Media Advisory - Fourth coast guard base to close on Wednesday

VANCOUVER, May 5, 2015 /CNW/ - Tomorrow the Harper government will close the Vancouver Marine Communication and Traffic Services Centre (MCTS), the fourth base to be closed by the government in 2015. Coast guard officers and a diverse group of Metro Vancouver organizations will hold a rally to protest the closure.

"Stephen Harper doesn't understand British Columbia," said Jerry Dias, National President of Unifor. "Harper is aggressively pushing for more oil tanker traffic and closing coast guard stations at the same time."

WHAT:	Rally to save BC's coast
WHEN:	Wednesday, May 6 at noon
WHERE:	Closed Kitsilano Coast Guard Base (eastern foot of Whyte Ave), Vancouver
WHO:	Jerry Dias (Unifor); Chad Stroud (Unifor Local 2182); Irene Lanzinger (BC Federation of Labour); Peter Lahay (International Transport Federation); Bob Jackson (Public Service Alliance of Canada); Rob MacDonald (Professional Institute of the Public Service); Garth Mullins (Canadian Association of Professional Employees); Mike Cotter (Jericho Sailing Club); Kai Nagata (Dogwood Initiative)

The federal government has already closed the MTCS centres in Ucluelet, Saint John, and St. John's and has plans to close the bases in Thunder Bay, Rivière au Renard, St. Anthony, and Comox.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 305,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged.

SOURCE Unifor

please contact Unifor Communications Representative Ian Boyko at 778-903-6549 (cell) or [email protected]