National Day of Action Rally in Kitchener

National Day of Action in Waterloo

With the 2012-2013 Federal deficit projected at more than $21 billion, the government has implemented austerity measures to help balance the books including cutting back on public services.

And employees in this sector are fight back with a rally held in Victoria Park in Kitchener Saturday.

This was just one of many rallies across the country that took place.  The alliance is calling it a National Day of Action.

“It’s about 18, 000 jobs,” say Marie Clark-Walker with the Canadian Labour Congress. “But we all know it’s going to be a heck of a lot more than that.”

More than 1600 Parks Canada workers are taking a hit.  Kathleen LeFaive is losing her job this fall.  She has been working at the Woodside National Historic Site for 17 years.  She says it’s not just a job she’s losing.  It’s a passion she has nurtured for a very long time.

“I didn’t work for money,” say LeFaive. “I work in heritage because of the love history and the love of teaching.”

The alliance is hoping these rallies will bring about a much louder one.

“We want the government to recognize we are the people that drive the economy,” says Melanee Jessup of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, “We are the people that keep the other small businesses afloat that feed our people.”

According to the Public Service Alliance, the departments with the most jobs affected are in National Defense, Border Services, Parks, Human Resources and Skills Development.