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B.C. Federation of Labour E-News March 23, 2007
March 23, 2007
Stories
Check out bcfed.ca--the new website of the B.C. Federation of Labour
Whether you're an existing union member wanting to learn more about the B.C. Fed, or a worker wanting to join a union and find out more about your rights, this site has been designed to help find information more easily. We've also added several new features. Use the
B.C. Federation of Labour takes campaign for $10 minimum wage to the streets
Vancouver-Young workers and labour activists will brave bad weather Saturday at Vancouver's Commercial and Broadway Skytrain station to gather support for their Campaign to boost the provincial minimum wage to $10 per hour.
"When it comes to addressing the needs of our lowest paid workers, the Campbell government and their business allies have a deplorable record," said B.C. Federation of Labour President, Jim Sinclair, whose organization is gearing up the $10 NOW Campaign. Read more.
Working families hear lots of talk in federal budget but see no real action
Vancouver - Working families heard lots of talk that they were the centrepiece of today’s federal budget but the details show it’s only talk, with little action says B.C. Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer, Angela Schira. "No matter how much spin the Conservatives try they’re simply out of touch with the needs of working families," Schira said. Read more.
B.C. Fed submits recommendations to provincial government to improve working conditions & safety of BC farmworkers
Vancouver - The B.C. Federation of Labour today submitted 29 recommendations to Labour Minister Olga Ilich to improve the working conditions and safety of BC farmworkers, in the wake of last week's fatal crash near Abbotsford. "It’s time to act," said Federation President Jim Sinclair. "We know what the problems are, now let’s put real solutions in place to protect the lives and rights of BC farmworkers." Read more. Events
IAMAW - RALLY AND MARCH to save the jobs of 700 aviation maintenance professionals in Vancouver
SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2007 VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL PLEASE COME OUT AND MARCH WITH US IN SOLIDARITY!
11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
$10 NOW CAMPAIGN EVENT
The B.C. Federation of Labour is stepping up efforts to gain a much-needed pay raise for BC's lowest paid workers by winning an increase in the provincial minimum wage. DATE: SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2007 TIME: 1:00 to 3:00 pm PLACE: BROADWAY AND COMMERCIAL SKYTRAIN STATION To learn more click here.
PSAC National Pride Conference
Start:: Friday March 30, 2007 8:00 am End: Sunday April 1, 2007 5:00 pm 2007 PSAC National Pride Conference, which will be held March 30, 2007 to April 1, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver under the theme "INCLUDE AND BE INCLUDED." To learn more click here. Publications
Conservative Budget all talk when it comes to working families
First appeared in Business in Vancouver Pity poor federal finance Minister Jim Flaherty. He can't go for coffee in his hometown of Whitby without someone demanding tax cuts. "I hear it at the hockey arena," he told reporters. "I hear it at the coffee shop, I hear it from people on the street: taxes in Canada are way too high." So the Conservatives' 2007 budget claims to turn its back on its big business buddies - "we crack down on corporations that have avoided paying their fair share" - to "reduce the tax burden on working families." Read more.
By Jim Sinclair, President, B.C. Federation of Labour
Labour Double-Standards Blamed for Farmworkers' Deaths
From thetyee.ca Did Amarjit Kaur Bal, Sarabjit Kaur Sidhu and Sukhwinder Kaur Punia die in vain? The results from a meeting held March 15 in downtown Vancouver may determine the answer to that question. Family members of farmworkers killed in the roll-over accident of an overloaded labour contractor's van last week and leaders of the BC labour movement met on the morning of March 15 with Minister of Labour Olga Ilich and Minister of Agriculture Pat Bell in Vancouver. They presented a comprehensive list of 30 proposals to remedy safety and employment standards abuses in BC fields and greenhouses. The submission to the ministers also calls on the government to strike down a controversial memorandum signed by the BC Liberals and the province's large agricultural organizations, which critics say has paved the way for lax enforcement of safety and employment standards protections in the industry. Read more.
BC farmworkers deserve protection not exploitation
First published in the Vancouver Sun, March 14, 2007 The March 7 death of three female farmworkers, when the overloaded passenger van they were travelling in crashed east of Abbotsford, left us with a simple choice. We all know BC farmworkers are being exploited and their lives threatened; the only question is whether we act to put an end to it. It's become a familiar news story, footage of a crumpled van, followed by a few days of funerals and families left behind. J ust like the 2003 death of farmworker Mohinder Sunar, who suffocated under the weight of other farmworkers in another overloaded van without seatbelts. Read more.
