WHITE ROCK – Edmonton’s EPCOR corporation will soon no longer own White Rock’s drinking water systems following a decision by city council to enter negotiations to acquire the utility.

“This decision is based solely on what is in the best financial interest of taxpayers,” said Mayor Wayne Baldwin who announced, at the Monday June 10th regular council meeting, the unanimous decision made during an in-camera session. 

The decision comes subsequent to council instructing staff to prepare a business case for acquiring the utility earlier this year when EPCOR appl

BURNABY – Striking CUPE support workers have reached a tentative agreement with Simon Fraser University. The settlement comes after more than three years without a contract for the 1,000 members of CUPE Local 3338.

The tentative agreement is a four-year, no concessions deal with two-percent wage increases in each of the final two years (the first two years fell under the provincial government’s Zero Mandate prohibiting wage increases for public-sector workers). The SFU terms are in line with settlements reached at every other university and community college in the province.

VICTORIA — CUPE Local 4500 has reached a settlement between CUPE transit supervisors, Transit Communications Centre (T-Comm) workers and the provincial government.

The three-year deal includes wage increases of 1.94% retroactive to Jan. 1, 2013, then 2% in both 2014 and 2015. The no concessions deal also includes contract language improvements for vision care.

The contract was ratified by the 10 members of the local, and the employer soon after.

“It was an amicable and productive round of bargaining,” explains CUPE Servicing Representative Don Devine.

NORTH VANCOUVER – CUPE hosted a well attended rally Saturday (June 8) to support locked out CUPE Local 389 members at the North Shore Winter Club. Staff at the NSWC have been locked out by their employer since May 3.

Supporters from all over the mainland were in attendance including  CUPE members, other union members, North Vancouver residents and family and friends of the locked out CUPE members.

WHITE ROCK – More than 100 local residents crowded First United Church in White Rock the evening of Monday June 3rd to hear about the opportunity for increased public accountability of their drinking water systems.

Speakers at the event included Professor Dr. Mildred Warner of Cornell University’s Department of Regional Planning, Ava Waxman of the Council of Canadians, and community representative Phil LeGood. Attendees at the event were welcomed by Chief Joanne Charles of the Semiahmoo First Nation.

NORTH VANCOUVER – The North Shore Winter Club has been illegally using replacement workers during the month-long lockout at the club. The ruling by the BC Labour Relations Boards came down Friday.

NEW WESTMINSTER - Education workers and students are paying the price for ballooning deficits in Coquitlam and New Westminster. The districts have announced layoffs of CUPE support staff that the union says will severely affect the quality and even safety of education and services.

A $12.6-million deficient in Coquitlam brought the layoff of 51 CUPE employees, including those that deal with the most vulnerable students. In New West a projected $5.5 million shortfall led the board to send out layoff notices last week to 37 CUPE employees including 27 special education assistants.

WHITE ROCK – Who should be accountable for our water? A public forum beginning 7PM, Monday, June 3rd at White Rock’s First United Church will provide some answers as the City of White Rock explores opportunities for public operation of its drinking water systems, currently owned by the Edmonton based utility corporation EPCOR.

More investment in local labour key to safer, more efficient service, stakeholder forum told

VANCOUVER—Translink’s decision to welcome input from various stakeholders in a public dialogue is an important first step in developing a regional transportation strategy—but that consultation will prove meaningless if it does not include significant input from the employees who provide the services, say the two CUPE locals that represent transit workers in the Lower Mainland.

Today’s Translink stakeholder forum, “Building the Strategic Framework,”

PORT MOODY–Local youth gathered in Port Moody last Friday (May 24) to celebrate Public Works Day, a day dedicated to showcasing how public services help to enhance communities and make them successful. 

CUPE 825 members (Port Moody Civic Workers) were on hand to talk about the services they provide which include solid waste and recycling, water and sewer services, roads services as well as horticultural and parks and were even able to demonstrate how they perform some of these services.