Local elections need level playing field

BURNABY—Local elections in British Columbia should be conducted under the supervision of BC’s Chief Electoral Officer, and the province should reject calls to grant corporations the right to vote, CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill said today in a submission to the Local Government Elections Task Force. “The civic elections in 2008 saw an average voter […]

Township layoffs ‘out of the blue’

LANGLEY – With a stroke of the pen, the Township of Langley has chopped its bylaw enforcement by 50 per cent. Two of its four bylaw enforcement officers, both members of CUPE 403, received layoff notices yesterday “effective immediately”. The Township blamed a lack of work. CUPE Local 403 president Paul Albrecht said these are […]

Free public forum on child care

VANCOUVER—The verdict has long been in – a public system blending early childhood education and child care (ECEC) delivers high quality programs for children and families. What would that system look like? What can we do to push governments to act? Canada’s private approach to child care has produced a patchwork of unplanned programs that […]

SFU united against cuts

BURNABY – More than 1,000 students, staff, and teachers joined in a boisterous rally at Simon Fraser University today to demand adequate funding for public education in order to “Save SFU”. At the front of the protest were people holding signs numbered from 1-80 to illustrate the number of staff (50) and faculty (30) slated […]

More reasons to question P3s at Victoria forum

VICTORIA—In advance of World Water Day 2009, the Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition hosted a well-attended public forum to discuss new sewage treatment in the Capital Regional District, privatization and public-private partnerships (P3s). Held at Camosun College’s Lansdowne Campus on March 12, the evening featured a panel moderated by Maeve Lydon, of the UVic Office […]

Workers push public solutions at World Water Forum in Turkey

ISTANBUL—The pace is fast and furious for the Public Services International’s 55-member delegation at the World Water Forum in Istanbul. CUPE Manitoba president Kevin Rebeck, CUPE 1978 Keep it Public campaign coordinator Kim Manton and staff members Rhonda Spence and Karin Jordan are representing CUPE in the PSI delegation and working closely with water activists […]

Paramedics keep their T-shirts on

VANCOUVER–Striking ambulance paramedics will be donning T-shirts to remind the government that they are still on strike. “The government has got to stop ignoring this critical situation,” says CUPE 873 president John Strohmaier. “Members are getting increasingly frustrated by the government’s unwillingness to take action to fix our broken ambulance system.” Because the T-shirts are […]

Library service cuts ‘will hurt kids, seniors most’

TRAIL— The Trail and District Public Library Board’s plan to slash library hours by 50 per cent and cut staffing by 77 per cent to offset budget shortfalls will have an immediate negative impact on the Trail community, says the union representing Trail Library workers. “Telling library patrons that Mondays and weekends are gone, and […]

Fireworks shine light on understaffing problem

VANCOUVER–CUPE 873, Ambulance Paramedics of BC, are raising concerns about public safety for tonight’s opening event for the annual Celebration of Lights fireworks festival. “We’re concerned that people are at risk,” says CUPE 873 president John Strohmaier. “We are expecting up to 100 additional calls to come in and with understaffing the way it is, […]

“Third Rail” to focus on paramedics tonight

BURNABY—Erica Sigurdson’s “Third Rail” program on Chum TV will focus tonight on striking ambulance paramedics, members of CUPE 873. “Third Rail” is a tongue-in-cheek look at contemporary issues aimed at increasing public awareness. Tonight’s broadcast will air on the CityNews List at 6:30pm and 11 pm on Channel 13. COPE 491