Share
WINNIPEG—Nearly 300 Unifor activists from across the Prairies will march to Union Station demanding the federal government reverse its plan to privatize the VIA Rail Windsor to Quebec City corridor.
What: Rally to Save VIA Rail
Who: VIA Rail Workers; Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer; Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director; Scott Doherty, Unifor Executive Assistant and VIA Lead Negotiator
When: 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Where: Union Station, 123 Main Street, Winnipeg, MB
“Canadians need a safe and sustainable passenger rail network that is publicly-funded, adequately funded, and widely used,” Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “The federal government’s plan to privatize the VIA Rail corridor is wrong-headed and will in no way prepare Canada for the greener transit future we all are counting on.”
On March 9, federal transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced that the government is seeking private proposals to cover service for the VIA rail high-frequency corridor.
This is the first of many steps to privatize VIA Rail says Unifor and the union has launched a national campaign, “Get Canada Back on Track” which seeks to establish a federal legislative framework for public, accessible, safe passenger rail and secure investments to build Canada's passenger rail infrastructure, prioritize passenger trains, and improve passenger rail service.
The rally will be streamed live on Unifor's FaceBook Page.
Unifor representatives and VIA workers will be available for one on one interviews after the rally.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
