Editors’ note: Since this article was first published on August 17, the BC NDP has abandoned its election promise of $15/hour minimum wage by 2021 in favour of handing over the timeline questions to its fair wages commission. BC employer associations are already cheering on the decision. The decision is a dangerous setback for the Continue readingBC NDP’s crawl to $15
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By Daniel Tseghay On November 8, the Unifor National Executive Board voted to revoke the local union charters of a number of British Columbian staff representative locals. These previously Unifor locals were made up of members who worked at other unions. This consisted of members of Unifor who work for the British Columbia Nurses’ Union, Continue readingUnifor de-charters BC locals
By Daniel Tseghay On May 1st, Vancouver’s Rio Theatre will premier a documentary, Goodwin’s Way about Albert “Ginger” Goodwin, an early-20th century labour organizer. It’s a story of workers organizing BC’s coal mines and resisting the war effort, and Goodwin’s untimely death for leading both. The film centers on Ginger Goodwin. Can you tell me Continue readingGoodwin’s Way: An interview with director Neil Vokey
By Samantha Ponting Margarito López, an undocumented worker from the Hot & Crusty café in Manhattan’s Upper Eastside, opens up an envelope. Inside is $290 in cash. Counting out the bills, he says this is pay for a total 60 hours of work. This is our first glimpse into some of the realities facing undocumented Continue readingHasta la victoria! The Hand that Feeds inspires hope for workplace organizing
By Daniel Tseghay On thursday, October 15, caregivers, members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU), and others, came together outside of Saint Elizabeth, a Vancouver home-care services provider. Eighty-nine home support workers are losing their jobs at the end of the month because Vancouver Coastal Health is cutting funding and transferring duties Continue readingEighty-nine home support workers lose their jobs in midst of provincial cuts
By Octavian Cadabeschi On July 4, 400 Vancouverites gathered on sunset beach, joining communities across Canada in a nationwide day of protest to stand up for jobs, justice, and climate action. Protests overlooked English Bay, the site of April’s bunker fuel spill, where the bulk carrier cargo ship Marathassa leaked thousands of litres of the Continue readingRaise wages not sea levels
By fighting to raise the minimum wage labour is aiming to reconnect with its roots. By Crystal Warner A recent study by Oxfam predicts that by 2016, the 80 richest people in the world will hold as much wealth as the poorest 3.6 billion people. In an effort to address income inequality, the British Columbia Continue readingBC’s Fight for 15: Broadening the tent of labour
Thousands march in Montreal to protest Radio-Canada job cuts Nov. 17, 2014 Toronto Star MONTREAL—Supporters of CBC’s French-language service Radio-Canada have a message for the federal government: no more cuts. Thousands marched through downtown Montreal on Sunday as part of a series of protests across Quebec as well as in Moncton, N.B. Nicolas Bedard, who organized Continue readingR&F.ca Labour News Update – November 17, 2014
Melissa Moroz, a union activist in Unifor local 467, interviewed Aaron Ekman, the northern regional coordinator with the BC Government and Service Employees Union, about his candidacy for Secretary-Treasurer of the British Columbia Federation of Labour. The BCFed’s convention will take place in Vancouver from November 24 to 28. Melissa Moroz: Why did you decide Continue readingRunning for Secretary-Treasurer of the BCFed – Interview with Aaron Ekman
Crystal Warner, National Vice-President, BC/YT, of the Canada Employment and Immigration Union, interviewed Irene Lanzinger, the Secretary-Treasurer of the BC Federation of Labour, about her candidacy for President of the BCFed. The BCFed’s convention will take place in Vancouver from November 24 to 28. Crystal Warner: Tell me why you’re running to be Continue readingRunning for President of the BCFed – Interview with Irene Lanzinger
Unpaid work | PIPSC convention | Canadian Hockey League | Ontario colleges | Campbellton, NB lockout | BC public sector bargaining | Saskatchewan privatization | Temporary Foreign Workers Program | Federal sick leave | Marikana massacre | San Francisco minimum wage Encouraging youth to engage in unpaid work is a recipe for exploitation Jerry Dias, Continue readingRankandfile.ca Labour News Update: November 10, 2014
by Wael Afifi, Unifor Local 2025 Vice President, Human Rights In this province, the daily services in the K-12, post-secondary, health and community social services sectors as well as the provincial public service and Crown corporations and agencies are provided by approximately 316,000 public sector unionized employees. They also represent slightly over 60% of the Continue readingThe “forgotten struggle” and the race for the BCFed leadership