PSAC supports communities affected by natural disasters in Haiti

PSAC’s Social Justice Fund is allocating $20,000 to help with a major relief and reconstruction project led by the Confederation of Public and Private Sector Workers (CTSP) in Haiti, whose members were severely impacted by the catastrophic earthquake and tropical storm Grace in August. 

About 800,000 people have been affected, and an estimated 650,000 people need emergency humanitarian assistance. Thousands of people are now homeless, and there is an urgent need for shelters, hindered by the amount of damage and the ongoing pandemic.

More than 120,000 people are in need of clean drinking water, which is a high priority because the 2010 cholera epidemic was only recently resolved in Haiti.

Among those affected by the recent disasters are essential workers and CTSP members including hospital workers, nurses, educators, workers from the regional energy company, construction and transportation workers, and workers from small farms and fishing communities. These union members are as committed to relief efforts as they are to the communities they serve. 

The CTSP is ready to provide relief to victims of these two natural disasters and aims to participate in the reconstruction of areas devastated by the natural disasters.

Background

The Social Justice Fund began working with the Confederation of Public and Private Sector Workers (CTSP), following the 2010 earthquake. PSAC-CUPE-PSI helped finance the rebuilding of the CTSP headquarters when it was destroyed during the earthquake.  

Now, the CTSP and its members are once again facing great adversity. But the CTSP and its members are very resilient, in part because they are embedded in the communities. That is where their strength lies. PSAC Social Justice Fund and CUPE’s Global Justice, along the CLC, NUPGE and USW have joined forces once again and raised over $65,000 in financial support to the CTSP.    

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October 13, 2021