[BC_Labour_E-NEWS] December 10, 2004

[bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net]

BC LABOUR NEWS NETWORK
Electronic News from the B.C. Federation of Labour
December 10, 2004
________________________________________________
 
To subscribe or unsubscribe, follow the instructions at the end of this
message.
 
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE.
 
Messages to this mailbox are processed automatically, and are not read
by a person.  If you would like to contact us, send messages to: 
< mailto:bcfed at bcfed.com <mailto:bcfed at bcfed.com >
 
Help spread the word - FORWARD THIS E-MAIL to your friends.
 
+++|+++
 
CONTENTS
1> New Bill Introduced by NDP Will Protect Employees' Wages, Benefits
and Pensions
2> Cuts to BC Forest Service Threaten Public Forests
3> Weyerhaeuser Doesn't Work for British Columbians
4> Labour Sponsors 9th Annual Community Christmas Dinners
5> New Cleaning Concerns:  Investigation Reveals Widespread Problems
with Housekeeping at St. Paul's Hospital
 
++++|++++
 
1> New Bill Introduced by NDP Will Protect Employees' Wages, Benefits
and Pensions
 
Federal New Democratic Party MP Pat Martin led off debate in the House
of Commons December 3rd on a private members' Bill that would put
employee claims for wages, benefits and pensions at the front of the
line when a company goes bankrupt.
 
Under present laws, employees are the last to receive money - after
other creditors and suppliers are paid - and there's often not enough
money left.
 
Bill C-283, an Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the
Canada Business Corporations Act, the Employment Insurance Act and the
Employment Insurance Regulations, was criticized by Liberal MPs who say
the Bill is unbalanced and would threaten the availability of capital
investment funds.
 
But NDP MPs say the change is long overdue and urged the House to send
the Bill to the committee stage.
 
"It's time for MPs to come together and agree to better protect
Canadians.  There have been too many tragic stories of lives shattered
by companies going bankrupt," said Martin.  "We have a responsibility
and an obligation to stand up for employees and act in their best
interests."
 
According to a Vector Research poll conducted on behalf of the United
Steelworkers, eighty-nine percent of Canadians support changing Canada's
bankruptcy laws.  Eighty-four percent of Canadians said that the present
laws are unfair to employees.
 
"I look forward to working with MPs from all parties to finally reform
these laws.  We must make sure that we are living up to our
responsibilities to Canadian employees and not only to the banks," said
Martin.  "Workers deserve these changes, Canadians want these changes,
so let's get to work and get the job done."
 
Hamilton Centre MP David Christopherson, who seconded the Bill, said
that these changes are urgently needed for Canadian workers.  "I have
seen these personal tragedies repeated far too often in Hamilton and
across the country.  I look forward to working with Pat to make sure
that we finally bring fairness to Canada's bankruptcy laws."
 
On October 22, 2004, Lapointe Partnership, owners of the Port Alice, BC
pulp mill, filed to seek bankruptcy protection.  Almost 500 CEP members
at the Port Alice mill are facing the loss of their community's only
major employer.
 
Delegates to last week's B.C. Federation of Labour Convention
overwhelmingly voted to support the NDP's "Workers First" campaign.
 
Visit the NDP's website to become a Workers First Bill supporter and/or
tell your story:
 
< http://douglas.ndp.ca/pensions/en/ >
 
Read the text of the second reading debate in the House of Commons:
 
<
http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/038_2004-12-03/
han038_1330-E.htm > 
 
Read the full text of the private members' Bill:
 
<
http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/private/C-281/C-2
81_1/C-281_cover-E.html >
 
+++|+++
 
2> Huge Cuts to BC Forest Service Threaten Public Forests
 
The Campbell Liberals' cuts to the B.C. Forest Service are threatening
the ability of the provincial government to properly manage and protect
British Columbia's forests, according to a new report released December
7th.
 
"The Sierra Club of Canada has documented how 800 jobs have been cut
from the Ministry of Forests since 2001," said BC Government and Service
Employees' Union (BCGEU) President George Heyman.  "These cuts have come
in some of the most important jobs in the Forest Service - the employees
responsible for compliance and enforcement."
 
The Sierra Club report also shows that scalers, the staff who measure
the value of the wood cut by the forest companies, are now only able to
check one out of every 147 truckloads of wood, calling into question
whether the people of BC are receiving full compensation for our
resources from forest companies.
 
"The cuts to the Forest Service have hit communities outside the Lower
Mainland especially hard," said Heyman.  "The Campbell government
follows a cynical policy of short term resource exploitation which just
helps line the pockets of industry at the expense of British Columbians
and a sustainable economy for forest dependant communities."
 
The Sierra Club recommends increasing the minimum stumpage rate and
hiring more staff to monitor and safeguard BC forests.
 
+++|+++
 
3> Weyerhaeuser Doesn't Work for British Columbians
 
Members of the United Steelworkers and their supporters gathered in
Vancouver on December 7th to rally support for members of Steelworkers
Local 1-3567 on strike against Weyerhaeuser.
 
"Weyerhaeuser is making millions in BC but not putting it back to work
here by creating jobs or strengthening our communities," said
Steelworkers-IWA Council president Norm Rivard.  "It's time this company
started benefiting its employees, their families and their communities,
not just its owners."
 
While Steelworker members have been on strike at Weyco's Northwest
Hardwoods mill in Delta, BC since July, the firm has shifted production
to the US Pacific Northwest and refused to talk.
 
Steelworker District 3 Director Steve Hunt noted that in spite of
promises to invest in BC, Weyerhaeuser has not delivered.  "They said if
the Campbell government changed the Forest Act and timber harvesting
regulations, and if changes were made in their agreement with their
employees, they would invest over a billion dollars here.  Well, they
got what they wanted but we're still waiting."
 
Recent changes to forest laws and regulations have given companies a
free hand to close mills, contract out and reconfigure their
timber-harvesting activities, Hunt noted.  The provincial government has
rewritten the province's Forest Practices Code.  Earlier this year, a
contract imposed on workers allowed longer shifts and reduced overtime
and travel-time, thereby making work more dangerous.
 
"We need people all over BC to let this company know we don't do
business this way here," says Hunt.  In the third-quarter of 2004,
Weyerhaeuser profits soared to a record $594 million, seven times their
third-quarter profits last year, and twice their total 2003 earnings.
So far this year the firm has made over $1.08 billion.
 
Delegates to the B.C. Federation of Labour's 48th Convention endorsed an
emergency resolution to oppose Weyerhaeuser's implementation of
dangerous shifts, to lobby the government to ensure companies invest in
resource-dependent communities, to oppose raw log exports and to support
the strategic campaign against the company.
 
+++|+++
 
4> Labour Sponsors 9th Annual Community Christmas Dinners
 
Once again, unions and union members are extending a hand to those in
the community who may be having a difficult time this Christmas.
 
Marie Decaire, the B.C. Federation of Labour Director of Women's Rights
and Community and Social Action, says more help is needed from unions
and other community organizations to ensure the events are financially
viable.
 
"I've organized events like this many times in the past and I've never
seen so many families in need," said Decaire.  "With just a couple of
weeks to go before Christmas Eve, we're sending out a special appeal to
ask unions, community groups and activists to donate money to cover the
cost of hosting the two dinners."
 
The Labour Community Christmas Dinners consist of a full turkey dinner
with all the trimmings, live music and carols and gifts from Santa for
every child and teenager there.
 
If you know a family in need, please let them know about the dinners.
Reservations are not necessary and families can drop by between 5:00 pm
and 8:00 pm on Christmas Eve at the following locations:
 
Maritime Labour Centre
1880 Triumph Street (at Victoria Drive)
Vancouver, BC
 
Upper Auditorium
Whalley Legion
13525 - 106th Avenue
Surrey, BC
 
For more information, or to volunteer or donate, please call Marie
Decaire at 604-430-1421 or send e-mail to < mailto:community at bcfed.com
>.
 
+++|+++
 
5> New Cleaning Concerns:  Investigation Reveals Widespread Problems
with Housekeeping at St. Paul's Hospital
 
An investigation into staff concerns about deteriorating cleaning
standards at St. Paul's Hospital has triggered a call by health care
unions for an independent audit of the facility's privatized
housekeeping services.
 
"Falling Standards, Rising Risks", a research report produced by the BC
Nurses' Union and the Hospital Employees' Union in collaboration with
the Health Sciences Association, paints a disturbing picture of dirty
conditions and the consequences that come with over-worked,
poorly-trained workers who no longer have a direct working relationship
with either hospital staff or the Infection Control Department. 
 
Staff observations included:
- old feces on curtains for several days;
- bedsides and bedside tables sticky with juice, again for days;
- no cleaning of monitor cables, no cleaning of IV poles;
- concerns about inadequate cleaning in the TB rooms, and more.
 
"The conditions reported by nurses and other frontline staff at St.
Paul's are alarming," says BCNU President Debra McPherson.
 
"We're hearing these same concerns from nurses in the Vancouver Island
Health Authority and the Fraser Health Authority, and we've seen what
can happen to patients as a result.
 
"It's time for government and the health authorities to take these
concerns very seriously.  We're not talking about dust bunnies here -
we're talking about bodily fluids of all descriptions on bed rails and
equipment, and empty soap and towel dispensers which makes it difficult
to maintain good hand washing."
 
A survey of Emergency Department staff in May found that 86 percent
believed the overall cleanliness of the Department had declined
post-privatization, while 64 percent said housekeeping practices did not
meet commonly accepted infection control requirements.
 
"This report shows that unacceptable cleaning practices continued to
exist a full six months after St. Paul's housekeeping services were
handed over to the US-based multinational Aramark," says HEU Acting
Secretary Business Manager Zorica Bosancic.
 
"The research wasn't conducted within a few weeks of the transition to
privatized cleaning services - it was undertaken six months later.  And
we know from frontline staff and members of the public that those same
inadequate practices continue today."
 
Bosancic says the link between infection control and hospital
housekeeping services is critical.  "The public needs to feel confident
that their safety isn't at risk when they enter a hospital.  Only a
full, independent investigation will ensure that."
 
++++++|++++++
 
To subscribe to E-News, visit: < http://www.bcfed.com/sub.htm >.
 
If you want to unsubscribe or change your options (e.g, change your
password, suspend E-News while you are on vacation, etc.), visit the
subscription page and enter your e-mail address at the bottom of the
page:
 
< http://bcfed.net/mailman/listinfo/bc_labour_enews >
 
To get helpful information, send a message to: < mailto:BC_Labour_E-News
> with "help" in the subject line (no quotation marks).
 
TO CONTACT THE FEDERATION, send an email to: < mailto:bcfed at bcfed.com >
 
cope 15