiding the rich'
"They're doing everything they can to aid their rich friends while they're ruining peoples' lives," said HEU member Lito Flores, who was in Victoria with a group from the Tilbury hospital in Delta. "B.C. fights back, enough is enough!" read the sign of one of his co-workers who, like Flores, is originally from the Philippines.

Members of the Office and Professional Employees International Union as well as the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union carried signs opposing government plans to privatize B.C. Hydro, the electricity company.

Johanna Beavan, a home-care worker and shop steward in Courtney, came to the demonstration on a bus organized by Local 1518 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW). Beavan told the Militant that the government "is cutting our contracts plus privatizing home care. We'll have to apply to private companies who'll pay us $8 an hour." UFCW Local 1518 also organized buses of home-care workers from the Campbell River and Coquitlam.

Legal Aid workers organized by the B.C. Government Employees Union were well represented, given that there are only 250 of them in the province. On February 13 these workers shut down all 60 legal aid offices in B.C. to protest cuts of up to 40 per cent for legal aid, a move that will eliminate free legal services for about 100,000 of the province's poorest workers.

A big majority of those at the action were union members. Although most were from public-sector unions at hospitals, schools, and among government employees, union members from many private companies turned out as well. These included members of the International Longshoremen's Union; Teamsters; Telecommunication Workers; Communication, Energy and Paper Workers; United Steelworkers of America; International Association of Machinists; and Carpenters and Joiners. The blue and gold flags of the British Columbia Teachers Federation were visible throughout the crowd.

Participation by college and university students swelled the action. Signs produced by the Canadian Federation of Students demanding that tuition fees be reduced were everywhere.

"It's about time people fight together," said Malva Nunez from Camosun College. "I think it's important for people to fight for their rights."  
 
High school students join action
Significant numbers of high school students were also present. "What they're doing in the schools is ridiculous--especially with class sizes," said Heather Campbell from Saahichton. Her sentiments were reflected in a sign carried by a teachers union member from Kelowna that read, "cuts to education bleed the future."

Joshua Gabriel explained that he had come to the action because he would "never work for six bucks"--the new minimum wage the provincial government has established for youth. "Hire a Liberal @ $6/hr" read one sign. The Liberals are the governing party in the province, as well as nationally.

In addition, Native groups mobilized to protest the Campbell government's plans to hold a referendum on treaties negotiated with their peoples by the previous government.

Protests were also organized in several other towns and cities throughout the province on the same day. More are planned over the coming weeks.

Beverly Brown is a meat packer.
 
 
Related article:
Rally participants buy 230 copies of the 'Militant'  
 
 
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