CANADIAN LABOUR:

ROCK FOR PUBLIC SERVICES:

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is holding a series of rock concerts across the province of Ontario to publicize the importance of public services. The latest one is coming up on November 1 in Ottawa. Here's the skivvy. Catch this free event if you live down Ottawa way.

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Ottawa to ‘Rock for Public Services’ with Trooper, Cooper Brothers on November 1:
Legendary rockers Trooper, along with The Cooper Brothers and comedians Bowser and Blue, will headline a free concert presented on Saturday, November 1 at the Ottawa Civic Centre by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The evening is a community fundraiser for the Ottawa Humane Society and family-friendly.

Called ‘Rock for Public Services,’ the event is one of a series of rock concerts that CUPE Ontario is holding in cities across the province to celebrate and bring home the importance of public services. The Ottawa event is being co-hosted by CUPE 503 municipal workers, and front line Ottawa hospital workers represented by CUPE 4000.

“This is our way of thanking people in Ottawa for their ongoing support and dedication to preserving public services that are the bedrock of strong communities,” says CUPE Ontario President Sid Ryan.

People don’t always know what role public services play in their lives, says Brian Madden, CUPE 503 President. “We’re there from cradle to grave for people. Public services deliver when you send your children to public day care, the library, to school or university; need a paramedic, turn on your tap, switch on the lights, and drive to work behind the snow plow. Or when you visit loved ones in the hospital, your local nursing home or supportive housing.”

The concert starts at 7:00 p.m. sharp and is being held at the Ottawa Civic Centre. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

In the last four months, over 20,000 people have attended Rock for Public Services concerts in Sturgeon Falls, Kenora, Thorold, Ajax, Kingston and Lindsay featuring groups like Trooper, April Wine and Kim Mitchell.

For more information, contact:
Karen Rainboth CUPE 503 613-266-2130

Valerie Dugale CUPE Communications 647-225-3685