Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

The PSAC, along with our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender sisters and brothers invite you to celebrate the various “Pride” events happening in cities and communities across Canada in June or August.

“Pride Week” marks the anniversary of the “Stonewall Riots” which occurred in New York City in June of 1969. The Riots were the turning point in the increased resistance to oppression and harassment caused by policy and by government officials. A strong, diverse community of “Pride” has evolved since the riots and the PSAC is proud to be part of the continuing struggle.

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The 385 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada at the Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories have been on strike since April 7 in their attempt to negotiate a first collective agreement.  They are up against a multinational corporation, BHP Billiton, which is refusing to bargain in good faith, is using scabs and is trying to break the union at all cost.

The union movement cannot allow this company to stifle our rights without a fight.  BHP must be told clearly that workers in Canada do have a right to union representation, that they have the right to bargain collectively and that they refuse to allow scabs to steal their livelihood.

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After a brief hiatus, the highly successful PSAC-PSHRMAC Joint Learning Program is back! The initiative resulted from the collective bargaining in the fall of 2004 and over $8M was dedicated to the Joint Learning Program (JLP) to fund learning activities, designed and delivered jointly by union and management. It highlights how bargaining agents and the employer can work together to modernize and improve relations in the workplace. Click for more information about the Joint Learning Program.

JLP Regional Field Coordinators

The JLP is recruiting 12 field coordinators to help implement the program across the country. The coordinators, 6 to represent the PSHRMAC and 6 to represent the PSAC, will be hired for 2 year terms. If you are interested in applying for one of these positions, or would like more information, visit the JLP web site.

Become a JLP faciliator …

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), and the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada (PSHRMAC) invite you to apply to join our team of facilitators for the PSAC-PSHRMAC Joint Learning Program (JLP). Read more at jlp-pam.ca.

The PSAC Triennial Convention, as the union’s supreme governing body, has established clear priorities for the union for the next three years. In order to meet these priorities, the Convention adopted a progressive budget and resolutions with dues increase that will allow the PSAC to better represent the interests of members, as well as all Canadians, at work and in their communities.

This means there will be an average dues increase of 29 cents per member per month. The actual dues percentage will rise to 0.8963% from the current 0.8889%. This increase will take effect on January 1, 2007.

The Strike Fund

Delegates at the 2003 PSAC Convention increased strike pay from $35 to $50 per day, without an increase in the current Strike Fund dues of 35 cents per member per month. The National Board of Directors also approved to pay the necessary premiums to ensure that the health and dental benefits of our members continue during a strike.

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updated June 7th

Solidarity Works is a three-week hands-on training program sponsored by the BC Fed designed to equip young people with labour education, practical experience and activist skills to demand their working rights.

In the first week of the program, young workers gather in a retreat-like educational setting to discuss topics and learn skills dealing with rights in the workplace, social justice history in Canada, anti-oppressive organizing for unions and in the community, and economics and the impact of corporate globalization.

Following that, to put the education into action, participants spend about two weeks in placements with unions and social justice organizations in the community, working on various projects. During the placements, young workers have: coordinated festivals, organized workshops for youth, helped out on organizing drives in workplaces, planned direct action outside establishments with poor working conditions, supported local and national women’s groups, set up youth committees in their unions, produced radio shows and short films, researched and produced action kits, and lobbied for increased workers’ rights and wages at arbitration and minimum wage board hearings.

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This years Union School will take place on November 17,18,19th at the Hilton Metrotown, Burnaby.

What is the Union School?

Union training at its best! It is an opportunity for PSAC members to gain more specialized knowledge and skills. You will network with other members from BC and return to your workplaces and locals energized and educated to work on behalf of the membership.
Courses offered this year:

• Health and Safety Activism: Empowering And Mobilizing Members
• Human Rights Are Workers’ Rights: Becoming Effective Human Rights Activists
• Building For Tomorrow: Revitalizing Your Local - Recruiting New Activists
• Bargaining From Strength: Strategies For Getting Better Collective Agreements

For more information, and to apply on-line, visit the Union School 2006 page.

Collective Bargaining: How It Works And How To Make It Work!

We have a collective agreement but how did it come about? This 1 day course is for those who wonder about the “who”, “what”, “why”, “when”, “where” and “what” of the process. Who is at the bargaining table? Why does it take so long? What is conciliation? Why do we need to take a strike vote? What happens at the expiry date of our collective agreement? These questions and more will be answered during this short primer on collective bargaining. But more importantly, we will look at ways individual members can be involved, and things our union locals can do to increase membership interest and participation in collective bargaining.

Note that this course is geared towards members in the following bargaining units: Treasury Board, Agencies and other federal separate employers. Members in non-federal government bargaining units are encouraged to apply for the Bargaining From Strength: Strategies for Getting Better Collective Agreements course being offered at the Union School from November 17th-19th. Here are more details about the Union School. Click below for the course schedule.

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A long-time face of tax advice in the Okanagan retired last week.

Gail Riddall, probably best known in the valley for her television appearances as an income tax expert, worked as a client service agent for Canada Revenue Agency for 32 years.

During that time she was featured regularly on television and radio with hosts such as Jack Webster and Rafe Mair. When she moved from the Lower Mainland to Penticton 16 years ago, she made appearances on CHBC with hosts such as Chris Cleaver and Mike Roberts.

“The shows were literally about putting a face to Revenue Canada,” she said. “And that’s probably my favourite part of (my career).”

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TO: PSAC National Officers and Local Presidents in the BC Region (Please post and distribute within your membership)

FROM: John Gordon

RE: Vacancy: Alternate REVP BC

Since Patty Ducharme has been elected National Executive Vice-President at the 2006 PSAC Convention, Kay Sinclair is now assuming the responsibilities of the REVP for B.C. Therefore, we need to proceed to the election of the Alternate REVP BC.

The following election procedures will be followed:

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Join the PSAC BC Youth Caucus for a barbeque!

• July 21st, 2006 6 PM - Rain or shine, event is sheltered
• Trout Lake / John Hendry Park - By the concession stand - here’s a map.

• Food, Games & Prizes!
• Children & Spouses welcome!

RSVP Today! To RSVP or for additional information about this event or the Youth Caucus, email Jamey Mills or phone 604-298-6004. Please let us know if you have any specific dietary needs.

Via email: Costa Rica has long stood out in Latin America as a peaceful and democratic society.  Its President, Oscar Arias Sanchez, is a Nobel Peace Prize winner.  It’s not the kind of place you’d usually find LabourStart calling for a global campaign — but that’s exactly what we’re doing today.

Costa Rica is now the kind of country where trade union leaders have their lives threatened, union offices get raided by armed men, and courts are mobilized in an effort to break unions.  All this takes place in the context of the struggle by unions against CAFTA — the free trade agreement between several Central American countries and the USA.

Costa Rican unions are appealing for a large number of email protest messages to be send to the country’s president and other leaders. Please lend your support to this campaign today: visit labourstart.org and send an email message to the Costa Rican government.

An Invitation to Agriculture Union Component members of PSAC …

• AAFC
• PSC
• DND
• CGC
• CFIA
• Para-Mutuel Agency
• CBSA

Come celebrate our “Harmony in Diversity” event during National Public Service Week. Bring a dish from your heritage and participate in our festivities and awareness programs! Please RSVP by email or phone (778) 230-3987 to to Jennie Chu, BC Equal Opportunity Rep.

• Location: 4th floor, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby BC
• Time: 10 am to 2 pm on Wed., June 14th, 2006

Download the Agriculture Union Harmony in Diversity event poster here. (pdf)

On the morning of May 27, 2006, at 05.54 AM local time (at 03.54 PM Pacific Time on May 26, 2006), a powerful earthquake shook the Special Province of Yogyakarta, inhabited by 2.6 million people, located in the central part of Java Island, Indonesia. The epicenter of the earthquake, registered 6.3 on the Richter scale, is 15 miles from Yogyakarta, the capital of the Special Province of Yogyakarta. Fatalities based on the latest official report were approximately 5,136 people, mostly the residents of the Bantul Regency, in the Southern part of Yogyakarta (population more than 770.000).

In light of this recent earthquake in Indonesia, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (explorASIAN Festival) will turn its two free concert events at the explorINDONESIAN Batik and Arts Exhibition at the Roundhouse Community Centre into benefit concerts for earthquake relief. Admission to both concerts will be by donation and all proceeds will go to the Canadian Red Cross. We invite the Lower Mainland community to attend the exhibition and the two concerts and make a donation.

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