Horgan pledges "I've got your back"

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2017

BC NDP Leader John Horgan pledged to fight for public servants during a speech to HSA convention delegates in May.

"The people in this room, and the people outside this room, who work every day for a living, have not had someone watching their back," said Horgan. "I will have your back, and I'll be fighting for you every step of the way."

Horgan also assured delegates that HSA members were not the only ones suffering from a decade of government-imposed wage austerity that is undermining public services and leaving individuals struggling to keep up with growing costs.

"Wages have been flat in British Columbia for the last decade. You know that. You're not getting significant increases. You're not getting rewarded for the work that you do, you're not being rewarded for your role in the economy, nor are other workers, private sector and public sector. Wages have been flat and costs have been going up. We need to have an economy that works for everyone."

The BC NDP leader said his connection with HSA runs deep. he was first encouraged to run by an HSA member and former union board member who then worked on his first campaign in 2005.

"Bob Phillips instilled in me a genuine understanding of the diversity of HSA and all the work that you do in communities right across BC. It's not just in acute care of course, it's in communities protecting people, helping them when they need that help."

Horgan spoke to delegates just days before the election was formally called on April 11. The dramatic results of the election on May 9 still had not been finalized as this issue goes to print.