[BC_Labour_E-NEWS] June 10

[bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net]

BC LABOUR NEWS NETWORK
Electronic News from the B.C. Federation of Labour
June 10, 2004
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CONTENTS

1> BC's economy continues to lag behind rest of Canada
2> Cap Rouge Coroner's inquest calls for sweeping changes in Coast Guard
search and rescue efforts
3> Pay Equity survives Bill 37 and brings thousands of health care workers
up to target rate
4> Deas Pacific Marine serves notice to lock out Ferry workers
5> The Tyee - Read excerpts from BC's Feisty on-line newspaper and sign up
   JUNE 10 - The Dirty Secrets of Pollsters: Angus Reid's warning about
poll-driven elections
6> Another U.S. Bid - this time for BC hospital records - renews fears of
Patriot Act
7> Dialysis defect puts cloud over health authority contract
8> Health Sciences Association calls on Premier's Officer to end secret
negotiations with BC Medical Association on lab services

EVENT LISTINGS

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1> BC's economy continues to lag behind rest of Canada


Vancouver-New unemployment figures released by Statistics Canada June 6,
2004 show BC is still far from an economic recovery. "BC has already
recorded 15,000 lost jobs in 2004," said Sinclair, "And youth unemployment
remains a serious issue as students enter the summer workforce," said B.C.
Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair.

According to Statistics Canada, the only real areas of job growth in BC were
concentrated in the construction sector. Sinclair noted that while consumer
spending and home construction showed some signs of improvement, British
Columbia could not count on low interest rates to fuel an economic recovery.


"Working people know that relying on a "Visa" economy is no way to rebuild
our province's economic footing," Sinclair stated. 

"Real spending power is on the decline," said Sinclair, pointing out that
average weekly wage rates for the first quarter of 2004 had decreased when
compared to 2003.

In 2003, BC's personal savings rate as a percentage of disposable income was
the worst in the country at negative 8.2 percent.

Sinclair highlighted increasing energy costs and BC's growing trade deficit
as issues that needed immediate attention if BC is to achieve any real,
sustained economic growth. Sinclair also commented on the BC Liberal's
failing privatization strategy, calling it a sad effort to attract private
investment to our province.

Sinclair re-iterated his call for a summit on jobs and the economy. "We can
create economic growth in our province, but that means including working
people in those discussions, and ensuring that every British Columbian
benefits from our economy," concluded Sinclair.

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2> Cap Rouge coroner's inquest calls for sweeping changes in Coast Guard
search and rescue efforts

After two weeks of heartbreaking testimony, a BC coroner's inquest into the
tragic deaths of five people in the 2002 sinking of the Cap Rouge II fish
boat has issued sweeping recommendations designed to improve Canadian Coast
Guard search and rescue capability, and safety standards in the fishing
industry.

Those measures include a call for the Coast Guard to maintain a fully
operational rescue dive team with penetration dive capability; adequate
resources, staff and equipment for the dive team to do the job; improved
consultation with front-line rescue personnel by Coast Guard management; and
a fully functioning search and rescue hovercraft with advanced life support
equipment.

Download and read the Public Service Alliance of Canada's newsletter on the
inquest [PDF]:
<
http://www.bcfed.com/NR/rdonlyres/eobz6mfoncza5xcbpsc37wy26brnbenvpyvplcvwf7
2bjzfngwiihi6i7qijowprz7bszrhtddgxmvrm6wdrroz6zwe/cap+rouge+newsletter.pdf >


+++|+++

3> Pay Equity survives Bill 37 and brings thousands of health care workers
up to target rate

A two-year pay equity adjustment plan worth more than $36 million will bring
170 benchmarks up to their top-step pay equity target rate. 

In all, more than 34,000 members receive pay equity adjustments and nearly
60 percent of these achieve their pay equity target rates by 2005. 

The plan - reached Monday between health care unions and the Health
Employers Association of BC - distributes annual pay equity adjustments
worth one percent of the sector's payroll retroactive to April 1, 2004 and
again on April 1, 2005. 
Health employers had put the suspension of pay equity on the table during
contract talks this Spring,but the Campbell Liberals left these ongoing
adjustments untouched when they imposed a contract on 43,000 health care
workers in April.
 
"Make no mistake - Bill 37 stole a decade of pay equity gains from working
women and men in health care," says Hospital Employees' Union
secretary-business manager Chris Allnutt. "But it's our members' fight for
fair wages in a sector dominated by women that ensured pay equity was not
removed from the contract by the Campbell Liberals."

The largest adjustment will go to Licensed Practical Nurses who will receive
a monthly wage adjustment of $193.00 retroactive to April 1, 2004 reducing
the impact of last month's legislated 11 percent roll back to 6.4 percent. 

For more information on HEU pay equity, visit:

<
http://www.heu.org/cgi-bin/pi.cgi?t:../pubs/pubs_article2.html+published_art
icles_list.FILE:/newsletters/2004-6/published_articles_list+published_articl
es_list.RECORD!Display:10003+publications_list.FILE:admin/database/publicati
ons_list+publications_list.RECORD:10000+published_dates_list.FILE:/newslette
rs/published_dates_list+published_dates_list.RECORD:10064 >


To download a PDF version of the pay equity tables: 

< http://www.heu.org/2004/2004-2005-pay-equity.pdf >

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4> Deas Pacific Marine serves notice to lockout Ferry workers

Workers at Deas Pacific Marine could be off the job by Friday, June 11, 2004
after being served lockout notice by their employer, Deas Pacific Marine
earlier this week.

The workers are members of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers' Union (BCFMWU)
and conduct repair and maintenance work on BC's Ferries. The company served
lockout notice after its final offer was rejected by a 95 percent majority
of BCFMU members.

"We will be approaching the Labour Relations Board seeking ally status for
the BC Ferry Company, and a declaration that any work performed by workers
at Deas Dock cannot be carried out by replacement workers,"said BCFMWU
President Jackie Miller.
Miller says the union will also seek to have secondary picketing defined. 

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5> The Tyee - Read excerpts from BC's Feisty on-line newspaper and sign up
The Dirty Secrets of Pollsters: Angus Reid's warning about poll-driven
elections-TYEE article

The most poll-driven election in memory has media and voters mesmerized.
Don't be fooled, warns Angus Reid. Article by Tom Barrett in The Tyee, June
10

The media polls that are driving this election may contain hidden flaws,
veteran pollster Angus Reid warns. Reid says that a combination of factors -
including reduced media budgets for polling and the increasing reluctance of
Canadians to talk to pollsters - could be harming the reliability of
election polls.

Read the full article:

< http://www.thetyee.ca/News/current/Secret+Pollsters.htm >

Sign up for e-mail updates on Tyee articles:

< http://www.thetyee.ca/About+Us/subscribe.htm >

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6> The Hospital Employees'Union June 3 called on the B.C. Privacy
Commissioner to include a Vancouver Coastal Health Authority plan to turn
over hospital medical transcripts to a U.S. company in a review of public
services being outsourced to U.S.-linked service providers.

The union's request comes after an earlier announcement by Privacy
Commissioner David Loukidelis that he plans to examine the implications of
the USA Patriot Act in privatization initiatives that give American
companies access to sensitive private information about British Columbians.
Specifically, HEU says the VCHA's plan to hire a U.S. firm to handle
computerized patient records raises fears that Canadians'personal lives
could be probed by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Privacy concerns were first raised by the B.C. Government and Service
Employees' Union (BCGEU) February 24th, after the BC Liberals announced
plans to hand over administration of the Medical Service Plan to US firms.
On expert legal advice, the BCGEU filed an application for a judicial review
of the government's plan.

On March 31st, the BC Liberal government announced it had selected Maximus
Inc., an American Multi-national corporation, to take over MSP and
Pharmacare. On May 10,2004 the BCGEU called on the privacy commissioner to
stop all privatization initiatives that give American companies access to
sensitive private information and to conduct an investigation.

BC's Privacy Commissioner announced May 28,2004 it would be examining the
implications of the USA Patriot Act on government outsourcing.

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7> Dialysis defect puts cloud over health authority contract

BC's Nurses say the revelation about a potentially deadly defect in dialysis
machines used in BC calls into question a preferential contract given to the
machine's manufacturer by the Fraser Health Authority (FHA).

The contract - a so-called "public-private partnership" signed last year
with Baxter International - makes the company the preferential supplier of
kidney care equipment to the FHA. In return, the FHA is using Baxter
equipment and expertise to re-organize community treatment of kidney disease
and kidney dialysis throughout the health region. FHA hoped the deal would
enable it to save eight percent annually on the cost of kidney care. Baxter
hoped to use the "partnership" to spread its care model to other BC health
authorities and across the country.

"What we are seeing this week shows it's just not acceptable for public
health authorities to engage in exclusive privatization deals with
for-profit corporations," says BC Nurses' Union President Debra McPherson.

Just before the contract was signed, BCNU denounced the deal, pointing to
investigations in the United States into the deaths of patients who had used
Baxter's dialysis machines. The US Justice Department subpoenaed documents
in a probe into the deaths of 53 patients who had used its dialysis
machines. Baxter has also reached settlements with the families of patients
who died in Spain, Croatia and the US after undergoing treatment on the
Baxter dialyzers.

This week, BC health authorities, including FHA, are telling dialysis
patients to get tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, after several
dialysis machines were found to be defective and possibly contaminated with
blood.

The BCNU is calling on the FHA to bring the contract out in the open for a
complete review at its next public meeting.

+++|+++

8> Health Sciences Association calls on Premier's Officer to end secret
negotiations with BC Medical Association on lab services

Health science professionals are calling on the Campbell government to end
secret negotiations with the BC Medical Association (BCMA) over the issue of
laboratory reform.

The Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA) has learned that the government
and the BCMA are on the brink of an agreement that could end the competitive
bidding process announced last Summer and guarantee the private sector full
access to lucrative out-patient testing.

HSA President Cindy Stewart says the BCMA began meeting with the Premier's
Office in January in an effort to stop the competitive bidding process that
would allow both private and public labs to compete for out-patient lab
services. Correspondence between the BCMA and the Premier's office shows the
government has offered to exclude public labs from bidding.

"Last Summer, the government committed to reforming the lab system and
re-directing millions of dollars back into much-needed health care
services," Stewart says. "Instead, the government is negotiating a secret
deal that guarantees massive profits for private labs, and diverst $60
million in savings back to a fund controlled by the BCMA."

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+++|EVENT LISTINGS|+++

SPECIAL CANDIDATES FORUM - YOUTH ISSUES

Election issues important to young people will be in the spotlight Thursday
night at a special election awareness and all-candidates meeting in downtown
Vancouver. 

In addition to highlighting key youth issues, the meeting will provide an
open forum for young people to engage in the political process, raise
awareness about the importance of voting, and encourage young people to cast
their ballots on June 28, 2004. 

The non-partisan event is sponsored by the youth caucus of the Public
Service Alliance of Canada, Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Association,
Social Justice Group, UBC Alma Mater Society, Simon Fraser Student Society,
the Young Workers' Committee of the B.C. Federation of Labour and the BC
Government and Service Employees' Union. 

Location 
UBC Robson Square 
Room C-680 
Vancouver, BC

+++|+++

LET'S TALK ABOUT HEALTH

The Northern Health Authority is in the process of holding meetings to find
out what we think about health. Here is our opportunity to let them know. 

The NHA has held meetings in: 

Fort Nelson, June 7 
Fort St. John, June 8 
Dawson Creek, June 9 
Robson Valley, June 14 
Quesnel, June 16 

There will be community sessions as well as an open house in your area. To
register or for more information contact: 
< http://www.northernhealth.ca >

TEL: 1-866-445-8013 

If you cannot attend a session, go to your local hospital or your health
unit and ask for the consultation workbook called "Let's Talk About Health".


The response forms have to be sent back to the NHA by June 21, 2004. Fax:
250-564-8368 Toll Free Fax: 877-565-8378

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CEP LOCAL 1129 PICKET PARTY - NORAMPAC PICKET LINE

Bring your family, bring your friends. Hotdogs and cold drinks by donation 
Donations will help Local 1129 offset legal costs incurred during this
lengthy labour dispute.

June 10
5:30 p.m.
8255 Wiggins Street 
Burnaby, BC

For more information:
< http://www.bcfed.com/Coming+Events/events/picket+party-cep.htm >

+++|+++

23RD USA WESTERN REGIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR UNION WOMEN 
July 6-10, 2004

Five days and four nights of information, inspiration and international
solidarity. 

Location: UCLA Centre for Labour Research and Education

Sponsored by the AFL/CIO and the United Association for Labour Education.
For registration brochures and further information, contact MyMy Lu at: <
mailto:mymylu at ile.ucla.edu >
Website:
< http://www.labor.ucla.edu/unionwomen >

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