From bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net Fri Sep 8 15:30:11 2006 From: bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net (bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net) Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 15:30:11 -0700 Subject: [BC_Labour_E-NEWS] B.C. Federation of Labour E-News--September 8, 2006 Message-ID: <1EFB83EC494285438D10B2CCC1206376484023@bcfednt.bcfed.local> B.C. Federation of Labour E-News--September 8, 2006 Stories Canadian Jobs At Risk--Golden Ears Bridge Project Raises Serious Concerns about Conservative Immigration Policy VANCOUVER - In an attempt to drive down wages and drive up profits, the Golden Ears Bridge Project contractor, Bilfinger Berger, is looking for the federal government's approval to bring foreign workers to Canada to do the work that qualified Canadian workers would be proud to do. Bilfinger's application for temporary foreign workers is now before the federal government. The BC building trades and the B.C. Federation of Labour, together with Harris Rebar, are united in their opposition to the application. Read more. Union movement challenges Campbell to give BC's poorest British Columbians a raise as Labour Day present B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair today challenged Premier Gordon Campbell to give BC's poorest British Columbians a raise, with a three-part Labour Day gift that would benefit minimum wage earners and welfare recipients. Read more or view a clip of Jim's Labour Day address. B.C. Federation of Labour urges unions to withdraw Island Savings deposits to support striking workers The B.C. Federation of Labour has urged its affiliated unions to follow the example of the United Steelworkers Local 1-80, which has withdrawn $500,000 of its funds from Island Savings Credit Union to show its support for members of Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 15 (COPE) on strike for a new contract. Read more. Vancouver Firefighters Challenge Management Exemption IAFF Local 18 is fighting City of Vancouver's management's decision to exclude the Division Chief Mechanic position, and recommends union members not apply for the recently posted job. Local 18 President Rod MacDonald reports that the position has been in the union's jurisdiction for many years, and the employer decided to post the job as an exempt management position without the agreement of the union. Local 18 is taking legal steps to challenge the city's decision and job applicants should be aware that they may lose the job if the union is successful. To learn more contact IAFF Local 18 . Publications Canadian Ironworkers Shut out of Big Bridge Job, Say Unions, Contractors German firm's plan for guest workers sparks anger. Like mysteries? Think of this one as "the case of the missing ironworkers." When it comes to one of BC's controversial new "public private partnerships," the construction of the new Golden Ears Bridge across the Fraser between Maple Ridge and Langley, the German company recently granted the Translink construction contract says that finding skilled workers in Canada is murder. The firm, Bilfinger Berger, is asking for government permission to bring in workers from offshore to address what they portray as a shortage of skilled workers. Local labour and business leaders, on the other hand, are calling on the government to deny Bilfinger Berger's request, insisting that there are more than enough skilled Canadian tradespeople looking for work to meet the project's needs, and that the company's attempts to hire Canadian workers have been half-hearted at best. Read more at The Tyee.. Events Rally to Ban Raw Log Exports--Victoria, BC Date: Saturday September 16, 2006 Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm To find more information click here. Pension Investment & Governance Date: September 25-28, 2006 End: If you are a Pension Trustee, a Pension Advisory Committee member or a Union Officer, SHARE's Pension Investment and Governance Courses will help you fulfill your duties to plan members and beneficiaries in a financially prudent and socially responsible manner. To find out more click here. JU/mp cope 15 0500-06enews-ju-sep 8 -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: winmail.dat Type: application/ms-tnef Size: 17542 bytes Desc: not available URL: From bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net Fri Sep 22 17:38:24 2006 From: bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net (bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net) Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:38:24 -0700 Subject: [BC_Labour_E-NEWS] B.C. Federation of Labour E-News September 22, 2006 Message-ID: <1EFB83EC494285438D10B2CCC12063764848B5@bcfednt.bcfed.local> B.C. Federation of Labour E-News September 22, 2006 Sep 22, 2006 Stories 300 rally to stop the exploitation of foreign workers B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair was joined by 300 union members of the Ironworkers Sept. 20 at a rally calling for an end to the exploitation of foreign workers on BC construction projects. Sinclair was joined by B.C. Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer Angela Schira, BCGEU President George Heyman and Ironworkers Local 97 Business Manager Perley Holmes. To read media accounts of Wednesday's rally click here. B.C. Fed President Jim Sinclair speaks to 300 union members calling for a stop to the exploitation of foreign workers. Ironworkers chastise Bilfinger Senior officials of Ironworkers Local 97 are again chastising German construction firm, Bilfinger Berger for not being forthright about why they're hiring temporary foreign workers when there are over 1,500 unemployed ironworkers in Canada. "They're nuts," said Perley Holmes, Business Manager for Ironworkers Local 97. "Bilfinger Berger has been able to convince the Federal Government to bring in temporary foreign workers, when I've got guys right here and across Canada who want to work on the Golden Ears Bridge." Read more Firing of care aides at Windsor Manor to be discussed at Kelowna meeting BCGEU--The BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) will be holding a public meeting to hear from the public over concerns around the firing of staff at Windsor Manor, a long-term care facility in Kelowna. The operator of the Manor plans to replace the existing staff with foreign workers. Manor staff were given until this Wednesday to accept lower wages and benefits or be fired and replaced with foreign workers. Read more. Union for RAV line workers files unfair labour practice charges against SELI Canada/SNC Lavalin joint venture BCYT--The union representing foreign tunnel workers on the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver rapid transit Canada Line has filed unfair labour practice charges against their employer, alleging intimidation and other tactics that are being used to defeat a strike vote. As a result, the Labourers Union Local 1611 have postponed a strike vote scheduled for Friday and Saturday that could have led to a strike as early as next Thursday. "The SELI Canada/SNC Lavalin joint venture is using the worst sort of intimidation tactics against our members and we expect the Labour Relations Board to rule strongly in our favour," said Mark Olsen, business manager for the union. "Managers told the tunnel workers that they would pull out of building the rapid transit line if they voted for a strike, they brought new workers into the bargaining unit to defeat the strike vote and they bought a truckload of appliances for the workers." To learn more contact the BC Building Trades. Selection process flawed for Teachers' Congress BCTF--The BC Teachers' Federation welcomes any opportunity to discuss education issues that will improve public education. But it takes issue with the selection process the provincial government has drafted for participants of the Teachers' Congress to be held in Vancouver on November 6th. "The government is using different processes in selecting participants," says BCTF President Jinny Sims. "Teachers are not being afforded the same democratic opportunity given parents, who were permitted to have elected officials represent them at the Parents' Congress. The government wants to hand-pick teachers for the congress instead of allowing teachers to decide who will represent them." To read more click here or view the BCTF School Staff Alert. CUPE at Water in the City CUPE BC--CUPE members were among the 650 participants at Victoria's Water in the City conference held from September 17 to 20. The conference brings together people involved in making decisions about water, including politicians, water workers and the environmental community. The focus of the conference is to take a broad, visionary look at water issues facing our communities and to explore innovative approaches and practical policy alternatives necessary to solving these issues. CUPE BC is a major sponsor of the event. The CUPE water booth was a popular place - with conference delegates picking up water bottles, buttons and a wide range of information about protecting public water and sewer systems. And CUPE's Island Water Watch campaign sponsored three community participants at the conference. Read more. Timberwest's Massive Exports Show Need for Policy Changes say United Steelworkers BURNABY, BC - A review of TimberWest Forest Corp.'s massive raw-log exports indicates exactly why the BC government needs to change policies on raw-log exports, say the United Steelworkers. TimberWest reported recently that it exported over 1.8 million cubic meters of logs in the first half of 2006, up by 30 percent from the same period last year. Exports to Japan and other Asian markets were up by 44 percent. Yet, TimberWest actually dis-invested in Coastal BC during the same period, Steelworkers representative Bob Matters reported today. Read more. Events Pension Investment & Governance Start: Monday September 25, 2006 9:00 am End: Thursday September 28, 2006 12:00 pm If you are a Pension Trustee, a Pension Advisory Committee member or a Union Officer, SHARE's Pension Investment and Governance Courses will help you fulfill your duties to plan members and beneficiaries in a financially prudent and socially responsible manner. To learn more click here. HEU's 25th Biennial Convention Start: Monday October 2, 2006 End: Friday October 6, 2006 HEU's convention will be held at the Richmond Inn in Richmond, BC. To learn more click here. JU/smo COPE 15 0500-06prl-JU E-news Sept 22.doc -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: winmail.dat Type: application/ms-tnef Size: 138457 bytes Desc: not available URL: