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
BCTF
On this second episode, Rankandfile.ca’s West Coast Correspondent Daniel Tseghay interviews Farah Shroff, First Vice-President of the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils and Lisa Descary, a teacher and activist in Richmond BC. Both guests discuss the ongoing effects of cuts to public education in British Columbia and what must be done to fight the Continue readingRankandfile.ca Podcast Episode #2 – Education cuts in BC
by Tara Ehrcke Just one year ago, BC teachers returned to class from what was the longest teacher strike in Canadian history. Teachers, upset with over a decade of deteriorating funding and particularly with large and complex classrooms, were unwilling to accept a contract offer which simply maintained the status quo. In one of the Continue readingThe rise and fall (?) of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation
By Lisa Descary On Monday, June 29 after school had let out for the summer, most Vancouver teachers were taking a well-deserved break. However, a small but determined group of teachers and other trade unionists gathered outside the Vancouver School Board (VSB) office as the Vancouver School Trustees met to vote on the budget for Continue readingVancouver elementary teachers rally against school board austerity
By Lisa Descary At recess time on April 30 of this year, many public school teachers around BC pulled out their smartphones to find out whether or not their union, the BC Teachers Federation, had won their court case. Unfortunately, they were disappointed: in a 4-1 decision, the BC Court of Appeal ruled that the Continue readingAre the courts the solution for the BCTF?
By Daniel Tseghay RankandFile.ca Writer/Organizer In recent years, the federal government has made a number of changes to immigration policy that have made it more difficult for migrants to gain permanent status. Refugee claims, and the number of accepted claims, has dropped dramatically. Countries like Mexico are deemed “safe countries” by Canada, making Mexican refugee Continue readingBCTF’s sanctuary schools policy
By David Bush This past year has seen governments continue and extend their unprecedented assault on fundamental trade union and worker rights, while employers demand even more concessions at the bargaining table. At the federal level the Conservatives passed their omnibus Bill C-4, which stripped away basic health and safety regulations for workers. The legislation Continue reading2014: The Canadian labour movement in review
By Lisa Descary Originally published at New Socialist, November 18 2014 It is hard to imagine that anybody who strongly supports public education in British Columbia was thrilled when the BC Liberals pulled off an unwelcome, last-minute election victory in 2013. Given the Liberals’ history of failure to address the basic needs of the public Continue readingThe 2014 BC Teachers’ Strike: Weathering a Perfect Storm
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
By Tara Ehrcke Teachers are reflective practitioners. And just as we reflect on a lesson to judge what worked and what did not, we ought also to reflect on our struggle to improve the public education system. The point is not to lay blame. It is to figure out how to do it better next Continue readingReflections on the BC Teacher Strike
BC teachers | Bill C-377 | Montreal pensions protest | Saskatoon transit lockout | Alberta pension bills | Nova Scotia’s Bill 37 | US Steel bankruptcy | Richmond IKEA lockout | Cornwall wildcat strike | Winnipeg municipal workers | Calgary parks privatization BC Teachers’ strike BC Teachers’ Strike – Lessons Learned Tara Ehrcke, Staffroom Confidential Continue readingRankandFile.ca Labour News Update: September 22, 2014
By Tara Ehrcke, teacher and past president, Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association Despite what I know was a herculean effort on the part of our bargaining team, I very much hope that BC teachers will vote no to the tentative agreement. After five weeks of strike, and twelve years of legal battles, this is not the Continue readingB.C. teachers’ tentative agreement – Yes or No?