[van-announce] Reminder: November 4th demonstration against the training wage and BCRFA

[Mike Krebs]

*Please Distribute Widely*
*Sorry for any cross-postings*

Stop Campbell's training wage!
Expose the BC Liberals big-business backers!

November 4th @ PM
Meet at Burrard Skytrain Station

The Anti-Poverty Committee is demonstrating against the BC Restaurant and
Foodservices Association this Monday at 6 PM. The BCRFA is holding their
annual 'Awards and Gala Dinner' event at the Hyatt Regency. This is a
business lobby group that pushed hard for the training wage and the other
attacks on workers rights waged by the BC Liberals. As part of our
Campaign to End the Training Wage, we are demonstrating against this event
to expose the business-driven nature of the Liberal government's agenda.
The training wage is one of the most important assaults on low-wage
workers, and it is not just hurting those being paid it. The training wage
is basically the new minimum wage, which means wages across the board are
being undermined. We must fight the training wage, and this includes
demonstrating against business groups like the BCRFA who pushed for the
training wage and are clearly benefitting from it.

The Anti-Poverty Commitee demands:
- An end to the training wage
- That the changes to employment standards be revoked
- That the minimum wage be raised to $11 an hour


Confirmed speakers for the November 4th event:

Benita Benjun, Vancouver Status of Women
Jeff Keighley, CAW 3000
Mike Krebs, Anti-Poverty Committee
Jagdeep Singh, Simon Fraser Students Society
Summer Mcfadyen, Canadian Federation of Students

See the original endorsement letter below for more information.

Endorsed by:
Alberni Social Justice Group, Council of Canadians - Richmond Chapter,
PROGRESS (the Richmond Coalition on Provincial Issues), Canada Palestine
Support Network, End Legislated Poverty, Simon Fraser Student Society,
Vancouver Status of Women, Sound Resistance! of Co-op Radio, 102.7 FM,
Ethical Environmental Consulting, Redwire Magazine, Committee to Prepare
the General Strike



Endorsement letter:

End the Training Wage Demonstration against the BCRFA
November 4th at the Hyatt, 6 PM

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a letter from the Anti-Poverty Committee asking your organization
to endorse our upcoming demonstration against the BC Restaurant and
Foodservices Association. The demonstration is November 4th, and is part
of our Campaign to End the Training Wage. It starts at 6 PM at Burrard
Skytrain Station.

The BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA) is a group for
businesses in the foods sector that lobbies and works ‘with Government to
influence legislation and improve conditions for its growing membership’.
The BCRFA has played an important role in lobbying for policies that will
mean more profits for business at our expense. They pushed hard for the
training wage, which is a direct attack on youth, people of colour, women,
students, and other low-wage workers. The BCRFA advised the government on
how to gut Employment Standards and Labour Relations. They have also
developed a new ‘partnership’ with the Labour Minister Graham Bruce, where
the association has been assigned its own employment standards officer to
investigate employment standards complaints brought against BCRFA member
businesses. The ‘partnership’ is designed to ensure ‘voluntary compliance’
with employment standards, meaning basically that the government will let
business police itself. We know perfectly well that business will not
police itself, otherwise why would we have to file employment standards
claims in the first place?

The BCRFA is having their annual ‘Gala Awards Banquet’ on November 4th at
$95 a ticket. The Anti-Poverty Committee is organizing a demonstration at
this event to denounce the BCRFA’s role in drafting the BC Liberals’
attacks on poor and working people in BC. Join us in exposing the
business-driven nature of this government. Join us in demanding an end to
the training wage.

We, the Anti-Poverty Committee, are asking your organization to endorse
this demonstration, and, if you have the means, to provide us with
material assistance. Our expenses/resource needs for this action includes:
·	Promotional materials (poster/leaflet production, photocopying, etc.)
·	Banner and placard materials
·	Sound system rental

If your organization is interested in endorsing this event, providing us
with material assistance, and/or getting involved with organizing this
event, please contact us at (604) 682-2726, or at apc at resist.ca. Thank you
in advance for taking the time to consider this. 

In Solidarity,

Mike Krebs
Anti-Poverty Committee


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