From publish at bcfed.com Tue Dec 3 11:57:35 2002 From: publish at bcfed.com (Bev Pausche) Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 11:57:35 -0800 Subject: [Community_Media] Hydro Editorial Message-ID: <3D6D51D9DD03D611BBA700508B97628C1EEADB@BCFEDNT> Please feel free to include this editorial in upcoming editions of your newspaper. Bev Pausche Communications Assistant BC Federation of Labour OP ED - BC Hydro change by Jim Sinclair Finally, nearly a year later, the bad news has come. Contrary to the claims of Liberal energy minister Richard Neufeld, the energy policy released in Victoria will not maintain low-cost electricity or public ownership of BC Hydro. In fact, it guarantees higher prices and calls for the privatization of all new power and one third of the existing company. What if the provincial government announced that existing schools and hospitals would remain in public hands but all new health care and education would be privately funded and supported by steadily rising market-based fees? Would British Columbians call it privatization? Would the viability of our health and education be threatened? Of course they would. Yet, under the Liberal plan, all future energy generation in the province and all new transmission line construction will be done by the private sector . Consumers will pay for the change with higher power costs, job losses and reduced service. In effect, we're guaranteeing the private energy companies backing the Liberals that all future energy production in this province will be private, available for export and priced at market rates. If this isn't privatization, what is? The provincial Liberals are claiming their energy plan isn't about privatization at all. They say BC Hydro and its consumers will be protected from the deregulation debacles that have produced blackouts in California and higher prices Ontario and Alberta. They continue to spout this nonsense in spite of the fact that all new electricity for BC must come from the very same private energy companies that caused problems elsewhere. British Columbians shoudn't buy it - and they won't. The Liberal energy plan is a shameful sell-out of public infrastructure to private interests. Here's the real truth about what's just been announced: * The government won't allow BC Hydro to provide new electricity for British Columbians. By law, only private energy companies will be allowed to create the new power our province needs for the future. * BC Hydro's mandate to ensure secure power supplies will end. If we experience brown-outs, black-outs or rapid price increases, who's to blame? Private energy companies will be accountable to foreign shareholders, not BC taxpayers. * Electricity prices will go up -- first for BC industry, then for the rest of us. We enjoy the third lowest electricity rates in North America right now. Thanks to the introduction of so-called "stepped" rates and higher prices during peak periods, BC residents and industry will no longer enjoy this competitive advantage. * The government claims it will provide consumers with the advantages of low-cost public power for ten years through a so-called "heritage" contract. But since all new power will be provided privately, what the government is really proposing is a "blending" of private and public costs. The government has been silent on what will happen once the 10-year "heritage" contract expires - but we know our bills will rise sharply as "private power" comes on line. W hy not make our heritage price our future price by continuing to produce public power at low rates? * The Liberals have announced a separate company will operate the transmission system. They say the break up of BC Hydro is necessary so that private energy can access the grid. In fact, private companies have been guaranteed non-discriminatory access to the domestic grid for years, following a ruling by the BC Utilities Commission. This move is really about letting private energy companies use our public transmission system to export power to the United States. * One third of BC Hydro jobs and services will be contracted out to Bermuda based Accenture. This controversial company has a terrible record in Ontario, Alberta and California, but the Liberals are pressing ahead with a deal to hand over BC Hydro billing, customer service, computer and other strategic internal services. * Instead of environmentally sound Hydro power, new privatized electricity will come from coal and natural gas. This will increase greenhouse gas emissions at precisely the time Canada is searching for ways to reduce its contribution to global warming. There is still time to force the Liberals to back down. They have a plan, but no legislation to back it up yet. Tens of thousands of British Columbians have already signed on to a class action lawsuit to make sure Hydro's advantages are there for future generations. It's time for all British Columbians to step forward and tell the Liberals to stop. BC Hydro is not broken and the Liberals have no mandate to break it up. To join the class action lawsuit, go to http://www.citizensforpublicpower.ca. (769 words) Jim Sinclair is President of the BC Federation of Labour, representing more than 450,000 unionized workers in British Columbia. opeiu 15 From publish at bcfed.com Thu Dec 12 08:56:27 2002 From: publish at bcfed.com (Bev Pausche) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 08:56:27 -0800 Subject: [Community_Media] B.C. Federation of Labour News Release - December 12, 2002 Message-ID: <3D6D51D9DD03D611BBA700508B97628C1EEB30@BCFEDNT> BC Federation of Labour December 12, 2002 ** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** Over half of BC families in Northern BC say they're worse off this Christmas than they were last year The majority of Northern British Columbians are facing a Christmas with less money in their pockets than this time last year. B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair today called for swift action to stem a growing tide of despair. Sinclair's call for action followed on the heels of a poll conducted by the B.C. Federation of Labour, showing 59 percent of Northern British Columbians say their situation is worse this Christmas than last year. "These figures are a terrible indictment of the failure of the government's economic agenda," said Sinclair. "The Liberals should immediately announce a province-wide moratorium on service cuts and layoffs." While not as dramatic, figures for the rest of the province show that 35 percent of British Columbians felt worse off, bringing the total to nearly one million families who have fallen behind in just twelve months. "Rural communities need some good news this Christmas and Gordon Campbell has to step up to the plate and announce he will put an end to service cuts, layoffs and privatization," Sinclair said. Sinclair challenged the province to get aid quickly to cash-strapped workers affected by the softwood lumber dispute, and said that any package must include funding for pension bridging so that young workers can get back to work as soon as possible. "If the Liberals are hoping to attract people to BC and keep them here, they've got to start looking for new solutions to the economic crisis gripping this province," Sinclair said. "Tax cuts have been a total failure." The results of the poll, conducted November 14-17 by CGT Research, are considered accurate to within 4.9 percent, 19 times out of 20. Four hundred respondents were questioned. -30- For more information: Bev Pausche 604-220-0739. opeiu 15 Bev Pausche Communications Assistant BC Federation of Labour Subscribe to the BC Labour E-news mailing list to find out what's happening in the BC labour movement. To join, please visit: http://www.bcfed.com/sub.htm BC Federation of Labour http://www.bcfed.com Campaign BC http://www.campaignbc.ca Six Bucks Sucks http://www.6buckssucks.com From publish at bcfed.com Mon Dec 16 09:26:13 2002 From: publish at bcfed.com (Bev Pausche) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 09:26:13 -0800 Subject: [Community_Media] New WCB Board must put workers' interests first Message-ID: <3D6D51D9DD03D611BBA700508B97628C1EEB46@BCFEDNT> The following was sent out by fax December 13, 2002 and is available for use in your publications. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ December 13, 2002 Interests of injured workers must be number one priority for new Liberal-appointed WCB Board The mandate of the new WCB Board appointed yesterday must focus its attention on reducing the terrible rate of death and injury on the job and protect compensation and services for those who are injured at work, says B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair. "Last year, 193 people died on the job," said Sinclair. "Five of them were in the 15-24 year old age bracket. Four thousand workers were permanently disabled and 172,000 new injuries were reported. This Board will have to deal seriously with lowering that terrible toll." Sinclair says that all the Liberal government changes to the Workers' Compensation System to date have been detrimental for workers, and said any Board must act independently and follow its mandate to protect workers above any other consideration. "We certainly question the imbalance of the new Board. It makes no sense that only one out of seven appointed Board members represents the interests of workers," Sinclair said. "We will be urging the new Board to chart a course that improves the safety of workers, respects the people who work at the Board and puts an end to eroding compensation and services. If they do they'll have our cooperation." "Workers and employers in non-metropolitan communities who pay the same premium for WCB protection as their counterparts in urban centres have been hit hard by political decisions to close offices and eliminate jobs," added Sinclair. "It's time to put an end to lower standards for workers." - 30 - For more information: Lynn Bueckert 604-430-1421. opeiu 15 Bev Pausche Communications Assistant BC Federation of Labour Subscribe to the BC Citizen mailing list to find out what's happening in the BC labour movement. To join, please visit: http://www.bcfed.com/sub.htm BC Federation of Labour http://www.bcfed.com Campaign BC http://www.campaignbc.ca Six Bucks Sucks http://www.6buckssucks.com From publish at bcfed.com Wed Dec 18 16:45:07 2002 From: publish at bcfed.com (Bev Pausche) Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 16:45:07 -0800 Subject: [Community_Media] Labour Code Review Committee Message-ID: <3D6D51D9DD03D611BBA700508B97628C1EEB51@BCFEDNT> The following material is available for release in your publications +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ December 18, 2002 ** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** B.C. Federation of Labour expects review committee to balance the Labour Relations Code to protect workers' rights to Freedom of Association and collective bargaining B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair today urged the new Section III Labour Relations Review Committee to heed calls for a balanced and fair Labour Relations Code. The Section III panel announced by the government earlier today was established by the Liberals to deal with changes not implemented last March, when the government forced through Bill 42, the Labour Relations Code Amendment Act, Bill 48, the Employment Standards Amendment Act and Bill 49, the Workers' Compensation Amendment Act. "In response to pressure from employers, the Labour Minister changed labour legislation in the last parliamentary session then pushed those through the legislature in record time," said Sinclair. "Now employers want even more, even though sixty percent of the public says the Code is either balanced now or biased in favour of employers." "Courts across the country agree that an employer already holds the balance of power by virtue of the fact that they can arbitrarily hire, fire and set wage levels. This legislation is supposed to address that imbalance by outlining a workers' right to association and collective bargaining." "I am disappointed that the vast majority of issues before the panel are basically an employer bill of rights," said Sinclair. "But Labour will participate in the process and I will urge the panel to ensure consultation is as broad as possible so that the workers and the public in as many industries and communities as possible are represented." "Workers clearly lost a lot of ground when the government rammed through changes to labour legislation and I'm disappointed to see that very few of our concerns made it to the table," said Sinclair. "A meaningful review means that stakeholders must include the public and workers from as many industries and communities as possible." "The Liberals ripped up contracts that protected workers when their employer's business changed hands, and they've obviously done that without regard for a workers' legal right to contract protection," said Sinclair. "We hope the committee will address some of the obvious disdain this government has had on issues like successorship, contracting out and unfair labour practices," said Sinclair. "Our polling results show almost half of those polled in the Island/Coastal and Interior regions believe labour legislation is biased in favour of the boss," said Sinclair. "The government clearly wasn't listening to the public last year, and we hope this panel will go some way toward correcting the imbalance." The results of the poll, conducted November 14-17, 2002 by CGT research, are considered accurate to within 4.9 percent, 19 times out of 20. -30- For more information: Bev Pausche 604-220-0739 opeiu 15 Bev Pausche Communications Assistant BC Federation of Labour Subscribe to the BC Labour E-news mailing list to find out what's happening in the BC labour movement. To join, please visit: http://www.bcfed.com/sub.htm BC Federation of Labour http://www.bcfed.com Campaign BC http://www.campaignbc.ca Six Bucks Sucks http://www.6buckssucks.com