Throne Speech hints at more instability, says CUPE
Union fears range of services could be on chopping block in the name of cost-cutting BURNABY— Today’s Speech from the Throne opening the 39th Parliament of British Columbia provided some ominous clues of the range of public services that could be on the BC Liberal government’s hit list in next week’s budget, says the Canadian […]
CUPE rocks for social justice
VANCOUVER—CUPE helped rock the ‘hood in Vancouver’s Strathcona Park Saturday as three locals, CUPE BC, CUPE Metro and CUPE National sponsored “Justice Rocks”, a one-day social justice festival put on by Pivot Legal Society. CUPE Locals 15, 391 and 1004 planned CUPE’s participation and staffed the booth along with CUPE BC’s Young Workers’ Task Force. […]
Team Maria, CUPE members do it again Fundraising effort for Parkinson’s walk exceeds $18,000
VANCOUVER—CUPE 825 president Maria Wahl and her team of walkers have once again topped a previous record for fundraising in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. At this year’s annual walk for Parkinson’s held on Sunday (August 30) at Stanley Park, Wahl’s group totalled $18,160.00 in pledges. In six years, Wahl, Port Moody’s bylaw coordinator, has […]
Government misses emergency call
VICTORIA—The Liberals ignored B.C.’s deteriorating ambulance service in today’s budget speech, despite the five-month-long strike by the province’s 3,500 paramedics for better services. Ambulance Paramedics of BC president John Strohmaier called the government’s failure to address the crisis in the budget speech “another missed opportunity,” adding, “the BC Liberals keep saying they won’t intervene, but […]
Working families pay more, get less BC Budget increases middle class tax burden
VICTORIA—The Provincial Budget announced today cuts jobs, reduces services for people who need them most, and continues the Liberal shift of the tax burden away from corporations and the wealthy onto the middle class, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees. “The government can’t have it both ways,” says CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill. “They […]
A Labour Day tribute to paramedics
VANCOUVER—Striking members of CUPE 873, B.C. ambulance paramedics, received a big boost in visibility and some much-needed support at yesterday’s Labour Day picnic in the Lower Mainland. The annual BC Federation of Labour-sponsored event was moved this year from Confederation Park in Burnaby to Trout Lake Park in East Vancouver. The change in venue seemed […]
Paramedics issue settlement offer
VANCOUVER—Representatives of 3,500 striking Ambulance Paramedics of BC, CUPE 873, have forwarded an offer for settlement to the BC Ambulance Service. CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill said he is hopeful the offer will lead to a settlement in the protracted dispute, which began on April 1. COPE 491
Paramedics respond to stalled talks
VANCOUVER — Ambulance Paramedics are holding a march and rally in Richmond tomorrow in the wake of stalled contract talks with the government. CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill said that “despite CUPE’s consistent efforts to resolve this dispute, the BC Ambulance Service rejected CUPE 873’s offer for settlement.” CUPE National president Paul Moist, CUPE BC […]
CUPE K-12 locals in B.C. to form provincial bargaining council
RICHMOND—CUPE national president Paul Moist and CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill will join close to 200 delegates from more than 50 CUPE K–12 locals at an historic inaugural meeting of a provincial K–12 Presidents’ Council. The meeting will be on September 18 and 19 at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel (formerly the Richmond Inn). In […]
Paramedics to work ‘only their regular shifts’
RICHMOND— BC ambulance paramedics will only work their regularly scheduled shifts at their assigned ambulance stations and their primary operators as of 6pm today. They say “it’s time to take action to protect our health and safety.” The move follows claims by the BC Ambulance Service that there are no staffing shortages. The paramedics point […]
