FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 MARCH 2, 2001

MIRAMICHI, N.-B. - More than 300 union members and supporters marched today in Miramichi, from the Chatham Center Mall to the Office of Liberal MP, Charles Hubbard, to protest the proposal by the Department of Justice to privatize the Firearms Registry operations in Miramichi.

"This is about 15.5 million dollars that are pumped directly into the local economy", said Jeannette Meunier-McKay, National Executive Vice-President of the Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU). "There is no guarantee that any of the 500 jobs will stay in New Brunswick", she added.

CEIU is a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Furthermore, there are issues of confidentiality and privacy that are threatened if the work is contracted out to private enterprise.

The Department of Justice recently announced that it intended to solicit bids for the privatization of all services done by the Firearms Registry. A request for proposals is being sent out by the end of the month.

"Privatization threatens the confidentiality of personal information. Every Canadian citizen should be concerned about that. We are committed to opposing it", Ms. Meunier-McKay declared.

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For more information: Jeannette Meunier-McKay, CEIU (613) 762-1781