Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

via Vancouver & District Labour Council

CUPE Locals 15, 391, and 1004: Our sisters and brothers on the picket lines need our support!

Bring your union placards or get one from the VDLC and let them know that we are behind them and stand with them. Help is needed 24 hours a day at City Hall, Vancouver Public Library Main Branch (Georgia), and the Works Yards (National, Evans, and Manitoba). Your presence at all picket sites would be appreciated - all community centres, parks, and public library locations. Click for a list of CUPE picket sites (pdf).

Please visit www.fairnessforcivicworkers.ca for updates and information and contacts for specific information.

United Steelworkers in the lumber and forestry sector as well CUPE members from Locals 1005 and 15 (Vancouver) and Local 389 (North Vancouver) are currently on strike, and CUPE Local 391 (Vancouver Public Library) has issued strike notice. Major Issues include wages, classification adjustments, pay equity, job security, and whistle blower protection. Although job actions are not expected to directly impact PSAC worksites, there may be situations where PSAC members encounter a picket line.

If you encounter a picket line:

• the BC Federation of Labour has a strict picket line policy that obliges all union members in BC to honour picket lines.
• the PSAC has a picket line policy (No.21) that also urges members to honour picket lines.
• if you encounter a picket line, speak to the strikers and/or picket captains and ask for direction from them.
• contact your union representative for direction and contact the Regional Office of the PSAC.
• call your supervisor to let him/her know that there is a picket line
• if you choose to cross the picket line, ask for a management escort across the line
• if it seems unsafe, do not attempt to cross the line, let your supervisor know that you feel your safety is in jeopardy.
• bolster picket lines before/after work and during breaks
• it would be appreciated if you would provide coffee, snacks and moral support to striking workers
• unfortunately, most PSAC members do not have picket line protection in their collective agreements, or in legislation, and therefore are obliged to report to work.

Please contact the Vancouver RO if you have any questions, and check back here for updates.

• More info: CUPE BC
• More info: CUPE Local 15
• More info: BC Coast forestry strike.

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

I am writing to you today to ask for support for a group of PSAC members that have been locked out by their employer since October 23, 2006.

These twenty two workers, members of UNW Local 6 in Hay River, Northwest Territories, work at “Nats’ejee K’eh”, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre. Their contract has expired three and a half years ago and they have been without a salary increase for over four years. It was with great reluctance that they eventually served notice of strike action, but their employer instead of returning to the bargaining table chose to lock them out and transport the clients who were in treatment at the facility to a non-unionised treatment centre in Alberta.

The employer’s latest offer includes monetary roll-backs, entire control on lay-offs and the right to dismiss anyone at any time without cause, complete unilateral control over hours of work, gutting the union rights and activities and doing away with parental leave.

|inline

Update: Aug 22^nd - A mediator has been appointed and the strike averted. Details at cbc.ca.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is poised for strike action in their struggle to achieve a first collective agreement for unionized workers conducting perimeter security at YVR, the employer is Securiguard Services Ltd. There may be labour disruptions as early as tomorrow.

|inline

updated August 23: A tentative agreement has been reached, and all job action has ceased, pending ratification.
The BCNU Members of Joye Morris Health Services Inc. voted across the Province July 27, 2006, 94% in favour of strike. BCNU represents the members who work in the Health Centres at ten Provincial Jails operated by the private contractor, Joye Morris.

The two parties have been in negotiations to secure a renewal collective agreement since May 1, 2006. The current collective agreement expired on March 31, 2006.

|inline

This is to inform you that the members of COPE 15 working at Island Savings Credit Union in Shawnigan Lake, Mill Bay and Duncan commenced strike action on Saturday July 15th. If you are in the area between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00 pm please drop by and give them your support.

|inline

Yellowknife – Public Service Alliance of Canada members at the Ekati diamond mine have voted to ratify a tentative agreement with Ekati owner BHP Billiton, ending a strike that began April 7 with the first-ever union contract at a Canadian diamond mine and significant improvements for workers there.

Ekati workers voted 66% in favour of the one-year contract that contains a full grievance procedure to protect workers from arbitrary and unfair treatment, wage increases, a signing benefit, more vacation days and other improvements, said Jean-François Des Lauriers, PSAC Executive Vice-President-North.

“This has been a tough strike but our members are going back to work with significant improvements in their workplace as a result of their determination,” Des Lauriers said. “And we will be back at the bargaining table on our members’ behalf next year.”

|inline

Yellowknife - The Public Service Alliance of Canada has reached a tentative agreement for striking Ekati diamond mine workers with Ekati owner BHP Billiton and will be recommending acceptance to end the strike that began April 7.

PSAC National President John Gordon said Ekati workers can be proud of their fight to win the first-ever contract at a Canadian diamond mine against BHP Billiton, the largest mining company in the world.

“When less than 400 union members take on a giant multinational corporation with $7.5 billion in annual profits to try and win a first contract, it’s hardly a fair fight,” Gordon said. “But our members can hold their heads high. They reached a tentative agreement against the odds in an extremely tough strike where the employer did everything it could to defeat them and failed to do so.”

|inline

Yellowknife – Supporters of striking Ekati diamond mine workers will be leafleting customers at Brinkhaus Jewellers store in Vancouver and Idar Jewellers in Victoria this Saturday as part of their union’s Canada-wide “Dirty Diamonds” campaign to win a fair first contract.

Brinkhaus Jewellers and Idar Jewellers are two of several dozen BHP Billiton-authorized Canadian jewelers selling AuriasTM and CanadaMarkTM diamonds from Ekati. The Public Service Alliance of Canada says customers will be politely asked to not buy diamonds being produced by strikebreakers behind picket lines in its efforts to pressure mine owner BHP Billiton to reach a first collective agreement.

|inline

Public Service Alliance of Canada says don’t buy trademarked Aurias™ and CanadaMark™ diamonds produced by strikebreakers

YELLOWKNIFE, June 13 /CNW/ - Over 2 million readers of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal in the United States will read today about “Dirty Diamonds” being produced despite a strike by Ekati diamond mine workers, as their union runs major ads in the newspapers as part of its growing international campaign against mine owner BHP Billiton.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is asking consumers not to buy Ekati diamonds being produced by strikebreakers under the Aurias™ and CanadaMark™ trademarks behind union picket lines as the union fights to win a fair first collective agreement for nearly 400 Ekati workers on strike since April 7.

“BHP Billiton is going to feel increasing heat around the world until it reaches a fair contract with Ekati diamond mine workers,” said Jean-François Des Lauriers, PSAC Executive Vice-President-North. “We will be telling readers of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal that they should not buy Canada’s own conflict diamonds - diamonds being produced despite a labour conflict.” Click here to view the ad (pdf).

|inline

The 385 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada at the Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories have been on strike since April 7 in their attempt to negotiate a first collective agreement.  They are up against a multinational corporation, BHP Billiton, which is refusing to bargain in good faith, is using scabs and is trying to break the union at all cost.

The union movement cannot allow this company to stifle our rights without a fight.  BHP must be told clearly that workers in Canada do have a right to union representation, that they have the right to bargain collectively and that they refuse to allow scabs to steal their livelihood.

|inline

Public Service Alliance of Canada and BHP Billiton to resume negotiations for first contract at strike-bound Ekati diamond mine May 25-26 in Edmonton; PSAC picket lines will stay up until ratified agreement reached

YELLOWKNIFE, May 23 /CNW/ - The Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union representing striking Ekati diamond mine workers, and mine owner BHP Billiton have agreed to resume negotiations for a first collective agreement, with talks scheduled for May 25-26 in Edmonton.

|inline

Yellowknife — By using scabs at its Ekati diamond mine and by refusing to bargain in good faith with its 400 unionized workers, BHP Billiton is showing its contempt for Canadian workers.

According to the National President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) John Gordon, “if BHP Billiton wants to stay in Canada and continue to do business, it has to respect Canadian workers.”

|inline

Diamonds produced in the North West Territories at the BHP Billiton Ekati Diamond Mine are “dirty”. BHP Billiton has been promoting its signature “Aurias” diamond as “conflict free” rather than “blood diamonds” produced in war-torn countries like Sierra Leone and the Congo. But Ekati is now the site of a major labour conflict.

Why should this concern you?

As one of the largest multi-national corporations doing business in Canada, BHP has chosen to force its employees into a strike by failing to negotiate a fair and reasonable first collective agreement.

Canadians appreciate employers who respect our tradition of bargaining in good faith…especially when the employer’s profits were $7.5 billion in 2005!

|inline

Delegates at the PSAC National Triennial Convention in Toronto pledged in excess of $45,000 to help members of PSAC Local X3050 on strike against BHP Billiton at the Ekati diamond mine, 300 kilometers north-east of Yellowknife. This amount comes in addition to the $100,000.00 already pledged by the Union of Northern Workers for its hardship fund.

The pledges were announced after more than five hundred PSAC members and supporters took to Toronto streets in a demonstration in support of Ekati diamond mine workers. (Images of delegates rally for BHP strikers).

|inline

Delegates and observers at the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s 14th triennial national convention will demonstrate in support of the striking workers on Wednesday.

Delegates will be marching from the Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre to the park located behind the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. Speakers at the rally will include PSAC National President Nycole Turmel, Union of Northern Workers President Todd Parson, Ekati Mine striker Robert Beaulieu.
The Ekati diamond mine, about 300 kilometres north of Yellowknife, is something of a cash-cow for BHP Billiton. The mine opened in 1998, and cost about $900 million to build. But the revenue has long-since left that number in the dust.

When it’s at full production, Ekati cranks out from three to five million carats a year. The diamonds tend to be of very high quality, commanding prices of $110 to almost $200 per carat. Late last year, Ekati President Sean Brennan reported to investors that the mine earned more than $350 million, before taxes, in both 2004 and 2005 fiscal years.

Those diamonds account for about six per cent of the world’s annual supply by value, but four per cent by volume, according to the company. It’s all done with a workforce of about 740 people who fly in and out on two-week rotations. About 390 are members of the Union of Northern Workers, part of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. They went on strike on April 7, and the standoff continues.

Continue reading the CBC North Ekati strike feature.

Striking PSAC members who work at BHP Billiton Ekati Diamond Mine are holding strong as the strike approaches its fourth week. Daily information updates are being circulated to the picket lines at Yellowknife , Rae-Edzo, Fort Smith , Hay River and Edmonton , keeping everyone up-to-date and informed.

Members who live across the land in isolated locations are finding creative ways to support the strike – some are doing community services, for example. Community events across the North have been well attended: barbeques, information pickets and entertainment. Support remains strong.

|inline

Yellowknife – Workers at Canada ’s first diamond mine are on strike Friday, April 7 after BHP Billiton refused to negotiate a fair first collective agreement, says the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union representing 400 workers at the Ekati diamond mine.

Jean-François Des Lauriers, Regional Executive Vice-President for PSAC-North, says workers are off the job early Friday, at the Ekati mine, which produces 6 per cent of the world’s diamond supply by value.

And Des Laurier warned BHP Billiton against the use of replacement workers, saying such tactics are unacceptable to northern Canadians.

“BHP Billiton has refused to offer its diamond workers a fair first collective agreement and forced them to go on strike,” said Des Lauriers. “If BHP Billiton adds insult to injury by using replacement workers to operate the mine, the Canadian labour movement will react strongly to denounce the employer’s actions.”

Read more at the national website - there’s also some photos.

Updated @ 2PM: A vote has taken place and the new collective agreement has been ratified.

Limousine company ends strike at Vancouver Airport

Mar, 31 2006 - 8:30 AM - VANCOVUER/CKNW(AM980) - Drivers for the exclusive limousine provider at the Vancouver Airport are no longer on strike.

A picket line that went up yesterday outside the shell road head office of Limo Jet Gold has been taken down because a tentative deal has been reached.

The 30 drivers are members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Union rep Patti Ducharme says the agreement could be quickly approved. “I expect the agreement will be ratified if not today, some time tomorrow,” said Ducharme.

The limousine service is owned by Herb Dhaliwal, a former Liberal MP and Cabinet Minister.

source: cknw.com

Update @ 2PM: Unionized FedEx workers refused to make deliveries to the entire complex where LimoJet’s main office is located. Picketing continues as talks have resumed on both sides. Here are some photos from the picket line.

Picket lines went up at 8:30 a.m. this morning in front of the Limojet offices on Shell Road in Richmond. When Principal Herb Dhaliwal decided to leave the Limojet offices, PSAC Members blocked Herb’s exit using Limousines and their bodies. Despite his best efforts, Herb was unable to leave the parking lot. A few minutes later after parking his car Herb was seen leaving the area on foot and was picked up moments later on Shell Road.

Picket at Vancouver Airport not expected to disrupt services

Mar, 30 2006 - 8:10 AM - VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - A picket line at Vancouver’s International Airport is not expected to disrupt services this morning, unless you’re planning to take a limousine.

Contract talks between Limo Jet Gold and its unionized drivers have broken off, so the 30-members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada have walked off the job.

|inline