The United Steelworkers union (USW) has criticized Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, for making what they call “misleading” statements about the impact of a proposed national Pharmacare program on union-negotiated drug plans.
Ron Wells, president of USW Local 1005 at Stelco, called Poilievre’s comments, made during a recent debate in the House of Commons, “ridiculous” and claimed the Conservative leader was spreading misinformation.
“Pierre Poilievre is spreading misinformation about how universal pharmacare would impact union members,” said Wells. “The idea that the NDP would ban our hard-fought drug plans is ridiculous.”
Wells emphasized that a national Pharmacare program would relieve pressure on unions during collective bargaining. “A national pharmacare program would lift a burden off our members and families at the bargaining table, allowing us to divert bargaining dollars for better wages and pensions,” he said.
Poilievre’s remarks came during a response to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh in the House of Commons, after a Conservative motion of non-confidence. He suggested that the NDP’s support for a universal Pharmacare program could lead to a ban on private drug plans.
Marty Warren, USW National Director, said Poilievre’s statements were either “out of touch” or an intentional attempt to mislead the public. “If we had a pharmacare system that covered the medications we negotiate today, we could focus on other key issues at the bargaining table, like more powerful paycheques, pensions, and workplace conditions,” said Warren.
Warren also argued that a national Pharmacare system would benefit all Canadian workers, unionized or not. “Claiming that the NDP wants to ‘ban’ private drug plans is not only utterly untrue, it’s out of line with reality,” Warren said. “Poilievre can’t just mislead and manipulate Canadians.”
The United Steelworkers union, which represents 225,000 members in Canada across various industries, reiterated its support for a universal Pharmacare program. According to the union, such a system would ensure that no worker has to choose between their health and their income, a benefit they see as crucial to improving the quality of life for Canadian workers.