Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

Bosses and Workers’ Differing Perspectives on Economic Issues

• 4 Week course
• February 20 & 27, March 5 & 12
• Wednesday evenings, 6:30 to 9:00 pm
• CAW Hall, 312 12th Street
• New Westminster

Course Outline:

• Day 1 - Labour Markets - Why do most people need jobs, but some don’t?
• Day 2 - Stock Market and Shop Floors - Where does all the wealth come from?
• Day 3 - Budgets, Deficits, and Taxes - Who’s paying all the bills?
• Day 4 - Privatization - Who owns the world?

Courses will include lecture, discussion, with integrated use of media such as music and video to illustrated the prevalence of hidden economic persuasion in everyday life. A strict distinction between the mainstream view of businesses and alternative views will be made in each class in order to understand how economic issues are
shaped by the social position of the people involved.

Underlying Philosophy:

Workers often share a common sense understanding with other ordinary people; they understand the economy as a mysterious world of financial markets, which is inhabited by investment bankers, stockbrokers, and media pundits. If the workers are unionized, labour law, collective bargaining and organizing professionals complement this world of
finance. The contrast between such perceptions and everyday experience of the individual pursuit of jobs and work place conflicts produces widespread feelings of isolation, alienation, and powerlessness that hamper workers’ individual capacities and collective activism.

One factor to overcome such impediments to strong labour movements is to focus labour education on economic issues. This, however, should not counter neo-liberal mainstream views with an alternative variety of expert knowledge. The starting point should be the experiences of individual workers as job seekers instead. Proceeding from there, it should be explained why working people have to sell their labour power to the bosses’, and also why the latter are on top of the hierarchical power relations at the workplace. Only on this basis can management strategies, economic policies and international economic relations be understood as processes that ultimately depend on workers as the producers of wealth. The ultimate goal of this type of worker education is to build capacities in such a way that enables them to get involved in economical and
political self-representation.

Course Instructor: Ingo Schmidt

Ingo Schmidt teaches Labour Relations at Athabasca University and is developing a course on Economics for Workers. He has written books and articles on economic policies. Collaborating with the Working Group for Alternative Economic Policies and major unions, Ingo worked as a labour educator in Germany before he came to Canada.

Course Fees: $25 (subsidies available)

Please register through the Vancouver & District Labour Council, 604-254-0703, or office@vdlc.ca

Presented by the Vancouver & District Labour Council Education Committee

via Vancouver & District Labour Council

A Chance to Go to School in Cuba

Wouldn’t it be great to have a place to meet other activists, learn something useful and have some fun in the sun at the same time?

Well how about getting together in Havana, Cuba in May, 2008 for a week of global solidarity courses and a program of events designed especially for activists.

That is the idea behind a Global Solidarity School. Its being organized in Cuba by a group of Canadian labour activists and educators. The school will run from May 4 to May 10 and offer five week-long courses designed to interest activists and their spouses.

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PAKISTAN UNDER THE GUN
Perspectives on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law
Public Forum, Film Screening and Discussion

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007, 6:30 pm
Alma Van Dusen Room, Vancouver Public Library
350 West Georgia - between Homer and Hamilton(lower level -take elevator/stairs by main library entrance)
From Granville Skytrain Station: 2 blocks east on Dunsmuir, 1 block south on Homer

FREE EVENT:

Join us for a public forum and interactive discussion on human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan. Support the resistance of the Pakistani people!

Co-sponsored by the Vancouver and District Labour Council, India Pakistan Peace Network (IPPN), South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD), Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada. Endorsed by the PSAC International Solidarity Committee.

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Here are some photos taken at recent PSAC and related events … updated June 28^th

Advanced Stewards Training in Vancouver

Members from many different components & locals came together at the beginning of the month to take four-day Advanced Steward Training courses held in Vancouver & Victoria. The objectives of the course were:

• To identify the roles and responsibilities of PSAC Stewards.
• To develop participants’ confidence in their ability to be effective Stewards in the workplace.
• To increase participants’ understanding of how to empower and motivate members.
• To provide participants with the opportunity to develop and practice the skills necessary to be effective advocates in representing their members.
• To motivate participants to use their knowledge and skills as Stewards to establish an effective union presence at the workplace.

Stewards from across the province built on their knowledge, skills and confidence so that they could provide effective representation in the workplace and mobilize members. Here are some photos, click the thumbnails for a larger view.

Visit the PSAC photo gallery for all the pictures taken at the Advanced Steward Training course in Vancouver.

Here are the members in Victoria who took the AST, click for a larger view …

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VDLC Education Committee presents a public meeting with Kent Wong:

How can Labour Work More Effectively in Asian Communities

Friday, March 30, 7:30 pm, Maritime Labour Centre, Boardroom 1

Kent Wong is the Director of the Center of Labor Research & Education at UCLA. Founding President of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (fist national organization of Asian union members & workers). Kent regularly addresses labour, community, civil rights, university & student conferences across the US and is involved in developing international labour solidarity in the Pacific Rim.

Please RSVP to Keziah at the VDLC Office: office@vdlc.ca

The Global Solidarity School is an initiative of progressive Canadians involved in trade union and academic education, jointly sponsored by the Vancouver & District Labour Council and CoDevelopment Canada. The school, taking place in Cuba April 27^th through May 7^th, will combine educational programs with Cuban cultural explorations that extend well beyond a typical tourist experience. The program, designed for politically progressive activists from the labour and community movements, will focus on international issues from a progressive perspective - particularly corporate globalization and building a progressive response. It will also include leadership development, language skills, arts and culture.

 For more information visit solidarityschool.ca

As part of the World Peace Forum in Vancouver from June 23 to June 28, the Vancouver and District Labour Council will be hosting a Labour Peace Forum on June 25 and 26.

The Vancouver & District Labour Council is sending up to 10 delegates to the Labour Peace Forum - there are a few seats left.

If you are interested in attending, please contact the VDLC office as soon as possible so that they may register you. By email: office@vdlc.ca or by phone: 604-254-0703.

The World Peace Forum and the Labour Peace Forum will be an important opportunity for the international labour movement to meet to discuss and debate our collective position on the issues of war and peace and the effects on working families. Visit vdlc.ca for more information.

Please visit www.vdlc.ca for links and more info.

For immediate release, via Vancouver & District Labour Council: After receiving hundreds of citizen emails, letters and telephone calls in support and hearing from a broad-based delegation of citizens speaking in favour of the World Peace Forum 2006, Vancouver City Council voted last night to continue financial support for the event scheduled for June 23 – 28, 2006. The key portion of the multifaceted motion, moved by Councilor Peter Ladner, read “given the international nature and topical significance of the World Peace Forum 2006 that City Council provide a one-time special grant of $50,000 to the World Peace Forum Society in support of this event”. It was supported unanimously by the full Council and Mayor. The resolution also makes available “a further $50,000 to the World Peace Forum Society subject to raising $584,000 in cash donations”.

World Peace Forum Executive Director Jef Keighley expressed the organizers’ satisfaction with the outcome saying “we are grateful for the support from the City of Vancouver and appreciate the fact that Council members were clearly moved by the strong support we received from citizens across the city, around the Lower Mainland and around the world. We have always wanted the City of Vancouver’s support and we hope that Mayor Sullivan and City Councilors will play an important role by helping to welcome our guests and by participating in key sessions on the role of cities in pursuing peace.”

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VDLC Friends and Affiliates,

The Save St. Paul’s Coalition needs our help.

The Coalition is trying to set up a meeting with the Health Minister for the end of March and need your signatures on their petition to help make that happen. The letter they have sent the Minister is attached.

Please visit their website, at www.stpauls.wera.bc.ca and if you haven’t already signed their petition, please do.

The Vancouver and District Labour Council is already on record as supporting the work to save St.Paul’s and Mt. St. Joseph’s Hospitals from being closed or moved by the Campbell Liberals and supports the Save St.Paul’s Coalition, in their fight to do the same.

In solidarity, The Vancouver and District Labour Council

Vancouver & District Labour Council Women’s Committee presents …

3rd Annual Celebration of International Women’s Day: Fighting for Our Jobs, Our Public Services, and Our Future

What the Night will hold … Presentation of Outstanding Women in Our Community Award, Silent Auction, Dinner & Dancing

Where: Fraserveiw Hall, 8240 Fraser Street (at Marine Drive)

When: Wednesday, March 8 - Doors 5:30 pm, Program 6:00 pm

Guest Speakers: Judy Darcy, HEU and Libby Davies, MP Vancouver East

Entertainment: Solidarity Sisters and DJ Moraswi

Tickets: $10 to $40, Sliding Scale - $320 for table of 8. Contact Keziah at the VDLC for tickets 604-254-0703 or office@vdlc.ca

A Women’s Only Event, Partial proceeds to benefit the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. Download the VDLC IWD celebration poster