[BC_Labour_E-NEWS] B.C. Federation of Labour E-news March 10, 2007

Fri Mar 9 18:00:51 PST 2007

Stories

B.C. Federation of Labour and Canadian Farmworkers' Union to hold public
meeting tomorrow to discuss the dangerous working conditions facing
farmworkers <http://www.bcfed.com/node/756> 

Vancouver-The B.C. Federation of Labour and Canadian Farmworkers' Union
are holding a public meeting tomorrow to discuss the dangerous working
conditions facing farmworkers.

"This week's tragic accident that saw at least 3 workers lose their
lives highlights the urgent need to take action to improve farmworkers
working conditions," said B.C. Federation of Labour President, Jim
Sinclair

Date: Saturday March 10, 2007

Time: 1:00 pm

Place: Ravi Banquet Hall

201-8166 128th Street

Surrey, BC

Read more. <http://www.bcfed.com/node/756> 

Tragic accident highlights need for improved safety laws
<http://www.bcfed.com/node/750> 

Vancouver-The tragic highway accident that killed three farmworkers and
injured five others earlier today highlights the need for improved
safety laws for BC farmworkers says Jim Sinclair, President of the B.C.
Federation of Labour. 

Early reports indicate today's accident involved a van carrying more
farmworkers than capacity allowed. As well, reports state that seats in
the van had been removed and replaced by wooden benches.

"We've seen too many accidents like today's. Again and again, we learn
we need more inspections and better enforcement of safety laws,"
Sinclair said.

Learn more <http://www.bcfed.com/node/750>  and read the B.C. Federation
of Labour's 2004 Report on working conditions for farmworkers in the
Fraser Valley.

More important than ever to keep up the fight for women's rights
<http://www.bcfed.com/node/754> 

Vancouver-It's more important than ever to keep up the fight for women's
rights says B.C. Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer, Angela
Schira.

"Pay equity, quality childcare, the rights of working women, and women's
economic equality are still a long way from being a reality," Schira
said today, as the B.C. Federation of Labour hosted its annual
International Women's Day breakfast.

"On top of provincial cuts to childcare and women's centres, this year
Canadian women also saw deep cuts by the federal Conservative government
to Status of Women Canada," Schira said.

Schira also noted that women are still a long way away from achieving
pay equity. Last year in BC, non-union women workers earned 29 percent
less than men; however, the gap was smaller, 10 percent, for women
belonging to a union.

Read more. <http://www.bcfed.com/node/754> 

MLA pay should be tied to minimum wage boost
<http://www.bcfed.com/node/746> 

VANCOUVER - MLA's wages should be tied to a boost in the minimum wage
says B.C. Federation of Labour President, Jim Sinclair.

In a presentation today to the Independent Commission to Review MLA
Compensation, Sinclair noted that MLA's wages are already indexed, and
their salaries have increased by ten percent in the last five years,
while the minimum wage has remained frozen at $8 per hour for BC's
100,000 lowest paid workers.

<http://www.bcfed.com/node/746> 

Expansion of Temporary Foreign Worker Program just a cheap labour
strategy for employers <http://www.bcfed.com/node/745> 

Vancouver - Today's announcement by the federal and provincial
governments of the expansion of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is
just a cheap labour strategy for employers, says Jim Sinclair, President
of the B.C. Federation of Labour.

It was announced today that the Program is being expanded to allow
employers to bring workers to Canada for up to 24 months. That's an
increase from the previous period of 12 months, as well as changes to
speed up the application process for employers.

"This Program does nothing to build our immigration system or invest in
the skills training our country needs," Sinclair stated.

Read more. <http://www.bcfed.com/node/745> 

Events

BC Teachers' Federation Annual General Meeting
<http://www.bcfed.com/node/730> 

Start: Saturday March 17, 2007 7:00 pm

End: Tuesday March 20, 2007 5:30 pm

March 17-20, 2007
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Vancouver

To learn more click here. <http://www.bcfed.com/node/730> 

Basic OHS Course Greater Vancouver <http://www.bcfed.com/node/697> 

Date: Thursday March 29, 2007 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

The goal of this introductory Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) course
is to introduce new Committee members and worker representatives to the
basic principles of workplace health and safety. OH&S Committee members
who have had previous OH&S education can use it as a refresher. To learn
more click here. <http://www.bcfed.com/node/697> 

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) - National Pride - GLBT
Conference <http://www.bcfed.com/node/731> 

Start: Friday March 30, 2007 8:00 am

End: Sunday April 1, 2007 5:00 pm

2007 PSAC National Pride Conference, which will be held March 30, 2007
to April 1, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver under the theme
"INCLUDE AND BE INCLUDED." To learn more click here.
<http://www.bcfed.com/node/731> 

Publications

Farmworkers' Deaths: A Tragedy Foretold--BC Libs long criticized for
gutting worker safety. <http://thetyee.ca/Views/2007/03/08/FarmWorkers/>

Wednesday's road accident that killed three farmworkers and left several
others clinging to life was the result of the BC Liberal government's
long skid away from regulating worker safety. That was the message
immediately coming from farmworker advocates, members of the B.C.
Federation of Labour and New Democrat politicians.

They pointed out that 17 people were crammed into a van designed for 10,
a vehicle with wooden benches rather than seats. Passengers weren't
wearing seat belts according to the RCMP.

It's not yet known just how the crash occurred. And in the legislature
Wednesday, BC Liberals were quick to denounce New Democrats for trying
to "score political points" over the tragedy. But the current government
has a record of loosening worker safety that leaves it wide open to
criticism. Read more at theTyee.ca.
<http://thetyee.ca/Views/2007/03/08/FarmWorkers/> 

Will BC Rail Bomb Explode? Basi-Virk lawyers allege deal was rigged by
BC Libs <http://thetyee.ca/Views/2007/03/06/BCRail/> .

"They've been calling for this deal to be cancelled since before it
started, so it doesn't surprise me much. [But] there has been nothing
that's come to our attention or to the attention of investigators that
would lead anybody to believe that there was any concern about the CN
transaction at all."

-- BC Finance Minister Gary Collins, March 13, 2004

The $1 billion privatization of BC Rail
<http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2003/11/25/bcrail_031125.html>  will be
the explosive core of the upcoming April 2 trial of former provincial BC
Liberal Ministerial Aides David Basi and Bob Virk on fraud and breach of
trust charges.

That's what lawyers for the defence are alleging in a lengthy
application for disclosure filed Feb. 27 in BC Supreme Court, saying the
BC Rail deal is the key to the entire case -- and to their exoneration.
Read more at theTyee.ca. <http://thetyee.ca/Views/2007/03/06/BCRail/> 

Tricked and Exploited? Supermarket chain grabs passports, coerces
immigrant workers, suit alleges.
<http://thetyee.ca/News/2007/03/05/TrickedAndExploited/> 

T&T Supermarkets, a chain of specialty food stores serving Asian
communities in Canada, stands accused of abusing the rights of foreign
workers brought to Canada under a federal program.

In a notice of claim filed with the small claims division of the
provincial court of BC, Gui Qiang Zou claims he was pressured into
working longer hours for lower wages than promised after the firm kept
his passport and other key documents. Read more at theTyee.ca.
<http://thetyee.ca/News/2007/03/05/TrickedAndExploited/> 

JU/mp

cope 15

0500-07enews-ju-March 9

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