News: Tax Workers In Victoria Take To The Streets

May 1st: Victoria Times Colonist

Victoria: Union of Taxation Employees members demonstrate over contract dispute with Ottawa. The UTE information picket went up outside the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency building on Vancouver Street Friday.

Procrastinators rushing in to file last-minute income tax returns at the Canada Revenue Agency in Victoria Friday were met by an information picket line.

The lunch-hour demonstration by the Union of Taxation Employees, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, was planned earlier in the week and did not deliberately coincide with picket lines set up by unions around B.C. in support of the Hospital Employees' Union.

Local UTE president Wayne Little said no one was prevented from entering the office and the public was supportive of the line of workers marching around the Vancouver Street building with picket signs.

The Union of Taxation Employees has voted 85 per cent in favour of strike action. PSAC, which on the West Coast represents groups such as fisheries officers, CFB Esquimalt civilian staff, federal corrections staff and lighthouse keepers, voted 73 per cent this week in favour of a strike.

There are 2,750 PSAC members on Vancouver Island, 2,050 of them in Victoria.

Little said taxation workers were on the street to push Canada Revenue Agency for a new collective agreement.

"We have been without a contract for six months and we're getting nowhere," he said.

The major issues are restructuring of revenue offices, meaning possible job losses, and wages, he said.

Taxpayers are being inconvenienced because cuts in client service staff means longer lineups and taxpayers have to find forms on the Internet and print them out at their own expense, according to the flyer distributed to passersby.

CREDIT: John McKay, Times Colonist

May Day Rally Items

May 1st Public meeting to organize community support for the HEU political protest/General Strike 5 PM Sunday, May 2nd WISE Hall 1882 Adanac, Vancouver Organized by community and union members in support of HEU workers and public health care This is directed at students who will be out of school on Monday, May 3: Come on down to the protest line at Children's hospital at Oak and 28th in Vancouver for your Social Studies.   Pick up a protest sign and be part of democracy in action. Bring a musical instrument. March with HEU members saying NO to Gordon Campbell. Check back soon for a full update on the May Day Rally and the HEU situation. We will be updating the website over the weekend.

Update on support for HEU political protest, fight against Bill 37

May 2nd

The fight back against the Campbell government’s draconian Bill 37 has been escalating through the weekend as a growing number of union members take action to support the ongoing political protest of B.C. health care workers.

Meanwhile, discussions between labour and government representatives continue to seek a solution. Public support for the HEU continues to be strong.

On Sunday, PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President for B.C. Patty Ducharme spoke by conference call with the B.C. Council of PSAC to update union leaders on the status of developments. Starting Monday morning, all area strike coordinating committees will meet by conference call to discuss details of how PSAC members can help to force the Campbell government to back off its unjust law.

On Friday the B.C. Federation of Labour unveiled an escalating job action plan starting on the weekend in support of B.C. health care workers. The goal of the plan is to increase pressure on the Campbell government to change the provisions of Bill 37, the draconian law which forces health care workers back to work, and imposes a 15% cut in pay with no protection against privatization and contracting out.

According to the plan, federal government services and programs will be impacted.

While the situation is very fluid, on Monday a number of private sector employers and worksites will be impacted, as will schools, municipalities, transit in the Lower Mainland, and specific colleges and universities.

On Tuesday, the focus shifts to direct employees of the federal and provincial governments, along with a targeted private sector strikes.

On Wednesday the focus shifts again to unionized private sector employers.

And PSAC national president Nycole Turmel has sent a letter of solidarity and support to the Hospital Employees’ Union. Turmel says HEU’s fight is our fight, and that PSAC members will stand strong with health care workers to say no to Gordon Campbell.

And remember if you do encounter picket/protest lines at your work place you have the moral right to respect those lines. You can be assured of rigorous union representation if you are threatened or disciplined. However it is an act of conscience and you should expect to lose pay.

We will be posting new and breaking information here on the PSAC B.C. website as it becomes available.

Health care deal reached: public opposition, union pressure force Campbell to blink

May 2nd

In the face of strong public opposition, and the threat of mounting political protest action by unionized workers in the province, the Campbell government agreed Sunday evening to change the draconian Bill 37—the legislation that forced striking health care workers back to work and imposed significant contract rollbacks.

The highlights of the deal reached by the B.C. Federation of Labour and Victoria include a cap on contracting out. Wage rollbacks are no longer retroactive, and union members will not face fines, discipline or any other form of retribution for their protest.

Health care workers will now return to work, and the escalating protest actions organized by B.C. unions set for tomorrow have been called off.

We’ll post more details on this important settlement Monday morning.

Photo Gallery Updated

Click for the photos! May 3rd The Photo Gallery has been updated with pictures from the CRA Rallies, April 30th in Surrey and Victoria, the May Day rally in Vancouver, and more.

News: Statement by Jim Sinclair, President, B.C. Federation of Labour

Posted May 3rd

Sunday May 2, 2004

For the last four days, British Columbia has been in a state of growing crisis.

The situation has been very volatile, with growing protests and growing numbers of workers walking off the job.

We reached this point because the government has repeatedly used legislation to tear up legally negotiated contracts, and taken away the livelihood of thousands of women and men who work in our health care system.

First the government tore up contracts with Bill 29.

As a result, people with 10 and 20 years on the job have been summarily dismissed, with no recognition of the skill, experience and caring they have brought to the job of looking after the sick, the frail and the elderly.

Four days ago, the government went even further with Bill 37.

Bill 37 took away the legal right to strike.

It mandated a 15 percent wage cut.

Even worse, it made the cut retroactive.

In other words, the government said health care workers owed money for every hour the came to work and did their job.

And Bill 37 opened the door to contracting out the majority of the workers' jobs as the government privatized health care.

Bill 37 told health care workers, 85 percent of whom are women, that even at a lower rate of pay their livelihood was at risk... that their jobs could be taken away tomorrow.

The response was quick. Workers held the line. They said we won't back down. And the general public has shown tremendous support.

Throughout the day today, I have been in close touch with the officers of the B.C. Federation of Labour.

We met as a group this morning to discuss ways to settle the critical issues, and to see if was any way to avoid any further escalation as workers express their anger at what the government has done.

We presented our proposals to Lee Doney, the deputy minister of labour, this afternoon.

Our proposal to end the growing confrontation was simple... no retroactive cut in wages, no recriminations, and a halt to plans to contract out even more jobs.

This proposal is based in our belief that all workers, both union and non-union, have a right to be treated with respect by their employers.

That's why workers throughout B.C. are angry today. They feel the government refuses to listen and doesn't care about working people. They see ordinary workers being hammered. They know that they could be next.

They see the unfairness when the government cuts wages for workers but gives huge increases to those who are already the top paid.

The vast majority of British Columbians recognize that Bill 37 went too far.

Throughout the province, hundreds of thousands of workers spent this weekend preparing for further protests and job action.

Municipal workers, electrical workers, school board workers, ferry workers, pulp workers, wood workers, BC Hydro workers, BC Rail workers - all these and more joined the shutdown last week.

There is no doubt the situation would escalate tomorrow.

In this atmosphere of growing confrontation and anger, I am pleased to announce that a negotiated solution has been achieved.

The agreement is this:

• There will be no retroactive pay cut.
• There will be an enhanced severance package, with additional funding of $20 million.
• Future contracting out will be capped at 600. This will give workers a measure of security and dramatically curtail the privatization of health care.
• If workers return to work tomorrow on their regularly scheduled shift, there will be no discipline or recriminations against the employee or the union involved.
• Any issues related to this agreement will be arbitrated by Vince Ready.

This agreement is clearly not everything we would have wished. There has been give an take on both sides.

But it is an agreement that protects the jobs and livelihood of thousands of men and women who provide vital health care services to British Columbians.

It's an agreement that will allow our hospitals, long-term care homes and seniors' homes to get back to normal. Workers will return to their jobs tomorrow.

I want to thank the officers of the federation who have worked so hard throughout the last four days to achieve this agreement.

It could not have been achieved without your support.

And I especially want to thank the thousands of workers who marched, and protested, and walked off the job.

You led the fight. You are the heroes in this battle.

I am very proud of what we have achieved by standing together, shoulder-to-shoulder, in very difficult circumstances.

We stood together in the true spirit of the labour movement, recognizing that an injury to one is an injury to all and we could not allow it to happen.

Despite potential discipline and legal penalties, workers accepted the personal risks and stood together to defend and support each other.

We are all stronger today because of the actions that you took.

News:Federal government employees face “toxic” workplace, mental health expert warns

May 5th

A top mental health expert says Canadian workers are suffering from an “epidemic” of workplace stress, and he warns that the federal public service is the worst example of where a “toxic” workplace atmosphere creates rampant mental illness.

In an article published May 5 in the Ottawa Citizen, Bill Wilkerson, who heads a Canadian business roundtable on addiction and mental health issues, says federal government employees suffer from depression 50 per cent more frequently than other Canadian workers.

“Government departments, for goodness sake, should be examples of the best approach to preserving and protecting employee health as a matter of public policy,” says Wilkerson in the Citizen article.

But, “right now they’re the worst,” he says, blaming a long list of bad management practices as the root cause of the high rate of stress and mental illness in federal government workplaces.

The findings won’t come as a surprise to front-line federal government employees.

Also interviewed for the article, PSAC national president Nycole Turmel says our union has been pressing the federal government at the bargaining table to address the issue and change the “toxic” workplace environment.  Realistic solutions, she says, need to be focused on establishing a better “work-life balance,” including more flexible hours of work, and better leave provisions that offer workers more time to deal with family responsibilities.

News: Pay-equity legislation too passive, needs overhaul, task force says

May 6th: the Globe and Mail

OTTAWA -- Canada's pay-equity legislation needs an overhaul because it is unclear, too passive and fails to characterize the matter as a human-rights issue, an important new report says.

The report, produced by the federal pay-equity task force, says the wage gap between men and women "remains entrenched" and that aboriginals, the disabled and visible minorities also face labour-market discrimination.

"Many female-dominated jobs in the same organization are less well-compensated than male-dominated jobs of the same value," said Marie-Thérèse Chicha, one of the task force's three members.

Organized labour groups hailed the report.

"It's a big win," said Nycole Turmel, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. "It lays the groundwork to push for new legislation."

Ms. Turmel said she is mostly concerned with whether the report is implemented.

Read the rest at globeandmail.com (link opens in new window) 

Citizen's Assembly Public Hearings

May 6th

The Citizen's Assembly public hearings began across the Province on Wednesday:

Should B.C. change to a new provincial electoral system? Or keep the current one? What are the pros and cons of our system? And of other systems? Members of the Assembly are holding a total of 50 public hearings all over B.C. in May and June to hear British Columbians' views on these and other important questions ... and you're invited!

OpEd: Lorne Mayencourt

May 7th: Letter to Xtra West

I was happily working in Burnaby today when I heard the latest on Lorne Mayencourt's draconian Private Members Bill dubbed 'Safe Streets Legislation' over the piped in airwaves. Mayencourt wants to protect us all from 'squeegee kids' and common street corner 'panhandlers'. He doesn't seem to want to protect us from school yard homophobes as proven by his abdication of responsability to the community that helped elect him in the first place when he neglected to mention the plight of queer kids in our public school system as part of his Education Committee duties. 

Read more on the Multi-Union Pride page by Steve Houston, Regional Council LGBT Coordinator

OpEd: Liberals Strike Out in HEU Dispute

May 7th: The Georgia Straight

Here's why the recent strike by hospital workers gained so much support after it was made "illegal" by an act of the B.C. legislature: because so many people have so many reasons to detest the Gordon Campbell B.C. Liberal government.

The last straw was passing legislation that was seen by most British Columbians as punitive and unfair to thousands of predominantly female health-care workers.

Read more at the Georgia Straight (link opens in new window)

Come Help To Save and Enhance Medicare: A Public Rally Sponsored By The Council Of Senior Citizens' Organizations of BC (COSCO)

May 10th

Featuring the Hon. Roy Romanow, Head of the Royal Commission on the Future of Healthcare in Canada.

May 21st, 1:30PM at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver.

 For more info and tickets: Art Kube, Organizer, ph 604 576 8000 or email aakube@telus.net. Email Christine Beynon for free tickets (first come first served). Visit the COSCO BC wesbsite for more details.

Rock Against The Cuts! June 2nd & 3rd

May 12th Rock Against The Cuts: Save BC Women's Centres June 2nd: Black Mountain, Veda Hille, Loud, & The Gay June 3rd: Holly McNarland, members of Be Good Tanyas & Po' Girl, Sandy Scofield, & Ridley Bent 8PM both nights @ Vancouver East Cultural Centre, 1895 Venables at Victoria, Vancouver Advance tickets $ 26 @ Ticketmaster, proceeds to the BC Coalition of Women's Centers. Visit www.savewomenscentres.ca (link opens in new window) for more details.

Asian Heritage Month: Film Screening - Made In Canada

May 13th Special screening of “Made in Canada” 6:30 pm, Tuesday, May 25 B.C. Federation of Labour (200 - 5118 Joyce St. Van.) Sweatshops aren’t limited to the Third World. This CBC documentary examines the exploitation of workers in the Canadian garment industry. PANEL DISCUSSION. REFRESHMENTS. BRING A FRIEND! Presented by the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance (ACLA)

News: Colombian against privatization

May 14th : The Daily News (Kamloops)

A decade ago, Maria Eva Villate would have said privatization efforts by the Colombian government were not that serious.

But in that span of time, the union leader has seen public services dismantled, thousands of people lose their jobs, poverty skyrocket and health care become inaccessible to many. In the last two years, more than 50,000 people have lost their jobs in a country that already has a high unemployment rate.

Read more here.

News: With designations set, workers are one step closer to job action.

May 14th : For Immediate Release

More than 23,000 unionized federal government staff who work for the Canada Revenue Agency moved a step closer to being in a legal strike position after the government and their union formally agreed on essential service levels that would kick in during any job action.

About 4,200 CRA staff work in B.C. at taxation offices in Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria, Penticton, Kelowna, and Prince George.

Read more here.

Play Fair At The Olympics

May 14th Giant sportswear brands are violating the rights of millions of workers around the world in order to fill shops with the latest and cheapest sports shoes, clothes and accessories in time for the Athens Olympics. Visit fairolympics.org (link opens in new window), to read more and Email the sportswear industry and the IOC to demand they take action to respect workers' rights.

NDP Clarifies Position On Privatization

May 18th

Thanks to Robert Strang, President CEIU 20944, who forwarded us these emails:

From: Robert Strang
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004
To: Jack
Subject: Privatisation of the federal public service

The Martin government is planning on "Program Review" to see which fed govt programs they can privatise. I am a federal public servant and oppose this: not only for my own job but I have seen how when they contract out some of our services, the service quality drops substantially. It's bad for working Canadians trying to keep good jobs and it's bad for the public good.

Where does the NDP stand on privatisation of the public service? I couldn't find anything on your site about that.

Robert Strang

President, CEIU 20944 (PSAC)

Vancouver BC

And the reply:

From: Jack <Jack@fed.ndp.ca>
Date: May 18, 2004
To: Robert Strang
Subject: RE: Privatisation of the federal public service

Dear Robert:

Thanks for your email. You can count on the NDP‘s support and work to maintain a quality public service.

Ed Broadbent, the NDP candidate in Ottawa Centre and former leader of the party made it perfectly clear that the public service is a public good. In a speech delivered at his nomination meeting in February of this year, Ed stated

“Finally, for Ottawa, we need an MP and party who recognize that the public service is a public good, that those who deliver our mail, provide health care for the sick, teach our kids and work in government offices in Ottawa are just as important as Canadians who work in the private sector!”

We are offering Canadians a new energy and a positive alternative to the Liberals. I am inviting all those people who feel abandoned by Paul Martin and the direction he will take Canada, to join us to build the national progressive alternative.

Sincerely,

Jack Layton and today's NDP.
New energy.  A positive choice.
Jack Layton et le NPD.
Une force nouvelle.  Un choix positif.

www.ndp.ca

News: Coroner’s inquest into tragic fish boat sinking, five deaths gets underway in Vancouver

May 17th

Spotlight will be on controversial government policy that tied hands of rescue divers, preventing search for survivors

A coroner’s inquest is set to get underway in Vancouver May 17, to shed more light on the sinking of the small salmon seiner, the Cap Rouge II, in the Gulf of Georgia south of the city in August 2002, killing five people, including two children.

The accident generated much controversy at the time, when it emerged that Coast Guard divers—who were on the scene of the accident within 20 minutes—were prevented from diving into the capsized boat to rescue survivors because of a government policy that prohibited them from entering confined underwater spaces.

The dive team members, who are expected to give evidence during the inquest, along with other crew on Coast Guard vessels that attended the accident scene are members of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees.

UCTE National President Michael Wing, who will also attend the proceedings in Vancouver, says the union was among the first to call for the coroners inquest in the aftermath of the tragedy.

“We believe that the inquest is essential to make sure that all of the issues related to this tragedy are fully explored,” Wing says. “Our goal is to help shed light on the facts that the coroner’s jury will weigh to determine what contributed to deaths of five people that day.

The union has retained legal council and has been granted standing for the inquest, which is expected to take two weeks to complete.

“Clearly the Coast Guard policy that prohibited our members from entering the capsized vessel to carry out an interior search for survivors will be fully canvassed during these proceedings. And it will be up to the jury to determine whether that policy contributed to the loss of life.”

Wing says the accident has caused deep anguish and pain for the families who lost loved ones. It has also deeply scarred the dive team members who were in the water that day.

“We’re hopeful that the findings of this inquest will ensure that a marine tragedy like the sinking of the Cap Rouge II does not happen again,” says Wing.

Job Posting: Resource & Environments Policy Analyst - CCPA

May 13th

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - BC Office

New JOB POSTING  (May13, 2004. Please post and circulate.)
 
Resource & Environmental Policy Analyst
 
The Vancouver office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives -- one of the country's leading progressive research institutes -- is seeking to hire a researcher to staff its Resource Economics Desk.

Closing date for applications: Wednesday, June 2, 2004, 4:00 pm.
Starting date: Summer 2004
Duration: This is a 1-year term position, with strong potential to become a permanent position (pending successful fundraising). It can be 0.8 or full-time, depending on the wishes of the successful candidate.
Salary Range: $45,000 - $60,000 FTE (5-year grid, starting salary will depend on experience.). The CCPA is a unionized workplace and provides a generous benefits package.

Position Summary:

The Resource Policy Analyst undertakes a range of short- and long-term research projects related to BCÿs various resource sectors. These projects address how to increase value-added investment in the province, how to enhance social and environmental sustainability, and how to reconcile the "jobs vs. environment" debate.  The position requires a strong background in both resource and economic policy generally, and in the political-economy of BC specifically. Duties consist of a combination of research and writing, policy analysis, fundraising & grant writing, and media/public speaking work.

Skills and Qualifications Required:

The position requires a strong background in both economics and resource policy (forestry, energy & mining, fisheries), and demonstrated research experience. The successful candidate must have a strong graduate level academic background in a relevant field of study, and a solid understanding of labour, environmental and First Nations issues.

Other skills include:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including public
  speaking experience, and the ability to write for both popular and academic audiences. Experience giving media interviews is an asset;
• Successful fundraising and grant-writing experience;
• Strong computer skills, including experience with statistical and
  spreadsheet software;
• A demonstrated ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team, in an environment that is frequently pressured.

Experience working with a progressive non-profit organization is an asset. The successful candidate should share a commitment to social justice and the CCPA's Statement of Purpose.

Job Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Researching and writing policy briefs, research papers, and studies;
• Writing articles and opinion pieces for newspapers, the CCPA Monitor, and other publications;
• Monitoring and analyzing provincial public policy with respect to
  resource and environmental policy (forestry, mining,, fisheries,
  agriculture, energy and water);
• Developing research proposals and writing grants (the position will
  have to raise most of its own funds from various foundation, NGO, and government sources);
• Providing information and comment to media (including frequent press, radio and TV interviews);
• Giving public presentations.

We are looking for a dedicated individual eager to work with a dynamic and successful research institute. The person hired for the position should feel comfortable in a small office environment.

The Centre is committed to employment equity, and welcomes applications from women, racial minorities, and other traditionally under-represented groups.

To Apply:

Send a cover letter and resume with references and telephone numbers, no later than 4:00 PM, Wednesday, June 2, to:

Seth Klein, Director
CCPA-BC
1400-207 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7
Fax: (604) 801-5122
PLEASE DO NOT SEND RESUMES BY EMAIL (and no phone calls please)
 
We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those candidates short-listed for an interview will be contacted.

About the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:

The CCPA is an independent, non-partisan research institute committed to social and economic justice. Supported by its more than 10,000 members, the CCPA has a national office in Ottawa and provincial offices in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia.

The BC Office was established in 1997. It has become a much-needed source of analysis and commentary on key provincial issues, as well as a contributor to the organizationÿs national research work.

The CCPA produces studies, reports, briefs, commentary and other publications on a wide range of issues such as:  BCÿs economy, taxes and public services, health care policy, public and post-secondary education, resource and environmental policy, poverty and welfare issues, privatization, deregulation, globalization and trade, and more.

For more information about the CCPA, visit our webpage at
www.policyalternatives.ca

-------------------------------
Seth Klein        
Director, BC Office
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
seth@bcpolicyalternatives.org
tel. (604) 801-5121            1400 - 207 West Hastings St.
fax. (604) 801-5122            Vancouver, BC  V6B 1H7
CCPA webpage: http://www.policyalternatives.ca

The CCPA is a non-partisan, non-profit research institute dedicated to producing and promoting progressive economic and social policy research of importance to Canadians and British Columbians

News: Parks workers poised to strike

May 17th

OTTAWA - Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada who work for Parks Canada Agency voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action and are prepared to walk the picket line if they don’t get a fair collective agreement soon.

Eighty nine per cent (89%) said yes to strike action at Parks Canada after the PSAC negotiating team reported delays and stall tactics by management at the negotiating table.

Read more at psac.com (link opens in new window)

Conference Call: CLC 2nd National Disability Rights Conference

May 17th Canadian Labour Congress - 2nd National Disability Rights Conference “Doing MORE – Moving FORWARD”, November 11-14, 2004 in Montréal, Québec. Read more on the Human Rights Committee page.

News: Colombians discuss the impact of privatization on workers, services and communities

Read the PSAC news release and see more photos here. May 18th : St John's Telegram In one fell swoop last year, the Colombian government liquidated the country's state-owned telecommunications industry, sending about half of its 10,000 workers to the unemployment line. The remainder became "contractors," losing their permanent status. Union leaders at the forefront of the battle against government privatization are there at their own peril, with assassinations so widespread that Colombia is now regarded as the most dangerous place in the world for organized labour. Read the rest here.

News: CFIA must negotiate at the table, not through email to employees

May 18th

Ottawa--The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) must negotiate with the PSAC at the bargaining table and not by sending email to its employees, says the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union representing 4,000 employees at the Agency.

“A recent email message from CFIA President, Richard Fadden, to CFIA employees is inappropriate and misleading,” said Yves Ducharme, President of the Agriculture Union of the PSAC. “Instead of trying to convince the employees how serious management is about negotiations, CFIA management should concentrate its efforts at the bargaining table in order to reach a fair collective agreement.”

Read more, including the PSAC's response to Fadden's email, at the National website (link to psac.com opens in new window).

News: Coast Guard brass, minister betrayed crew in fish boat accident, apology due says UCTE

May 19th

As a B.C. coroner’s inquest into the tragic August 2002 sinking of fish boat that left five people dead wrapped up its second day, union leader Michael Wing slammed the Coast Guard and the Liberal government for their deplorable treatment of frontline rescue personnel who worked valiantly to save lives at the accident scene.

Read more here.

Strike Training

updated: May 19th

The strike training planned for May 29 through the end of June has been rescheduled due to the anticipated election call. Many of the key strike structure activists and staff will be involved in the Alliance election campaign.

We are making every effort to contact members who signed up for the training to let them know.

We will now have 2 one day strike training sessions for Treasury Board and Parks units in Vancouver – Saturday 17 July and Saturday 24 July. This training will be concentrated on area strike coordinators and key strike captains from all over mainland BC. Members on Vancouver Island will be doing similar training and date(s) will be announced soon. Dates and locations for CRA strike training will also be announced soon.

During this training we will be concentrating on identifying strategic targets and ensuring we can carry out an effective strategic strike when the time comes. 

We will also plan evening sessions to be conducted in each area to reach anyone we missed. These sessions will ensure that both strike captains and picket captains will receive training closer to the actual strike dates.

News: New PSAC website reaches out to young voters

May 25th

OTTAWA – The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is doing its part to encourage young Canadians to participate in the political process and the upcoming federal election by launching a special web site – Rantroom.ca (link opens in new window)

Read more here.

News: New Yorkers can Coca-Cola

May 26th Coca-Cola is losing popularity in New York, after reports on company-sponsored killings in Colombia. A major food cooperative has banned Coke products from its shelves, and a New York City Council member says Coca-Cola bears responsibility for a "campaign of terror leveled at its workers" in Colombia.   The New York-based Park Slope Food Coop has decided to stop selling Coca-Cola products, citing Coke's responsability for violence against workers in Colombia. Read more here.

News: Clear position on bilingualism needed

May 28th: For Immediate Release

Ottawa-- Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper has an obligation to specify his party’s position on Canada’s Official Languages Act, according to Nycole Turmel.

“Bilingualism is an essential component of Canada’s identity,” stated Turmel. “It is unacceptable for a leader of a political party to refuse to state his position on this issue.”

Read more here.