Political Action

What is the Union School?Union Education at its best! This Union School is 5 intensive days of in-residence learning for activists and leaders here in BC. If you are a leader or activist, this Union School will provide you with the opportunity to build your skills, acquire new skills and network with each other.  How to applyPlease note the application deadline has now passed.

 Emergency vigil to be held starting at 5PM today – Tuesday at Kitsilano Coast Guard Station. Speakers from BC Federation of Labour, Jericho Sailing Centre, MP Fin Donnelly and others to be confirmed laterThe rally takes place at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday February 19 outside the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station in Vancouver – 1661 Whyte Avenue in Vanier Park [off Chestnut Street below the Burrard Street Bridge.]

 Despite a huge outcry from British Columbians, the federal government still plans to close the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station, affecting the PSAC/UCTE members who work at the station and putting lives at risk in Vancouver's busy harbour.

The Federal Court last week upheld a decision by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that employers cannot discriminate against employees with family obligations.The ruling means that the employer has the obligation to find workable solutions on a case-by-case basis so that workers like Fiona Johnstone can balance work and family, to the point of undue hardship.

As published in the Financial Postconservative Member of Parliament Pierre Poilievre is right: Judge Ivan Rand did rule that employees should “take the burden with the benefit” (“Unions ignore the Rand formula,” Feb. 6).

Cheers to Jamey Mills, President of the Vancouver Area Council, who presented this report at the AGM held in October.Thank you all for attending and thank you for supporting me over the past year as Vancouver Area Council President. I, again as last year would like to thank you for volunteering in your workplaces and communities.I would like to start with a moment of silence to commemorate our fellow members who have been killed or injured in the past year.

The federal government is closing nine Veterans Affairs Canada district offices across the country, leaving veterans without access to in-person services, including counselling, in cities across Canada.Offices will close on February 28, 2014, bringing the number of job cuts at Veterans Affairs to 400 since last April. The cities affected are Sydney, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Corner Brook, Newfoundland; Windsor and Thunder Bay, Ontario; Brandon, Manitoba; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Prince George and Kelowna in British Columbia.

We are disappointed with the Supreme Court of Canada's judgment today.  The Supreme Court recognized that public service plan members made a significant contribution – 42.2 per cent or almost $12 billion – in paying down the national debt for all Canadians when the government appropriated the pension plan surplus.

Once again, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has released a misleading report attacking the dedicated and hard working public sector employees of this country. The study claims that public sector absenteeism rates are costing Canadian taxpayers billions of dollars annually. This is false – sick leave cannot be cashed and is not a liability for the taxpayer.

The Conservative government is cutting public services and jobs while it’s prepared to waste tens of millions of dollars on a punitive, unnecessary and discriminatory private members’ bill.