Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

via Vancouver & District Labour Council

How can we turn our public schools into vibrant community hubs?

Think City invites you to attend Think Schools – a one-day conference on how citizens across the city can develop a vision for renewing schools taking place on Sunday, April 6.

According to a Vancouver School Board (VSB) report published in September 2007, our city may only have nine of its 64 historic schools left still standing once the school board’s facilities renewal process is complete. In place of these important public buildings, the city’s schools may be systematically reduced in size, unique programming that defines schools will be excluded from these new buildings due to space limitations, and valuable community amenities such as daycare, seniors care, after-school care and auditoriums will be cut from these neighbourhood anchors.

Keynote speaker Seattle School Board Building Excellence Program Manager Don Gilmore will share solutions that helped preserve and renew his city’s public school buildings.

Lunch and reception are included in the registration fee. Pre-registration is required.

• When: Sunday, April 6, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
• Where: Roundhouse Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews
• Tickets: $25 regular, register here
• Scholarships: Call 604.216.7246 for details.
• Childcare: Call 604.216.7246 for details.

Preamble

A significant number of employers, including many, that count unionized PSAC members amongst their employees, routinely hire students.

The PSAC believes that employers, including the PSAC itself, have an obligation to future generations of workers, and that this obligation can be partially met by hiring students.

The PSAC is equally clear that students should be hired into carefully crafted and monitored programs that are designed to assist them in advancing their academic skills and acquiring social and workplace knowledge and skills – including an understanding of the role of Unions in workplaces and society and not into determinate and indeterminate positions. Under no circumstances should students be hired as a form of cheap labour for employers, or in any way to undermine the employment security of the employers’ regular workforce.

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Defending Quality Public Services

The PSAC supports strong public services and service delivery and remains unalterably opposed to privatization of public infrastructure and public services.

Quality public services are essential in building strong economies and inclusive societies. Privatization undermines the ability of public sector workers to provide the kind of services to the public that they would like to provide. The PSAC’s People behind the Services Campaign in 2004 highlighted this commitment.

After 20 years of pro-privatization policies, neither Canada nor the world are better or fairer places to live. The gap between rich and poor has widened.

Continue reading the PSAC Defending Quality Public Services policy at the national website.

Student Employment

A significant number of employers, including many, that count unionized PSAC members amongst their employees, routinely hire students.

The PSAC believes that employers, including the PSAC itself, have an obligation to future generations of workers, and that this obligation can be partially met by hiring students.

The PSAC is equally clear that students should be hired into carefully crafted and monitored programs that are designed to assist them in advancing their academic skills and acquiring social and workplace knowledge and skills – including an understanding of the role of Unions in workplaces and society and not into determinate and indeterminate positions. Under no circumstances should students be hired as a form of cheap labour for employers, or in any way to undermine the employment security of the employers’ regular workforce.

Continue reading the PSAC Student Employment policy at the national website.

Deregulation, privatization and trade liberalization have increased existing inequalities between and within countries, between men and women, and between women of different races and class conditions. Privatization of services is creating a two-tiered system of for-profit services for those who can afford them and under-resourced service delivery for the poor. Access based on ability to pay transfers to women the responsibility for basic services, while reducing their opportunities for employment in the public sector. Quality public services cannot be achieved on the backs of women.

The Public Service International is committed to promoting the fundamental human rights of women, including equality between men and women at the work place, in the trade unions and in the broader political, social, economic, and cultural context.

Read more at world-psi.org.