Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

At least two premiers want to raise the thorny issue of day-care funding when they meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa on Friday night.

Harper’s human resources and social development minister, Diane Finley, sent letters this week confirming that the Conservatives will terminate a $5-billion series of federal-provincial child-care deals after the first year is up.

Read more at cbc.ca.

Tell Stephen Harper to honour the promise of a national child care program: sign the open letter at buildchildcare.ca!

Understanding & Interpreting the Collective Agreement (UICA)

This course explores key provisions in members’ collective agreements and introduces an easy four-step framework for interpreting the contract. We will practice applying the four-step interpretation method and examine cases providing examples of “aids to interpretation”. Using a number of case studies from adjudication / arbitration decisions (e.g., sick leave; operational requirements; other leave with or without pay; acting pay; discharge), we also will practice applying the collective agreement to actual workplace situations. Working with actual cases enhances your ability to problem solve through analysis and discussion.The course will “demystify” the collective agreement and provide you with the necessary skills and tools for on-going, self-directed learning. NOTE: please bring your collective agreement to this course.

Register online for this course.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2006 - March and Rally Saturday March 4th

• Gather at the Broadway Skytrain @ 11am
• March to Grandview Park (Commercial & Charles) @ 11:30 am Rally starts at Noon - 1 pm
• To volunteer or for more information call 604-708-0447
• Wheelchair accessible, ASL Interpretation provided

JLP Developments

Here is some information on the status of the JLP and some next steps.

The JLP was first negotiated with Treasury Board in 2001, and was forced to shut down in 2004 with the expiry of the collective agreements. The PSAC was successful in re-negotiating the JLP in 2004, this time with ‘bridging funding’ to cover the period from the expiry of the current collective agreements to the conclusion of the next ones. What that means is there won’t be a complete shut-down in between bargaining rounds.

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Join this week’s action! Stand up for Vancouver-Kingsway on Saturday, February 25

Stephen Harper is trying to get away with the same Liberal-style ethics and patronage he campaigned against, and David Emerson is ignoring the voters of Vancouver-Kingsway. New Democrats say that voters come first, and we’re taking action.

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OTTAWA – Next Tuesday, February 28, is the internationally-recognized Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day. On this occasion, working people are counting on the federal government to follow through with promised new regulations to prevent the scourge of workplace injuries known as RSIs (repetitive strain injuries).

One of every ten Canadian adults (more than two million people) reported RSIs serious enough to limit their normal activities, according to a Statistics Canada survey from 2000/2001. The same study found most of these injuries were caused by work-related activity.

“Canadian workers are suffering from repetitive strain injuries in epidemic proportions,” says Marie Clarke Walker, executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress. “RSIs impact workers, their families and the economy. We cannot ignore such a debilitating yet preventable workplace hazard any longer,” she says.

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Filipino-Canadian Progressive Youth Organization Fundraises for the Victims of Deadly Philippine Mudslide

Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada / the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC/FCYA), a grassroots community organization for youth of Filipino ancestry will hold a fundraiser for the victims of the recent mudslide on the Philippine island of Leyte. The disaster has claimed an estimated 1,800 lives.

“Pinoy Poetiks” will be held on February 25, 2006 8:00 pm at El Cocal Restaurant, 1037 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC. Pinoy Poetiks will be a night of music, poetry, and spoken word, an open-mic event where Filipino youth can bring their thoughts, speak their mind, and of course, get creative. All proceeds will go the victims of the mudslide.

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TO: Voting Delegates from the BC Region to the 2005 BC Region Convention – Still in Good Standing.

FROM: Nycole Turmel

RE: Alternate REVP BC

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

The ballots in the elections to the above-noted position have been counted and Kay Sinclair received a majority.

Therefore, I declare Sister Kay Sinclair the new Alternate Regional Executive Vice-President for the BC Region.

Congratulations Kay!

In Solidarity, Nycole Turmel, National President

Northwest B.C. Area Council January 29, 2006 Meeting

Attendance:

• Michael Ballard, UEW 20147
• Phyllis Bortignon, USGE 20071
• Barry Cunningham, UCTE 20213
• Albert DeMedeiros, UCTE 20215
• Penny Dickson, CEIU 20926
• Benilde Gomes, USGE 20071
• Scott MacPhee, UCTE 20213
• Gabe McLean, UCTE 20215

Special Guest Speaker: Patty Ducharme, PSAC REVP-BC spoke to members regarding the changes she expects to see happen within PSAC since the federal election this past week. Patty foresees a freeze in hiring within PSAC and other cutbacks from the newly elected Progressive Conservative Minority government.

Download the Northwest BC Area Council January 29th meeting minutes or read below.

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A vote to take away equal marriage is coming, and we must take action to defend our rights. That’s why Egale has decided to resurrect Canadians for Equal Marriage.

After years of debate and unanimous rulings by courts in 8 provinces and the Yukon, on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 equal marriage became the law of the land.

Parliament decided. It clearly and loudly proclaimed that same sex couples are equal in value and equal in law.

Now that is threatened. Despite polls showing 2/3 of Canadians do not want a Harper government to bring the equal marriage issue back to Parliament, Prime Minister Harper insists there will be a vote on rolling back equality.

Read more at Canadians for Equal Marriage.

Centre for Native Policy and Research (CNPR)

JOB POSTING: Researcher

• Closing date: Friday, February 24, 2006, 4:00 PM - EXTENDED TO MARCH 3, 2006
• Position start date: March 13, 2006
• Duration: Full-time permanent subject to funding.
• Salary Range: $45,000 - $57,200 plus benefits package after 6 month probationary period.

ABOUT CNPR

The Centre is a non-partisan, social justice, progressive Aboriginal think tank. Our focus is on the social, economic, and environmental policy and research concerns of Aboriginal people in British Columbia and Canada. Although over fifty percent of all Aboriginal people now live in urban areas, there is a lack of research and policy analysis on issues important to the growing urban Aboriginal population. The Centre tackles this gap by providing collaborative solutions between existing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups, bringing people together beyond politics to promote progressive research, policy alternatives, and hope.

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OTTAWA – A new study by the Canadian Labour Congress confirms that the job market discriminates against workers of colour, and more so against young workers who are Canadian-born.

Analysing closely data from Statistics Canada’s 2001 Census, the study “Racial Status and Employment Outcomes” by Leslie Cheung, a graduate student in public policy at Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver, explains that “the fact that Canadian-born workers of colour are doing badly cannot be explained away by reference to lack of Canadian credentials and experience.”

“As Canadians, individually and collectively, we must come to grips with harsh realization that every day we are straying further and further away from our goals of equality,” says Hassan Yussuff, secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congr ess about the findings of this study. “Can we predict a strong future built on hope, respect, solidarity and citizenship when racial discrimination prevents workers who are more highly educated than average to find and keep steady employment at decent wages?”

“Racial Status and Employment Outcomes” is available on the Canadian Labour Congress web site.

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Black porters and the labour movement

Black workers were a pool of cheap and docile labour… or so the Canadian railway companies thought.

At the end of the 19th century, the introduction of sleeping car services on transcontinental trains increased demand for railroad travel, which meant record profits for railway companies. Due to a labour shortage and the fact white workers were unionizing, the companies aggressively recruited African-Canadians, as well as Blacks from the U.S. and the Caribbean.

At a time when racial discrimination barred black workers from most jobs, the railway became one of few places where African-Canadians could find steady work, especially as sleeping car porters. But it meant for low pay and oppressive working conditions. Black porters were often forced to work 24 hours with no overtime pay, and the average monthly pay was $80 a month. There were no vacations, and management acted arbitrarily and fired porters indiscriminately.

Read more about how the porters improved their pay and working conditions at the national website.

BC Human Rights Committee member Katie Kassam has also sent us some links relating to Black History month, click for:

• Black History Month: a Historical Timeline
• In the 400 years that we have lived in Canada, Blacks have been part of many important milestones in Canada’s history and culture. Here is a list of some of these highlights
• Time Line of African American History, 1852-1880

PSAC SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND DISTRICT AREA COUNCIL MINUTES

January 10, 2006,Regular General Meeting, PSAC Victoria Regional Office

Members Present:

• Mandi Schubert NHWU 20017
• Renee Young UCTE 20220
• Cindy Little UTE 20028
• Pat Maxwell UNDE 21008
• Nick Humphreys UEW 20169
• Sara Cousins UTE 20028

Download the SVI Area Council minutes or read below

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The federal election is over. As a result, child care is at risk as never before. After 30 years of hard work, the foundation of Canada’s newest social program is on the chopping block, with cuts of almost $4 billion on the line. Families, communities, providers, and advocates will not stand by and watch this happen.

Join Code Blue for Child Care and make your voice heard.

CODE BLUE FOR CHILD CARE is a Canada wide campaign to protect the progress we’ve made on child care. Code Blue brings together national, provincial/territorial child care organizations; labour, women’s and social justice groups; and Canadians from all walks of life. Code Blue will speak for the 64% of Canadians who voted for a child care system to meet the needs of Canada’s children, families and communities.

Visit childcareadvocacy.ca for more information.

Lancaster’s annual Vancouver Human Rights & Accommodation Conference and Workplace Privacy Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency, the first conference on June 8 and the second on June 9, 2006. In addition, a workshop on Attendance Management will be offered on June 7 and a workshop on Privacy of Medical Information will be offered on June 10.

Diane MacDonald, Union Counsel at the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation and Adriana Wills, Employer Counsel at Harris & Company will co-chair the Human Rights & Accommodation Conference.

Theo Arsenault, Union Counsel at Shortt, Moore & Arsenault and Lorene Novakowski, Employer Counsel at Fasken Martineau will co-chair the Workplace Privacy Conference.

Register and pay before March 2, and save $200 off each conference and workshop registration. Register 5 people for the price of 4. And register for both conferences and receive an additional discount.

For more information on the programs and prices: http://www.lancasterhouse.com/conferences/index.asp#vancouver

Some of the issues covered include:

HUMAN RIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION

• Dealing with Mental Health Problems at the Workplace
• Harassment at Work: Current Developments
• Proving and Disproving Discrimination - The Acid Tests
• The Latest on Absenteeism and Disability Accommodation

WORKPLACE PRIVACY

• Privacy Commissions - Watching the Watchdog
• Drug and Alcohol Testing: Changing Rules, Changing Attitudes
• Whistleblowing: The Limits on Employer Confidentiality
• Union/Employer Issues: A Major Caselaw Update

WORKSHOPS

• Attendance Management Programs - Key Issues, Best Practices, Wednesday, June 7, 2006: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Privacy of Medical Information - Everything You Need To Know About Collection, Use, and Disclosure, Saturday, June 10, 2006: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

SPECIAL HOTEL RATE FOR LANCASTER ATTENDEES
We have set aside a block of rooms at the Hyatt Regency, 655 Burrard Street, for $199 per night. To reserve your room, please call the Hyatt Regency directly at 1-800-233-1234 before May 20. Be sure to mention you are with Lancaster House.

Via email: As you know, another tragedy has befallen the Filipino people — the Mudslide Tragedy that happened on Friday, February 17th in Southern Leyte, Philippines. An initial report that there are over 1,800 death toll, and still there are more victims waiting to be rescued. However, due to slow rescue operation and worsening weather condition, there are more deaths expected. This is not the first time that another tragedy has befallen the Filipino people. We will send you updates on the situation as they become available in our website, www.kalayaancentre.net. In particular, we will try to send you articles analysing the root causes for such a tragedy.

In the meantime, the groups in the Kalayaan Centre are seeking your expressions of support (both financial and material) for the people of Leyte.

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BC Human Rights Committee Minutes of February 8, 2006 meeting

In attendance:

• in Vancouver RO: Craig Langston (chair), Carol Pegura, Kim Forster, Monica Urrutia (PSAC staff – did minutes for this meeting)
• via teleconference: Sargy Chima, Kathleen Kassam, Floyd Knelsen, Bruce Clark
• via teleconference in Victoria RO: Mandi Schubert, Pat Maxwell, Randi Mutz, Louise Richard, Beverly Johnson
• Regrets: Deanna Wilson, Terri Lee, Carolyn McGillivray, Sanda Turner, Steve Houston

Download the HRC meeting minutes or read more below.

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Join us in celebration of International Women’s Day!

Raising our voices for Equality, Solidarity & Justice.

March 8th, 2006 8AM
Hilton Vancouver Metrotown
6083 McKay Ave, Burnaby

Guest speaker: Carole James - Leader, BC NDP

There is no charge for this event, but those wishing to attend must RSVP no later than March 3, 2006 to the BC Federation of Labour switchboard at 604-430-1421.

WHAT? A part-time auxiliary Youth Outreach Team (YOT) position

WHEN? Starts March 2006

HOW MUCH? 15 to 20 hours a week @ $18.81/hour plus a percentage in lieu of benefits. *Hours will fluctuate based on project needs*

What is the Youth Outreach Team, and what do they do?

The Youth Outreach Team members work with City staff and community partners to build and strengthen youth involvement in City initiatives.

The position may include some of the following tasks:

• Supporting youth involvement in planning processes (i.e. Oakridge redevelopment, West Point Grey, Canada Line/RAV)
• Planning and facilitating workshops for youth and adults in partnership with City staff and community groups
• Developing promotional materials, written reports and project documentation

What is the Civic Youth Strategy (CYS)?

CYS is a commitment by the City of Vancouver to work with youth and the wider community to ensure that youth have a PLACE in the City; have VOICE in the City; are viewed as RESOURCES by the City and have a strong SUPPORT BASE in the City.

Visit vancouveryouth.ca for more information.