Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

OTTAWA - The Harper government has once again shown that it has little interest in women’s equality in the workforce, says the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

“In a response to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women, the Conservatives have said there will be no new, proactive pay equity legislation, ignoring the recommendations of a Federal Pay Equity Task Force,” says PSAC National Executive Vice-President Patty Ducharme.

• Information about the Pay Equity Network at the CLC website.

The Task Force spent three years consulting with employers and employer organizations, unions, women’s groups and individuals, as well as commissioning research on the issue of pay equity. In May 2004, the Task Force issued its report calling for a complete overhaul of the current complaint-based federal pay equity law. Instead of a new law, the government is proposing increased education, specialized mediation assistance and compliance monitoring.

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This course is a follow-up from the Women at Work Part I that was held last year. Each participant or group of participants from 5 geographic areas were asked to decide on a course that would be meaningful to women activists in their respective geographic areas, and to set a date and recruit participants for this one day course. The areas were to be each location where there is an existing Women’s Committee and one location where there might be sufficient interest to start another Women’s Committee. Therefore, the areas will be: Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George, Okanagan and North Island. We agreed to hold the Vancouver training in Surrey.

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Active Geographies, Embodied Chronologies: Women And Struggle On The Left Coast

How do struggles for place connect to struggles for justice? What connects social and cultural activists across the decades? We invite your creative and critical responses to these questions of how women define our own relations over space and time.

B.C. has a longstanding history of colonization, whether it takes the form of land theft, the uprooting of culturally specific groups and underserved communities, or the effects of globalization on residents in the Downtown Eastside and Strathcona, to name a few examples.

This anthology follows up on discussions which began at a workshop entitled A Walk with Women Warriors: a re-mapping of Activism, that took place at the Strathcona Community Centre in 2004. That workshop opened up a dialogue in an attempt to bridge generations of west coast women activists, starting with but not necessarily limited to “East Asian Canadian” communities on urbanized Coast Salish land, particularly the neighbourhoods now described as Strathcona and the Downtown Eastside. Situated around the idea of space,’place,’ and time, the event acknowledged the role of women of colour and their allies in claiming place and identities in their struggle for a just world.

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Minutes of the Vancouver Regional Women’s Committee May 25, 2006

In attendance:

• Angela Marafon
• Alethea Boire
• Stephanie Oostrander
• Patricia Ganczar
• Cheryl Oenema
• Kay Sinclair
• Deanna Wilson
• Regina Brennan

Continue reading below, or download the Vancouver RWC minutes May 25, 2006 (pdf).

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Eliminating separate assistance program reduces Ottawa’s payment to most needy

OTTAWA — Low- and middle-income families will realize the smallest net benefit from the Harper government’s $1,200-a-year child-care payment in part because the Conservatives are scrapping a separate assistance program.

The Conservative plan for meeting the country’s child-care needs is to give families a direct payment of $100 a month, $1,200 annually, for every child under 6. The specifics of how that plan will be unveiled are expected to be in next Tuesday’s budget.

But the young-child supplement of the Canada Child Tax Benefit, which currently pays $20.25 a month to parents who do not claim child-care expenses for their preschool-age children, will be eliminated at the same time. The benefit is due to increase in July to $249 annually.

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OTTAWA – “With two-thirds of mothers with children under the age of three working outside the home to support their families; with three quarters of mothers with children between three and five working outside the home and with more than half of all Canadian children in some form of child care, governments across the country, federal and provincial, have a duty to make sure our children enjoy high-quality and safe child care,” says Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress.

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Fighting The Blues, the Canadian Labour Congress 13th National Women’s Conference will be held in Ottawa from June 11 to 14, 2006. This is a timely conference for the Labour movement. With the election of a minority Conservative government the challenges for working families and especially for women are greater than ever. The labour and women’s movements have made some important gains over the last decades. We must build our movement to ensure that we maintain the advances we have achieved and move our agenda forward in our workplaces, our communities and our legislatures.

Visit the CLC website for the call letter, registration and more information.

Subsidies have been made available by the National and Regional Offices to assist a PSAC member in BC to attend the conference. Please note the PSAC BC Regional Council conference grant guidelines. Applications for a subsidy (available here) should be received in REVP’s office no later than May 1st. The conference registration deadline is May 23rd.

The fight continues for a national child care program. As outlined in the Throne Speech on Tuesday, the Harper government is moving forward on financial support for families and ignoring the need for quality child care options.

Here are two press releases issued by the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada and a backgrounder on the Conservative’s Community Child Care Investment Program.

• Click for Throne Speech - New government must tackle stable funding for child care press release issued on April 3, 2006.
• Click for Child care to become focus of Parliamentary struggle: Throne Speech shows no compromise press release issued April 4, 2006.
• Here is the backgrounder on the Conservative’s Community Child Care Investment Program.

Via email: It was all coming together: a long-awaited national child care program, the first new social program since medicare. Less than six months ago, federal and provincial governments had signed historic agreements that signaled the beginning of a program aimed at meeting the needs of Canadian children and families.

Now, the new Conservative government has cancelled these agreements, cutting $4 billion in federal funds for child care. Without federal funding, many provincial plans to improve and expand child care will barely, if ever, get off the ground.

The dream of a community-based early learning and care program for all children, regardless of whether their parents are at home or in the workforce, has been 30 years in the making. Now, it could all evaporate.

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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.

Adrian Dix, MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway invites you to attend a Community Childcare Forum:
With the cancellation of the Federal-Provincial child care agreement as of March 2007, child care in our community is in jeopardy once again. Come and express your views.

• Wednesday March 29, 2006 6:15 to 8:00 pm
• Collingwood Neighborhood House 5288 Joyce Street,Multi-purpose room
• Dinner starts at 5:30 pm, child minding available.

For more information about the Canada wide campaign to protect child care, CODE BLUE FOR CHILDCARE, please check out the following web sites www.childcareadvocacy.ca and www.cccabc.bc.ca

In addition to the CCCA’s campaign, the CLC is planning a lobbying campaign on parliament hill in May 2006 to target three priorities

• anti scab legislation
• child care agreements
• healthcare privatization

This information was presented at last nights New Westminster District Labour Council meeting.

The BCGEU Aboriginal Council is supporting this important initiative by distributing “Stop Violence Against Aboriginal Women” buttons, and gathering donations to support the walk.

Highway 16 from Prince Rupert to Prince George has been dubbed the “highway of tears” because of the heartbreak associated with the many cases of young women who have vanished or whose bodies have been found along the road. Most of the women have been Aboriginal.

The walk begins in Prince Rupert on Saturday, March 11, with the first steps taken by Florence Naziel, and other supporters. Florence is a 56-yearold grandmother from the Frog Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Her cousin’s daughter went missing along Highway 16. Florence is challenging herself to walk 20–30 kilometers a day and she invites anyone who wants to support her in her mission to honor the families of the missing or murdered women.

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Minutes of the Vancouver Regional Women’s Committee October 26, 2005

In attendance:

• Deanna Wilson
• Alethea Boire
• Stephanie Oostrander
• Sanda Turner
• Juliana Sou
• May Chiu
• Regina Brennan

Download the minutes , or read below.

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Minutes of the Vancouver Regional Women’s Committee, March 14, 2006

In attendance:

• Angela Marafon
• Alethea Boire
• Stephanie Oostrander
• Sanda Turner
• Patricia Ganczar
• Parveen Deepak
• Trudy Wilson
• Cheryl Oenema
• Regina Brennan

Agenda:

1. Review of the Regional Women’s Committee Handbook
2. Summer School for Union Women
3. Pre-convention Seminar for Women Delegates
4. PSAC Convention Observer Funding
5. Mail
6. Fall planning

Continue reading below, or download the Vancouver RWC minutes March 14, 2006 (pdf)

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It’s time to rise again – we all need a universal child care program

International Women’s Day represents nearly a century of struggle for the equality of women world-wide.

This March 8th women in the PSAC are not only celebrating the gains we have achieved over the last century, we are also actively participating in a campaign to ensure that child care is publicly (and not for profit) delivered, universal and affordable.

Given the election of the Conservative government, the challenges facing working women and their families are greater than ever. In fact, the threats to the rights we have won at are stake and PSAC women will not stand by and allow those rights to be eroded.

That is why the PSAC has made CHILD CARE one of our main priorities this year. We know that the number of women in the labour force is high and growing. At the same time, the overwhelming responsibility for the care of children remains with women and the lack of affordable child care spaces in quality public and not for profit centres remains a major obstacle to women’s full equality.

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Dear Friends of Child Care:

Code Blue for Child Care is a national campaign that is being led by the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada and a coalition of our partners. Code Blue means “medical emergency”. Canadian politicians need to know that saving child care is an urgent need. Make your voice heard before Parliament resumes on April 3.

Do your part by signing the open letter online or  download the PDF to collect signatures on paper and mail them to the CCAAC: http://www.buildchildcare.ca/updir/buildchildcare/code_blue_letter.pdf

Circulate this to as many people as you can - friends, co-workers, family, daycare parents - so that they can add their voices to those telling Stephen Harper that he can’t take away our child care!

The letter is linked on the CCAAC website with other resources for Code Blue.  Check it regularly for updates.

Sincerely, Debra Mayer and Jamie Kass, CCAAC Co-chairs

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2006 - March and Rally Saturday March 4th

• Gather at the Broadway Skytrain @ 11am
• March to Grandview Park (Commercial & Charles) @ 11:30 am Rally starts at Noon - 1 pm
• To volunteer or for more information call 604-708-0447
• Wheelchair accessible, ASL Interpretation provided

Join us in celebration of International Women’s Day!

Raising our voices for Equality, Solidarity & Justice.

March 8th, 2006 8AM
Hilton Vancouver Metrotown
6083 McKay Ave, Burnaby

Guest speaker: Carole James - Leader, BC NDP

There is no charge for this event, but those wishing to attend must RSVP no later than March 3, 2006 to the BC Federation of Labour switchboard at 604-430-1421.

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

Please join us for International Women’s Day 2006 - Building Anti-imperialist Solidarity: Towards a Just and Lasting Peace

Sunday March 5th, 10am-4pm, a Conference focusing on the current issues facing working class and marginalized women internationally:

• Women and war, occupation, and intervention
• Exploitation of women’s labour
• Forced migration, immigration and trafficking of women
• Privatization of women’s basic needs (health, childcare, education, transportation)

Venue to be announced.

Wednesday, March 8th, 5:30 pm, a Rally and March - Meet at the Vancouver Public Library

For more information or to volunteer, contact Grassroots Women