Union News - October 2022
A Matter of Choice
The role of unions is to support its membership and protect the rights of workers. On a wider scale unions lobby for broader social changes viewed as supporting workers and Canadians within society.
The US Supreme Court decision to overturn a longstanding fundamental decision taking away a woman’s decision to make her own informed health care decisions has created ripples felt around the world.
We understand that issues such as this stir up very strong emotional responses from persons on both sides. The union recognizes this and respects the individual positions taken, but we support the principal of choice and support the voices of those who care deeply about individual choice as is reflected in the following article.
Gary Esslinger
Chair, Communications Committee
That could never happen to us here in Canada
That could never happen to us here in Canada…. We say that so many times as multiple events take place in the U.S.A. The same is true in many countries around the globe where governments seem to be turning back the clock on gains and freedoms achieved for citizens especially women and minorities.
The most recent being the repeal of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court. Roe v. Wade had guaranteed a woman's right to choose her own health choices including access to abortion services for almost 50 years.
How is Canada any different? Only a woman knows what the right choice for her is, and all avenues for female health and reproduction need to be provided to individuals safely without barriers.
Canada currently has no laws regarding abortion. It is considered the same as any other medical procedure and regulated through provincial and territorial governments and professional bodies. Without proper oversight, this could lead to significant power in the hands of the provinces who could draft legislation and place limitations on health care access for women, such as requiring more than one doctor’s concurrence or approval, having to access an abortion in a provincial hospital instead of a clinic and legal timeframes for the procedure or outright banning of the procedure in certain jurisdictions.
There are many things we can do, such as lobbying at the provincial and federal level in order secure and improve access for Canadian women.
- Strengthen the Canada Health Act (CHA).
The CHA must be improved to ensure the provinces do not introduce or have administrative fees or fail to cover the cost of travel in situations where health care facilities are not locally available. - Provinces and Territories must respect the Canada Health Act and ensure that health care providers and institutions have the infrastructure they need to provide abortion care. This is as simple as proper billing codes and access to ultrasounds, and policies for timely care.
- Create the promised Health Canada web portal that will feature accurate, unbiased information on sexual and reproductive health and rights and will address abortion disinformation.
- Request that the federal government increase Federal Health Transfers with ties to the expansion of reproductive and sexual health services across the country.
- Demand that the Health Canada Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund have funding established on a permanent and ongoing basis. Currently this funding was introduced in 2022 however it is set to expire in 2024.
There is a great misconception that abortions are carelessly used as a form of birth control by young unwed mothers. This is not the case. More than half the women who become pregnant were using some form of contraception. Half of the women seeking abortions already have children at home and understand the demands additional children will create, and 75% of women live at or below the poverty line. (While these are American Statistics, it is likely that statistics in Canada are similar)
As Canadians we need to ensure that health choices for women are left in the hands of those impacted by these decisions and not left to individuals who have no personal stake in the matter other than their own personal opinions. Unfortunately, this is becoming more prevalent in more governments and individuals in Canada, the USA and many other countries around the world.
Mel Lucier
Member of the Equal Opportunities Committee