Here are some photos from the event here in Victoria that Virginia (Vaillancourt, also on the Regional Council) and I attended. We had amazing numbers and the anger and enthusiasm was a huge surprise. The theme that ran deep was that Canadians do care about what happens in their country and that the Afghan abuse scandal is weighing heavy around what Harper has done to avoid his governments accountability to parliament and the people of Canada. We are such spirited citizens of this country. Everyone should take the time to “care”. It is OUR country!

Members of CUPE Local 4094 are challenging Air Canada management to keep their work in B.C. The cuts and closures are not justified. Flight attendants are a valuable part of the company. Our community relies on the services they provide.

• Monday, July 28, 10 a.m.
• Meet at Sea Island Elementary School on Miller Road at 9:30 a.m.
• For more information call 604.551-5737 • 604.551.7397 604.765.9905 • email: officers@local 4094.ca

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet with US President George W. Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon at Montebello on August 20-21 2007, to discuss the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). What will be on the agenda? We can only guess at this point, because all of the meetings to review the progress of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) have taken place in secret so far.

• Join protests across Canada against the SPP …
• Rally in Vancouver – Monday Aug 20th, 5:30 PM, Vancouver Art Gallery (south side).

The SPP – which is being implemented without any public discussion or parliamentary debate – is about eliminating Canada’s ability to set its own independent regulatory standards, environmental protection measures, energy security, foreign, military, immigration and a frighteningly wide range of other policies.

• What is the SPP? Security and Prosperity for whom? A series of fact sheets at the national website.
• Read John Gordon’s letter to Stephen Harper regarding the SPP (pdf).

The summit brings together a US president whose policies are backed by hardly a quarter of his own people, a Mexican president whose election is highly disputed, and a Canadian Prime Minister heading a minority government. The decisions they make will have no legitimacy and will affect the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the human rights and civil liberties we enjoy.

OTTAWA – Canadian workers will mark an International Day of Action this Thursday, August 9 to protest the Iranian government’s arrest and imprisonment of two of that country’s prominent labour leaders.

Trade unionists and activists around the world are worried about the safety and
well-being of Mansour Osanloo, President of the ITF affiliated bus workers’ union Sandikaye Kargarane Sherkate Vahed (Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company). Mansour was reported as kidnapped on July 10th as he was getting off of a bus.

• Rally in Vancouver – join BC Federation of Labour, BC Teachers Federation, VDLC, CAW Local 111 & 333, Hospital Employees Union and other unions
• Time: 17:00 to 19:00 , Thursday, August 9, 2007, Vancouver Art Gallery, Howe & Robson

On July 12th it was confirmed that Osanloo has been imprisoned. Just days before his abduction, Canadian Labour Congress president Ken Georgetti had the pleasure of meeting Mansour as he addressed the ITUC General Council in Brussels. This was the first time that the ITUC – or for that matter its predecessor, the ICFTU welcomed an independent Iranian trade union leader from inside the country to its meetings.

Ken Georgetti on behalf of the Canadian Labour Congress’ 3.2 million working people condemns the kidnapping of Mansour and calls on the Iranian government to take every possible step to ensure the safety of Mr. Osanloo and immediately release him.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.2 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 136 district labour councils. Web site: http://www.canadianlabour.ca

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.

• 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.

Hardest hit by the cuts is Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre in Vancouver, where approximately 35 BCGEU members will lose their jobs. The Campbell Liberals’ cuts mean the total elimination of the Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre’s $800,000 annual provincial services budget.

There will be no more province-wide ‘Safe Spaces’ anti-bullying training for caregivers of young children; the end of a provincial lending library with a strong multicultural focus that circulates some 19,000 toys, videos and learning materials annually; and the end to business management advisory services that supported 2,500 childcare providers last year.

Vancouver Child Care Resource and Referral – which matches parents with childcare provider contact information and other services — will also lose one-third of its budget. This will likely mean the closure of a number of its nine decentralized neighbourhood house sites around the city, and reductions to other family-support programs. We are calling all childcare supporters, parents, grandparents and early childhood educators to span the bridge sidewalks with signs and songs! Support Westcoast Child Care Resources and other BC childcare resource and referral centres that are being cut.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers need your support!

Saturday, March 24^th, 11AM – 1PM, Vancouver International Airport Terminal

• Save the jobs of 700 Aviation Maintenance Professionals in Vancouver
• Help us put an end to the corporate race to contract Aviation Maintenance in Canada to lowest foreign bidder
• Ensure that the security and safety of the flying public is paramount

Speakers:

• Angela Schira, Secretary Treasurer, B.C. Federation of Labour
• Carlos Da Costa, Transportation Coordinator, IAMAW Member, Local Lodge 764, IAMAW
• Peter Julian, Federal NDP, Member of Parliament BC NDP MLA
• Jim Coller, PDGC, District Lodge 140, IAMAW

Gathering Point: 10:30 Sea Island Elementary School, corner of Miller Road and Templeton. Lots of Parking. Rain or Shine, Dress accordingly.

March and Demonstration: 11:00 am Vancouver International Airport Terminal in the grass area across from the Airport RCMP Station which is located at the West End of Miller Road, right hand side of the outgoing Domestic Departures Ramps.

Rallies and protests are scheduled across the province this month, click for a calendar of events (pdf).

In Victoria, February 13^th:

• Stand up for child care at the Legislature!
• Rally 12:30pm at the BC Legislature, Victoria
• Assemble at noon at Superior/Menzies St. – caravan of kids also circling legislature.
• Info: 1-800-663-1674

Vancouver, February 13^th:

• City Hall Rally, 9-9:30am
• Children, parents and child care providers will be leafleting the public with info about cuts to child care.

As well, Code Blue For Child Care has stepped up the campaign to save child care with a report card on the Harper government’s performance on child care.

• So how did Stephen do in his first year of child care? Well, he must improve his active listening skills and shouldn’t be allowed to play with scissors after the drastic cuts he made to child care.
• What do you think of Stephen Harper’s record on child care?

Please go to www.buildchildcare.ca and add your comments to the report card.

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