To: UVAE Locals
For many years, services to Canada’s veterans and their families have been eroded and reduced. This has happened through underfunding and inaction by governments of various political stripes. Now growing privatization and contracting out have steadily diminished these services and the work of PSAC/UVAE members has been transferred to the for-profit sector. The latest attempt by Veterans Affairs Canada is to contract out rehabilitation services provided to veterans as they re-enter work and society from the military. A massive $560 million contract over an initial 5.5 years was awarded to Partners in Canadian Veterans Rehabilitation Services in June 2021. There is also a provision for three, two-year extensions. This contract will come into force in January 2023.
This contract will cost Veterans in reduced services, Case Managers in reduced responsibilities and potential downgrading and the Canadian public because they could do much of this work in-house at a much lower cost. That is why UVAE has joined forces with PSAC to fight back. For the last few weeks we have been very successful to date in getting attention to our campaign, both from free and paid media. That has included an article, an op-ed and a full-page article in the Hill Times. An article and full- page ad in the Charlottetown Guardian. An op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen and interviews with CBC PEI and Radio Canada Acadie.
Our full advertising campaign has seen transit ads in Ottawa and Victoria, an ad in Legion Magazine and an extensive outreach on Social Media. We have also purchased a digital billboard in downtown Halifax and PSAC Atlantic has arranged for an ad in the Nova Scotia Legion publication. To date over 400 letters have been sent to the Minister and we continue to work on promoting this among UVAE/PSAC members and activists. We have also started a campaign newsletter. The first issue came out July 4 and we will publish every two weeks moving forward.
In the next phase of the campaign we are asking members and activists to join us to grow support within the Case Manager community and throughout the UVAE and PSAC membership as we head into bargaining with the focus on Contracting Out. We will be working with PSAC in select areas of the country to get more pressure on the Minister and Department. Within UVAE and the broader labour movement we are organizing at the workplace and within communities including Pride events, Labour Day and a UVAE Local Presidents Conference in October.
You can follow this campaign on our website or on the UVAE Facebook page at
Sign the letter to the Minister
In Solidarity,
Virginia Vaillancourt
National President, UVAE