August 27, 2009

BC FED RELEASE

Results of a mid-August poll by Ipsos Reid, done on behalf of the BC Federation of Labour and a number of public sector unions, show strong support for budget measures that help BC families weather the current economic downturn.

“These results confirm what the labour movement has been saying for a long time: the provincial government needs to take decisive steps now to protect valuable public services that working families in this province need,” said Jim Sinclair, President of the BC Federation of Labour.

“Unfortunately, the Campbell government has so far ignored our call for these steps.  We’re hoping that the tabling of a revised budget on September 1st will show a change of direction, a change that begins to align the government’s budget priorities with the majority of people in BC,” Sinclair added.

“It’s obvious from this poll that voters will not accept balancing the books by cuts to valuable public services,” Sinclair said.

The poll found strong support for a variety of budget measures:

• 86 per cent supported investing in more public services like post-secondary education and re-training programs for unemployed workers.
• 75 per cent opposed cuts to services like child protection, legal aid and provincial parks to balance the budget.
• 61 per cent opposed cuts to spending on envvironmental protections and enforcements to balance the budget.
• 84 per cent supported increased funding for local health authorities to prevent cuts to health services.
• 85 per cent supported new initiatives to protect and create jobs in British Columbia.
• 76 per cent supported creating a new child care program to help working families.

“The poll also showed that British Columbians are looking for greater tax fairness from the provincial government.  When 76 per cent of respondents support increasing taxes paid by corporations and BC’s wealth, it tells me that BC voters are very receptive to meaningful tax reform,” Sinclair noted.

“We will be in Victoria for the budget presentation on September 1st.  Hopefully, the priorities reflected in these polling numbers are also reflected in what the Finance Minister tables in the Legislature.  British Columbians deserve nothing less,” Sinclair concluded.

August 26, 2009

The IUOE has joined with the HEU from the Facilities Bargaining Association to deal with those IUOE and HEU members that have received money as part of the Bill 29 Settlement Agreement and were then asked to repay their Employment Insurance (EI) – through a Representative Group Appeal.  Deadline for filing is October 2.

Members, who have already filed an individual claim, can formally withdraw that claim and join the HEU Group Appeal.  Please note that the union will not be representing individual appeals.

If you are being called by Revenue Canada or EI and advised that you are required to pay back money or make payment arrangements, or your Notice of Debt is being sent to a collection agency, please know that any payback or accrual of interest is on hold pending the outcome of the appeal.

Ask for the name and Employee ID number of the person calling you, and contact HEU with that information, including your name, contact info and Social Insurance Number.

Also, if you have been notified that you no longer have a debt but have filed an appeal, you will be required to sign an Appeal Withdrawl Form.  Contact us and we will send you the form.

If you received an Individual Claimant Agreement for a Representative Appeal Form from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), please fill out and fax to: Employment Insurance (EI) at 1-250-763-3756.

In addition, please forward copies of the Appeal Form, your EI Notice Letter and Notice of Debt to HEU by fax: 604-739-1510, email (bill29appeal@heu.org) or regular mail: 5000 North Fraser Way, Burnaby, BC, V5J 5M3. 

DEADLINE TO APPEAL IS OCTOBER 2, 2009.

UNITE HERE Local 40 is holding a rally at the new Coast Coal Harbour Hotel, 1180 Hastings Street, on September 11 at 5:00 pm.

150 long-term Coast employees at the nearby Coast Plaza Hotel on Denman Street stand to lose their jobs when the Coast Plaza closes for conversion to apartments.

Coast Hotels is refusing to even discuss transferring their loyal workforce from the Coast Plaza to the new Coast Coal Harbour Hotel slated to open in time for the Olympics.

The average Coast Plaza housekeeper has worked at the hotel for 16 1/2 years.  The average dishwasher for 23 years.  All 150 workers at the Coast Plaza currently earn a living wage.

Defend the values of the labour movement and keep good jobs in Vancouver and in British Columbia.

Support Coast Plaza Workers in their FIGHT for transfer rights & job security!

RALLY with your sisters & brothers for JUSTICE!

Friday, September 11, 5 pm – Coast Coal Harbour Hotel (Hastings & Bute)

                                                 STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS

“Please respect the union’s picket lines in the following disputes, and do not patronize these businesses until the dispute is settled.”

Teamsterse Local 213 – VS-Destination Toyota/Destination Auto (Burnaby)

Major Issues:          Wages, Hours, Benefits Parity

Commenced:          July 16, 2009

Construction and Specialized Workers’ Union, Local 1611- VS – Funeral Division of the Service Corporation International (Canada) Limited (SCIC) (Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby)

Major Issues:          Wages, Benefits,Classification

Commenced:          June 9, 2009

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 873 – VS – BC Ambulance Service

Major Issues:          Wages, Compensation, Classification

Commenced:          April 1, 2009

United Food & Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local 1518 – VS – Extra Foods (Maple Ridge)

Major Issues:          Wages, Job Security

Commenced:          December 15, 2008

Construction and Specialized Workers’ Union, Local 1611 – VS – Wescon Enterprises Ltd. (Trivern) (Armstrong)

Major Issues:          Seniority, Benefits, Concessions

Commenced:          July 25, 2001

REGINA – Canada’s Territorial and Provincial Federations of Labour, representing more than two million workers, called on the Premiers to act immediately to revamp the Canada Pension Plan, to dramatically improve employment insurance benefits for Canadians and to jumpstart stimulus funding targeted to creating jobs for Canadians.

“Now is the time to implement concrete solutions. With more than 1.5 million Canadians unemployed, and fewer than 50 per cent of them recieving employment insurance benefits, our Premiers need to respond immediately to the crisis,” says Jim Sinclair, President of the B.C. Federation of Labour.

Today the Federation Presidents also endorsed a new joint statement signed by over a dozen labour and civil society groups, including the Council of Canadians.

The statement calls on the Council of the Federation to reject any federal proposals that would eliminate or restrict their ability to ensure that public procurement policies maximize benefits to the local and Canadian economies.

“Canadians are tired of economic policies that move decent jobs offshore, and will only send our economy into a deeper recession. We need policies that protect jobs in Canada, not export jobs from Canada. More North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and more free trade will mean higher unemployment,” added Sinclair.

Premiers are expected to decide this week on a federal proposal regarding procurement under NAFTA and also to discuss pension reform.

“Local procurement policies are what keep communities strong,” said Sinclair. They create greater local employment, increase tax revenues, encourage communities to buy locally and environmentally sustainable goods and services, and can be drivers of innovation and economic diversity. They also allow governments to set proactive policies that are best for their communities.”

The Federation Presidents will also be making concrete proposals on pension reform aimed at extending coverage to the 65 percent of working Canadians who currently have no pension.

For more information: Evan Stewart, Director of Communications (604)-430-1421

The BCNU has admitted responsibility for placing what it had termed “phony phone calls” after falsely accusing HEU of making those calls.

In a bulletin containing offensive and libelous accusations, the BCNU falsely charged that HEU had placed fake phone calls on behalf of a top BCNU official, in an effort to dissuade LPNs from becoming BCNU members.  BCNU claimed that it had traced the calls to a firm contracted by HEU. 

But BCNU later said that the claims it made against HEU in the August 7 bulletin were based on “incomplete information”.

In a “clarification” issued  later that same day, BCNU admitted that it was in fact responsible for the calls, which had originated from a polling firm they had hired to do a survey.

The bulletins were posted in health care workplaces across the province.

HEU secretary-business manager Judy Darcy characterized the BCNU’s communication as a “reckless, desperate and troublesome” escalation of BCNU’s raid on HEU and other unions.

“These unprofessional gutter tactics reflect poorly on BCNU’s judgment and credibility, and further add to the toxic environment that their ill-conceived raid is causing in the workplaces our members share every day.”

HEU has demanded that BCNU issue a formal apology and a public retraction, and is considering further legal action.

The BCNU’s current raid of HEU and other health union has drawn widespread criticism from the labour movement.

Last week, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions – BCNU’s national union – instructed BCNU to end its raid.  As a result of its actions, BCNU has been suspended from participation in local labour councils, the B.C. Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress.

August 7, 2009

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) has directed the BC Nurses’ Union to scrap its plan to raid members of other health care unions.

The move further isolates BCNU which has already been suspended from participating in labour council, BC Federation of Labour and Canadian Labour Congress activities because of its actions.

CFNU president Linda Silas issued the directive to BCNU in an August 5 letter.

“The activities led by BCNU and now found to be raiding under the Canadian Labour Congress constitution have placed your colleagues in a difficult situation,” writes Silas.

In her letter, Silas provides clear direction to BCNU:

“On behalf of the National Executive Board of CFNU, I direct BCNU to uphold both the CLC and CFNU constitutions by ceasing immediately your actions that are found to be raiding under the CLC constitution as per the ruling of CLC president Ken Georgetti, July 30th, 2009.”

The 158,000 member CFNU represents nurses’ unions in every province outside of Quebec, including the BCNU.

The CFNU held its annual convention in Vancouver earlier this summer where members of HEU and other health unions distributed information to delegates about the BCNU raid on their unions.

BCNU says it wants to represent all health care workers in BC, including those who are already members of health care unions.