Laval, December 13, 2011 – On December 6, the Teamsters Quebec Women’s Caucus, along with other women members, women drivers from the Gatineau-based company Campeau, and representatives from the Ontario Caucus held a demonstration in Ottawa. In addition to commemorating the sad anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre on December 6 and honouring the memory of the 14 women killed, hundreds of people rallied on Parliament Hill to protest against the abolition of the long-gun registry and to prevent the federal government from destroying data on gun owners.

The Polytechnique massacre is still vivid in our collective memory and the registry is an effective way to control this senseless violence. Consulted by police 17,000 times a day, the registry has helped slash domestic violence involving a weapon and youth suicide rates by firearms by 70%. The mother of one of the Polytechnique victims said in a speech in Ottawa: “We have no problem paying to register our dogs. Why so much resistance to register a firearm?”
 
It looks like our hard work to stall the passage of Bill C-19 is paying off. Despite its initial promise to speed up the parliamentary process, the federal government has not yet scheduled the third reading, which will determine whether the Bill is sent to the Senate. Right now, it looks like the vote will not be held before the House of Commons returns from its break at the end of January.
 
Pleased to see that our rallying efforts were successful, the Caucus would like to thank all those who braved the cold to participate in this event. The Caucus was pleased to have the chance to meet and exchange with women members from the region. We can honestly say that female leadership is alive and well in Gatineau!



The Teamsters Union represents 125,000 members in Canada in all trades. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, has 1.4 million members in North America.

Information:
Stéphane Lacroix, Director of Communications, Teamsters Canada
Mobile: 514-609-5101
Office: 450-682-5521 x236
Email: slacroix@teamsters.ca