Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

PSAC members at in Vancouver, Campbell River, and Surrey spent Canada Day reminding Canadians of the value of quality public services. At Canada Place members of the Vancouver Area Council distributed leaflets, bandanas, and fans. In Surrey members distributed over 2000 “public services are cool” fans & 200 bandanas, while members in Campbell River set up a booth at their local Canada Day celebration, and spoke with the public. Here are some photos …

The federal government is in the midst of a “strategic review” of Canada Post. The future of the post office and the people who work there is being decided by a panel of government-appointed “experts”, all behind closed doors, with little input from the public.

While the government has said that it won’t privatize Canada Post, it hasn’t ruled out deregulation. Deregulation of Canada Post would threaten the quality and availability of mail delivery across Canada, lead to massive job losses and could increase postal rates. It could also threaten the privacy and security of the mail.

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A public forum on Peace, Justice and Democracy in Africa
Saturday, July 5, 2008, 1-4 pm
As part of the African Peace Festival at the Roundhouse Community Centre.

Panelists will include Kombii Nanjalah, Gizachew Adamu, Tendayi Jiri, Dan Kashagama and Clement Aapaak.

For more info call Imtiaz Popat at 604 715-4826

Organised by the Kenya Peace and Solidarity Committee, Zimbabwe Solidarity Group, Canadian students for Darfur, Siraat Collective and the African Peace Forum Society.

 

Quebec City - Workers at Parks Canada and their supporters are calling on the delegates to UNESCO’s 32nd Session of the World Heritage Committee to consider respect for heritage workers as an important part of preserving and protecting the world’s natural and cultural heritage.

“Workers built, operate and maintain historic buildings, monuments, canals and locks,” says the president of the National Component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Daniel Kinsella. “Workers protect and preserve our national parks and natural heritage areas. They interpret the significance of our heritage to generations of people. Doesn’t it make sense then that respect for heritage includes respect for workers?”

Bearing the slogan, “Respect for workers is respect for heritage,” Parks Canada workers and their supporters have gathered in Quebec City to pass out information materials and host a reception for UNESCO delegates. They hope to raise awareness about the important role of heritage workers and the need to ensure that governments committed to world heritage maintain the proper working conditions for workers to do their critical jobs.

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Negotiators for Parks Canada Agency applied for mediation after walking away from the bargaining table last May.

Your bargaining team believes that mediation is premature because the parties are far from resolving the substantive issues and that the employer has not even addressed the critically important issues, including the arming initiative.

The employer’s application for mediation to the Public Service Labour Relations Board came after seven days of fruitless negotiations that began on May 5.

Your bargaining team had agreed to return to the table at the request of Parks Canada Agency and after it had publicly announced that they wanted to return to the bargaining to address all of our important bargaining demands. Your team had made the commitment to you that they would remain at the table in an effort to reach a fair and just collective agreement.

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Filing a grievance is one of the most effective ways that you can stand up for your rights on the job, making a difference for everyone in the workplace. When PSAC/UPCE sits down at the bargaining table during this round of negotiations, we will be working hard to improve the grievance process at Canada Post, so that complaints can be resolved more quickly and efficiently.

Your collective agreement

Your collective agreement is the contract with Canada Post that union members fought hard for in previous rounds of negotiations. This contract spells out the gains that we made in protecting human rights, salaries, job security, vacation leave entitlements, benefits and the right to freedom from harassment, among many other issues.

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