Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

Negotiations between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Prince Rupert Airport Authority were held from March 13 to 15, 2007. The parties reached agreement on several issues. However, several major issues remain outstanding including vacation, benefits, and wages.

The first negotiation session was held from January 9 to 11, 2007. The next meeting dates are yet to be confirmed. The collective agreement expired November 30, 2006.

There are still some spaces for LGBT self-identified PSAC members to attend the Pride Conference as observers.

• PSAC members in good standing and who also identify as being from the GLBT communities may apply to attend the Conference as observers; however, observers will be responsible for all costs associated with their participation, including a conference registration fee of $150.00.
• Also note that observers will have voice only during the discussion period after the panel presentations. Observers may attend workshops. Observers do not have the right to vote during the resolutions debate and the election process.

If you are interested, please fill out the observers portion of the registration application (pdf) and return via mail or fax (details on the application) as soon as possible. Observers are responsible for their own expenses including a registration of $150.00.

PSAC members working for Service Canada will be asked to select either the Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU) or the National Health and Welfare Union (NHWU) to represent them.

• Read the letter from John Gordon
• View the video from John Gordon High-resolution / Low-resolution

In BC the Service Canada vote will be held from March 21 until April 12, 2007, mail in ballots must be post-marked no later then April 27 and vote count will begin on May 3rd.

For a complete list of dates and locations please scroll down.

Please note that if you have not signed a PSAC membership card you will need to do so before you can vote. Members will be asked to provide either their PSAC membership card or any other photo ID.

In you have any questions concerning the vote, contact your respective PSAC Regional Offices. Please note these dates and locations are subject to change.

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).

Selection criteria include:

• skills (or potential) to facilitate experiential learning activities;
• commitment to the JLP goal of effective union-management relations through joint learning;
• credibility with the PSAC and the employer;
• commitment and availability to prepare and deliver a minimum of five JLP workshops.

For more information, and an online application, visit the JLP website.

Canada’s gap between rich and poor is growing, during the best of economic times, at a time when it should be shrinking.

That’s the conclusion of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative’s new report, The Rich and The Rest of Us: The Changing Face of Canada’s Growing Gap by economist Armine Yalnizyan. The richest 10% of families raising children now make 82 times more than the poorest 10% — that’s almost triple what they made a generation ago.

And here’s the thing. The gap is no longer just about the poor being left behind.

• Do you wonder if your family is doing better or worse financially compared to other Canadian families? Visit www.growinggap.ca for the answer.

The majority of families are working more, helping to grow the economy. They’re playing by all the rules, but they’re not getting the payback. 80% of families are running harder to stay in place - and half are falling behind.

The richest 10% are getting the lion’s share of economic growth. Their earnings grew by 30% while most families saw their incomes rise slightly, stay in place, or drop. The richest 10% are literally breaking away from the rest of us.

To read the report, visit www.growinggap.ca or www.policyalternatives.ca.

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Congratulations to all of you who helped convince your MP to vote in favour of Bill C-257, the Anti-scab Legislation, at Second Reading. Not surprisingly, business leaders mobilized during the committee stage to get MPs to change their mind. You may have noticed the fear mongering in the media. Under the leadership of the CLC your union has worked hard to counter the business lobby.

• More background from the CLC.

We are running out of time. Bill C-257 will be voted on at Third Reading on March 21. Members of Parliament are in their ridings until March 16. This is your last week to talk to your MP in person and let them know that you are watching and you expect them to vote in favour of Bill C-257 and working people. The following MPs particularly need to hear from their constituents:

• Ron Cannan (Kelowna Lake Country)
• Raymond Chan (Richmond)
• Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre)
• Colin Mayes (Okanagan-Shuswap)
• Keith Martin (Esquimalt- Juan de Fuca)
• Sukh Dhaliwal (Newton- North Delta) Update: We have been informed Mr. Dhaliwal supports the legislation and will vote in favour of it.
• Stephen Owen (Vancouver Quadra)

Please take a moment to call or send an email to your MP and let them know that replacement workers are bad for working families, bad for business, and bad for Canada!

• By phone: MP’s contact information.
• Email your MP at the regional website.

In Solidarity, Janet Routledge, BC Regional Coordinator, Public Service Alliance of Canada

Surrey Delta Langley Area Council December 14, 2006 Meeting Minutes, Held at Boston Pizza

Present: Terry Ruyter (UTE 20007), Wendy Webber (UTE 20007), Sharon Palis (UTE 20029), Dale Odberg (UVAE 20029), Donna Cowan (UVAE 20029), Sigrid Hagglund (UTE 20029), Johann Ackermann (UTE 20029), Jeremy Amour (UTE 20029), Hilde Sellmeyer (UTE 20007)

5:30 PM Called to order

Continue reading below or download the Surrey Delta Langley AC meeting minutes December 14 2006 (pdf)

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Fraser Valley Area Council, Executive Meeting, 2007-01-27

In Attendance:

• Jayne Johns CEIU 20903
• Anne Marie McCully CEIU 20903
• Edi Martin USGE 20141
• Chuck Leech USGE 20054
• Mel Dureen USGE 20054

Meeting was called to order at 1230.

Continue reading below, or download the minutes of the Fraser Valley Area Council meeting, January 27 2007 (pdf)

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The latest profile of federal workers shows women have made important progress in the public service.

The proportion of women within the segment of the public service known as the “core public administration,” or CPA increased steadily over the period studied — 1995 and 2006 — and since 1999, women have outnumbered men, Statistics Canada data released yesterday showed.

The study compared data from 1995 and 2006 to track employment trends in the federal public service and how workers compare to the rest of the country’s workforce.

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Are you active in advancing public health care or medicare issues? The PSAC  B.C. Region would like to sponsor a member active in these areas to attend the following conference:

• S.O.S Medicare 2: Looking Forward
• May 3-4, 2007 in Regina at the Queensbury Convention Centre

This is a two day national conference sponsored in part by the Canadian Health Coalition and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The conference is open to the general public and will have representation from a wide spectrum of sectors including community, health care, labour, and anti-poverty.

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PSAC – Okanagan Regional Women’s Committee, Minutes of Meeting – January 27, 2007, The Library, Mickie’s Pub, Kelowna

In Attendance:

• Susan Yaciw UTE 20003
• Maria-Luiza Romano AGR 20027
• Kareen Stanich AGR 20043
• Ruth Eisworth UTE 20026
• Darrell-Lee McKenzie AGR 20043
• Joy Harrison Retired
• Kelly Megyesi CEIU 20915
• Roberta Gourlie CEIU 20915

The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. with Susan Yaciw in the chair.

Download the Okanagan RWC minutes January 27 2007 (pdf) or continue reading below

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PSAC - Okanagan Area Council, Minutes of Meeting – January 27, 2007, The Library, Mickie’s Pub, Kelowna

In Attendance:

• Susan Yaciw UTE 20003
• Maria-Luiza Romano AGR 20027
• Kareen Stanich AGR 20043
• Ruth Eisworth UTE 20026
• Darrell-Lee McKenzie AGR 20043
• Joy Harrison Retired
• Kelly Megyesi CEIU 20915
• Roberta Gourlie CEIU 20915

The meeting was called to order at 11:30 a.m. with Susan Yaciw in the chair.

Download the Okanagan AC minutes January 27 2007 (pdf) or continue reading below

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PSAC - Okanagan Regional Women’s Committee, Minutes of Meeting – September 30, 2006, Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna

In Attendance:

• Susan Yaciw UTE 20003
• Maria-Luiza Romano AGR 20027
• Jennifer Leenhouts CEIU 20972
• Regina Brennan PSAC
• Darrell-Lee McKenzie AGR 20043
• Kelly Megyesi CEIU 20915
• Roberta Gourlie CEIU 20915

The meeting was called to order at 12:10 p.m. with Jennifer Leenhouts in the chair.

Download the Okanagan RWC minutes September 30 2006 (pdf) or continue reading below

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PSAC - Okanagan Area Council, Minutes of Meeting – September 30, 2006, Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna

In Attendance:

• Susan Yaciw UTE 20003
• Maria-Luiza Romano AGR 20027
• Jennifer Leenhouts CEIU 20972
• Regina Brennan PSAC
• Darrell-Lee McKenzie AGR 20043
• Kelly Megyesi CEIU 20915
• Roberta Gourlie CEIU 20915

The meeting was called to order at 12:10 p.m. with Susan Yaciw in the chair.

Download the Okanagan AC minutes September 30 2006 (pdf) or continue reading below.

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As most of you are aware, the PSAC has been actively participating in a national campaign led by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) to have changes made to the Canada Labour Code to retract the use of scabs in the event of a strike or lock-out. Visit the national website for more information.
MPs will vote on the final reading of the Anti-Scab Bill (Bill C257) during the week of March 19, 2007, and we need your help. Please take a few minutes to call your MP or send an email to let your MP know how important this bill is for working people in Canada and to urge them to support it. MPs are back in their ridings March 2, 2007, through to March 16, 2007, and they need to hear from their constituents who support the bill.

Contact your MP and help make sure that anti-scab legislation is adopted once and for all.

Come out and support representatives from women’s groups who will be meeting with (Conservative Minister) Bev Oda. Meet at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 3rd for a demo outside of the Sheraton Wall Centre at Burrard and Nelson. Women will be calling for the reversal of the cuts to Status of Women Canada, child care, the Court Challenges Program etc. etc. and calling for the Conservative Government to support and fund a women’s equality agenda instead of attacking women’s rights.

The IWD “Strengthen Women’s Resistance” March and Rally - Vancouver - Thursday, March 8th at 5:30 p.m. Meet at the Chinatown Memorial Square (NE corner of Keefer and Columbia Streets.) Sponsored by Grassroots Women (604) 682-4451

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GLISA (Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association) North America has had another step in its evolution by announcing the launch of its website.

“The website, www.glisa-na.org is a vital tool in promoting the organization and providing to our member clubs and associations and partners a venue to share news, best practices, and a calendar of event;, it’s their reliable link to us and ours to them” stated Greg Larocque, President of GLISA North America. “Our website will allow us to continue to grow as an organization, in terms of members, depth, and scope and in terms of what features and benefits we can provide our members”.

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On February 28, 2007, Canada delivered its statement to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), the United Nations body responsible for promoting the equality of women and girls, and monitoring the implementation of international agreements and commitments to women’s equality, including the Beijing Platform for Action.  The focus of this year’s UNCSW is the elimination of all forms of violence and discrimination against girls.

Canada’s statement to the UNCSW is our country’s report to the international community.  Canada has a history of strong leadership in advancing women’s equality on the international front, but the statement issued on Feburary 28, 2007 clearly shows we are backtracking as a country and as an international leader.

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