Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

via BC Federation of Labour

Food fair to raise funds for relief efforts in Myanmar (Burma), organized by the Myanmar Community in Vancouver.

• Sunday May 18, 2008
• Manawmaya Buddhist Monastary
• 13260 - 108th Ave @ 132nd St., Surrey

Come one, come all! Bring your family, friends, and anyone who will be interested. Your support is greatly appreciated.

To PSAC members in Vancouver Quadra,

Please Think Public when voting for your PM in the by-election on March 17th.

Check the Candidates and their Parties’ views and records on public services and privatization.

• downsizing - cuts to Service Canada programs, offices, and workers
• de-regulation - Bill C-39 to amend the Canadian Grain Act. This Act would eliminate important grain weighing and inspection jobs of PSAC members in Vancouver.
• tax cuts - The Conservative Government’s corporate tax cuts will take 60 billion dollars out of revenues over the next five years. This is money that could be spent on national child care and pharmacare programs, and a national housing strategy.

As the largest federal public service union in Canada, the PSAC is asking you to keep these issues in mind when you cast your vote on March 17th.

Downsizing, de-regulation, and tax cuts come at the cost of services to the public and of the jobs of workers providing those services.

Goal is to collect 5,000 pairs by February 14.

Socks can be delivered to:
VDLC office, 20 - 1880 Triumph Street, Vancouver
Reclaiming Our Spirit, 3985 Dumfries, Vancouver

Labour of Love Fundraising Luncheon:
February 14, Thursday, Simon Baker Aboriginal Friendship Centre, 1607 East Hastings

Message from Reclaiming our Spirit:

Hello everyone, homelessness has a thousand faces.  The reasons people are homeless are many and varied.  Many of the homeless have become disconnected from their families and communities.  A broad base of understanding is required to create and build programs and services that will work towards providing support for each and every person who faces homelessness.  Homelessness can affect people of any age, gender or ethnic background, it does not discriminate.  It is that time of year again and Reclaiming Our Spirit will be conducting our 3rd Annual Sock Drive for the Homeless.  We are seeking your support to make this a successful fundraiser.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call our office. 

Also as a part of this important community event we will be having our First Annual Labour of Love Fundraising Luncheon at the Chief Simon Baker Room February 14, 2008 at 1607 East Hastings street from 12:00 noon -2:00 pm. All proceeds from this luncheon will go towards the Labour of Love Sock Drive.   All support is appreciated.

UNITE HERE Local 40 members at 3 Vancouver area hotels are currently bargaining new contracts. These hotels are the Hilton Metrotown, the Holiday Inn Broadway and the Delta Vancouver Airport. UNITE HERE is committed to fighting for the same standards at these 3 hotels that workers in the downtown hotels achieved in their recent contract campaign and need our support.

Please take a moment to fill out the attached Unite HERE pledge (pdf), which reads:

I/We Publicly Endorse UNITE HERE members and their struggle for justice in the following hotels: Delta Vancouver Airport, Hilton Metrotown, Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre. I/We will not Eat, Sleep, or Meet at the Delta Vancouver Airport, Hilton Metrotown, or Holiday Inn Vancouver centre in the event of a labour dispute.

And mail or fax back to the UNITE HERE office at: UNITE HERE! Local 40,4853 Hastings Street, Burnaby BC V5C 2L1 -fax: 604-291-2676

In addition if your Component, Local, or other group is planning on holding an event at any of these hotels, we ask that you contact the hotel directly (sample letters: hilton, delta - both MS Word .doc) and let them know you support UNITE HERE members in their fight for a fair collective agreement.

For more information, visit www.local40union.com or www.hotelworkersrising.org

Vancouver Prison Justice Day, Friday, August 10th

Speakers and Performers

Join us at 7 p.m. at Trout Lake Park (E. 15th and Victoria) at the Claire Culhane Memorial Bench (in the southeast corner) to hear ex-prisoners and prisoners’ rights activists speak on justice issues such as the danger of passing the Conservative government’s U.S. style crime bills into law.

This is a memorial rally in honour of Harriet Nahanee, Dec. 7, 1935 - Feb 24, 2007

Vancouver Workers are Rising - UNITE HERE Local 40

• Rally & March - Friday, August 10, 4:15 pm
• Vancouver Art Gallery, Downtown Vancouver

Rally at the Art Gallery and march to the Downtown Hotels to hear workers speak on and about the working conditions in the service industry. Join them in their struggle for respect and justice on the job.

Wage workers in Haiti earn as little as $2 (US) per day. The unemployment rate is 60% to 70%. Women struggle on the edge of survival to find work, feed families, and send children to school or scramble for health care when emergencies arise.

The 2004 foreign invasion and coup against the elected government of President Aristide was a huge setback to workers rights and womens rights. Minimum wage rates were slashed, schools and health care facilities were closed, and legal and extra-legal violence has risen sharply, including that which targets women.

Join us in hearing from trade union and women’s rights organizers.

• Wednesday May 30th
• Public Meeting, 7 PM - SFU Harbour Center, 515 W. Hastings St.
• Luncheon for Trade Union Members, 12 noon to 2 pm, Maritime Labour Centre, 1881 Triumph St.

Hosted by the International Affairs Committee of the Vancouver and District Labour Council. Please RSVP.

More details in the Haiti tour poster (pdf) and at canadahaitiaction.ca

Surrey Delta Langley Area Council March 13, 2007 Meeting Minutes, Held at the Newton Seniors Center

Present: Terry Ruyter (UTE Local 20007), Carol Pegura (UTE Local 20029), Kim Forster (UTE Local 20029), Regina
Brennan (PSAC Area Rep), Dale Odberg (UVAE Local 20029), Johann Ackermann (UTE Local 20029), Jeremy Amour (UTE Local 20029) Earla MacLean (UTE Local 20029), Sharon Palis (UTE Local 20029)
Guest: Kay Sinclair, REVP - BC Region.

Continue reading below or download the SDL AC minutes (pdf)

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Head Tax Families Society of Canada will mark the 60th anniversary of full rights and the vote for the Chinese in Canada. The Canadian Citizenship Act, which went into effect in the spring of 1947, defined the franchise as part of citizenship status.

• Time: 9AM, Saturday May 12, 2007
• Place: Memorial to Railway Workers and War Veterans Keefer and Columbia (NE corner), Vancouver

The Head Tax Families Society of Canada is today’s Canadians on a twenty-three year struggle for an inclusive redress with justice and honour for affected head tax families. Go to www.headtaxfamilies.org for more information.

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• Thursday, April 12 – 6:30pm
• Heritage Hall 3102 Main St.
• Vancouver, B.C.
• Info: 604-291-9611

Vancouver Child Care Resource is losing half of its provincial funding at the end of April. Ten neighbourhood-based CCRR services that help families with referrals and subsidies, and give family child care providers training and business support, will be gone.

The Campbell government is also cutting 100% of the Westcoast Provincial Services budget. That means no more access to the unique Westcoast Resource Library that promotes diversity and multiculturalism outside of Vancouver. And, significantly reduced access to the Safe Spaces bullying prevention training for caregivers of 3-5 year olds.
Waitlists are growing and parent fees are rising. Families, child care providers and community leaders are not sitting still for these cuts to urgently-needed child care services.

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Via BC Federation of Labour

• Saturday, March 31, 11am – 12:30pm
• Burrard Bridge, Vancouver
• Gather at 11am at Seaforth Peace Flame Park (south end of bridge by Cornwall Ave.)
• Calling parents, grandparents, early childhood educators and child care supporters to span the bridge sidewalks with signs and songs!

March 30-31 marks the elimination of federal-provincial childcare funding agreements by the Harper Conservatives. It also marks the closure of several childcare resource and referral centres in BC and the elimination of critical services to working families as a result of funding cuts by the Campbell Liberals.

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The B.C. Federation of Labour is stepping up efforts to gain a much-needed pay raise for BC’s lowest paid workers by winning an increase in the provincial minimum wage.

Please join us on:

• DATE: SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2007
• TIME: 1:00 to 3:00 pm
• PLACE: BROADWAY AND COMMERCIAL SKYTRAIN STATION

Together with members of our Young Workers Committee and special guests like NDP MP Libby Davies, we’ll be distributing campaign materials and getting signatures on our $10 NOW petition.

Visit bcfed.com for more information about the $10 Now campaign.

The Joint Learning Program is pleased to invite you to the JLP Open House, Thursday, February 15, 2007

• Daytime: 10:00 – 12:00
• YWCA, 4th Floor – 535 Hornby Street, Vancouver

• Evening: 5:00 – 7:00
• Public Service Alliance of Canada, 200 - 5238 Joyce Street, Vancouver

Come and learn about the benefits of the Joint Learning Program at this highly interactive, inclusive, barrier-free event. Contact Julie Balantes or Susan Jardine with any questions or inquiries. Refreshments will be served.

International Women’s Day 2007

Since its inception, International Women’s Day (IWD), March 8th, has been a day of revolutionary struggle for the rights and freedom of oppressed and exploited women in the context of world-wide struggle against imperialism and war. Every year since our founding in 1995, Grassroots Women has mobilized on March 8th. By doing so, we connect with the tradition of working class women who have mobilized on this day for nearly 100 years, from the garment workers of New York City at the turn of the century, to the wives, daughters, and mothers of soldiers and armament workers in Russia who helped spark the Russian Revolution, to the women of movements for national and social liberation in the Third World.

In 2007, Grassroots Women will mark IWD by holding events under the following theme:

• Strengthen Women’s Resistance
• Oppose Imperialism’s Intensifying Attacks!
• Assert Women’s Basic Human Rights!

Please join us for a march and rally on Thursday, March 8th 2007, beginning at 5:30 pm at Chinatown Memorial Square (NE corner of Keefer and Columbia) and ending with refreshments at the Grassroots Women office.

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Promise made.

“Yes, I’m ready to support women’s human rights and I agree that Canada has more to do to meet its international obligations to women’s equality. If elected, I will take concrete and immediate measures, as recommended by the United Nations, to ensure that Canada fully upholds its commitments to women in Canada.” - Stephen Harper - January 18, 2006

Promise broken.

Since coming into office, the Harper Conservatives have

• closed more than half of the Status of Women of Canada regional offices
• have changed the funding criteria for women’s groups and have removed the word “equality” from the SWC’s list of objectives
• eliminated support for equality rights test-cases (the Court Challenges Program)
• refused to adopt proactive pay equity legislation and have canceled funding to the Canada-wide child care program.

The Harper Conservative have consistently dismissed equality rights for women. They will continue unless we speak up!

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The preliminary education schedule for spring 2007 has been posted on the education page. We have scheduled courses for Vancouver & the Island. The schedules for the Fraser Valley, North and Okanagan will be posted soon.

The next Surrey Delta Langley Area Council (SDLAC) meeting

• Tuesday, December 12th at 5:30 PM
• Boston Pizza Restuarant at 7488 King George Hwy, Surrey (across from Costco)

Please RSVP to Johann Ackermann

This months topic is Disability Awareness, and the meeting is open to all PSAC members. Our speakers on the topic:

• Harry Monk - Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Rhonda Brain - PSAC member
• Paul Tubbe - City of Vancouver Advisory Committee on Disability Issues

When: November 8 2006, 5:45 PM (meetings are normally about two hours long)
Where: Vancouver: 200 - 5238 Joyce Street & via Conf. Call
Please RSVP to Monica Urrutia, (604) 430 5631, as a light dinner will be served. On site childcare, and / or participation from other areas via conference call is available, if requested before November 6th, please call Monica for details.

Saturday October 14th, rain or shine!

The Make Poverty History Campaign will be holding this Walk & Rally from Peace Flame Park to the Vancouver Art Gallery to coincide with global mobilizations around the International Day of Poverty Eradication.

Last year, Global Television estimated 2000 of us were marching. Let’s double that number this year. Come join us for some great music and learn how you can support others in our community who are working to eliminate local and global poverty. Bring friends and family! Bring out your whole school or office!

The walk starts at 11 am at Seaforth Peace Flame Park (south end of Burrard Street Bridge). March to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Estimated arrival time 12 pm.

Festivities begin at 12 noon at the VAncouver Art Gallery - Guest speakers, music, NGO booths, and more!

For more information contact bccic@web.ca. Make Poverty History is one of the campaigns the PSAC Social Justice Fund supports. Download the poster here (pdf).

Surrey Delta Langley Area Council, September 26, 2006 Meeting Minutes, held at the Newton Seniors Center

Present: Terry Ruyter (UTE Local 20007), Sigrid Hagglund (UTE Local 20029), Carol Pegura (UTE Local 20029), Kim Forster (UTE Local 20029), Regina Brennan (PSAC Area Rep), Dale Odberg (UVAE Local 20029), Donna Cowan (UVAE Local 20029), Terry Bellec (UTE Local 20029), Johann Ackermann (UTE Local 20029), Jeremy Amour (UTE Local 20029), Sharon Palis (UTE Local 20029)

Guest: Kay Sinclair, REVP – BC Region.

Continue reading below or download the Surrey Delta Langley AC meeting minutes September 26 2006 (pdf)

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Surrey Delta Langley Area Council, March 22, 2006 Meeting Minutes, Days Inn

Present: Gary Fraser (PSAC Area Rep), Earla MacLean (UTE Local 20029), Hilde Sellmeyer (UTE Local 20007), Sigrid Hagglund (UTE Local 20029), Sharon Palis (UTE Local 20029), Johann Ackermann (UTE Local 20029), Kim Forster (UTE Local 20029), Carol Pegura(UTE Local 20029) , Terry Ruyter (UTE Local 20007), Kay Sinclair (UTE Local 20029 and alternate REVP).

Guests: Patti Ducharme (REVP – BC PSAC), Heather Brooker (President - National Component)

Continue reading below or download the Surrey Delta Langley AC meeting minutes March 22 2006 (pdf)

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