Prince George, B.C. – CUPE BC is giving positive reviews to the first NDP Throne Speech in 16 years and says its members are pleased to hear plans to deliver on promises made in the last election campaign.

The speech outlined Premier John Horgan’s priorities for the year, including improving the availability of childcare, enhancing public education, protecting the most vulnerable, creating good-paying jobs in a balanced and environmentally sustainable economy, building affordable housing, implementing a poverty reduction strategy and acting on the drug overdose death crisis.

CUPE BC President Paul Faoro says “we’re hearing from a government that wants to work with people and communities, to understand what regular people are dealing with and to make changes that will improve public services and make life more affordable.”

CUPE represents over 27,000 public school workers in BC and Faoro says “education workers look forward to working with trustees to implement solutions at the local level and make sure every student experiences a clean, safe and inclusive learning environment in their community school.”

The president also says his members “work on the front lines in every BC community and see first-hand the life-or-death struggles facing too many in our prosperous province.”  He says the Horgan government cares about the least fortunate in our society.