McNeil's Movers – Emptying Nova Scotia communities one at a time!

by Robert Devet

NSGEU launches social media campaign to fight job cuts and privatization

KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) - The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) launched a social media and TV campaign to bring attention to the McNeil government's austerity agenda.

A TV commercial that was first shown on Labour Day features a new moving company, McNeil's Movers, that is promising to shake up the competition in Nova Scotia.

It's specialty is cheerful goodbyes.

“Have services and jobs been moved out of your community?” a uniformed mover featured in the commercial asks. “McNeil's movers are here to move you out too. Thanks to Nova Scotia's cuts and privatization we've moved lots of jobs out of Nova Scotia. And we're not done yet.”

McNeil's movers comes with its own website and twitter account. And, just like any other self-respecting company, it has a facebook page.

Joan Jessome, president of the NSGEU, explains why the NSGEU is launching the campaign.

“We're watching rural Nova Scotia die,” Jessome says. “Our members live there, and want to continue to live there. This government is attacking people with jobs, and they're not doing a damn thing to create jobs.”

Jessome points to the proposed privatization of the Land Registry and the Registry of Motor Vehicles to make her case.

“And it's not just about staff,” she says. “It's about public services staying in the public forum, where there is accountability.”

“And where profits being made go back into the provincial revenue, not to shareholders,” she adds.

Jessome also mentions the layoff of park staff and workers at visitor information centres, the closures of rural Community Services offices, the privatization of restaurant services at Capital Health.

The website features a petition, and people can upload a photo and create their own shareable message.

The ads will run for two weeks, and will reappear during the first two weeks of November, Jessome tells the Halifax Media Co-op.

“We're going to have some fun with this,” she says.

 

See also:

Closing rural Land Registries today, privatizing tomorrow

Budget cuts justification baffles non-profit group

Community Services closes Dayspring Treatment Centre for Youth in Bridgewater

Home care competitive bidding invites for-profit companies

Follow Robert Devet on Twitter @DevetRobert