The multi-union Facilities Bargaining Association and health employers in BC have reached a tentative two year agreement after nine months of negotiations. It affects more than 46,000 health care workers. Bonnie Pearson with the FBA says it's been a very "tough and brutal" round of bargaining. The deal includes a moratorium on layoffs due to … [Read more...]
Steelworkers’ Union protesting Chinese workers taking BC mining jobs
November 17, 2012 by
The Steelworkers’ Union took the issue of Chinese workers coming to BC for mining jobs right to the door of MLAs around the Province. President of Local 2009 Manjit Sidhu says they were even outside BC Energy Minister Rich Coleman’s Langley office today. Sidhu says they will take the issue to other provincial and federal politicians as … [Read more...]
BC Transit workers head to Labour Board over contract work
November 10, 2012 by
The union representing BC Transit employees in Greater Victoria is heading to the Labour Relations Board on Tuesday in an attempt to stop BC Transit from contracting out of bus maintenance work. Employees are in the middle of a ban on overtime in their labour dispute with the transit authority. "We do believe that they're in violation of the labour … [Read more...]
City inside workers ratify new contract
November 7, 2012 by
Support workers with the City of Vancouver now have a new four year contract. Members of CUPE local 15 have ratified the agreement which is retroactive to January 1st. By the time the deal expires in December of 2015, the 37-hundred clerical, technical and administrative staff will be paid almost seven per cent more than they are now. CKNW … [Read more...]
Contract talks resume for striking CUPE support workers at SFU
November 7, 2012 by
Contract talks involving striking support workers at Simon Fraser University resume today. 1000 members of CUPE Local 3338 are in the middle of a 24-hour walk-out forcing the cancellation of numerous classes at all three campuses in Metro Vancouver, but SFU's Don MacLachlan says there's still hope a settlement can be reached. "The good news is that … [Read more...]
Health care workers vote in favour of strike action
November 3, 2012 by
46,000 hospital, long-term care and emergency health services workers have voted 96 percent in favour of strike action. Most are with the Hosptial Employees' Union. Bonnie Pearson with the HEU says it sends a clear message to health employers and government to come back to the bargaining table. Contracts expired in March -- talks began in … [Read more...]
Minister tells health care workers to get flu shots, or wear mask
November 2, 2012 by
BC Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid wants health care workers to either get a flu shot, or be wearing a mask, as of December first. "Steps will have to be taken if people won't cooperate with that, because we're talking about patient safety and that is our top priority; it has to be our top priority, it has to be our top priority,it has to be … [Read more...]
Mining company bringing in Chinese workers fights back against misinformation
October 25, 2012 by
The mining company at the center of a controversy over bringing in foreign workers says there is a lot of wrong information out there. Vice President Environmental & Regulatory Affairs at HD Mining International Ltd. Jody Shimkus says it starts with the number of Chinese mining workers coming to BC to do what is called 'long wall mining' "We … [Read more...]
Provincial NDP want migrant Chinese mining workers stopped at the border
October 23, 2012 by
The NDP's mining critic wants Chinese migrant workers coming to BC for coal mining jobs to be denied entry into the country until some things are sorted out. Doug Donaldson says Jobs minister Pat Bell has said he is investigating claims the workers were charged to take the work, but "In the meantime I think that while this investigation is underway … [Read more...]
Premier talks Enbridge, offshore workers and the female vote
October 23, 2012 by
Premier Christy Clark touched on several topics in an hour-long interview with CKNW’s Bill Good, in which she also took questions from callers. Firstly, she continued to paint herself as a defender of the environment when it comes to Enbridge pipeline proposal – a day after environmental groups staged a large anti-pipeline demonstration … [Read more...]
