Kelowna city workers ratify new agreement
KELOWNA – CUPE 338 members who work for the City of Kelowna have ratified a new five-year agreement. The previous agreement expired in December 2013 and bargaining began April 1, 2014. Following a lengthy and difficult round of bargaining that included a strong strike vote and mediation, Kelowna city workers are pleased to have stability […]
OH&S conference focuses on psychological health in our workplaces
VANCOUVER—Members from across the province focused on the theme “Building safe psychological and physical workplaces” at CUPE BC’s Occupational Health and Safety Conference held October 22 – 24 in Victoria. OH&S Committee Chair Dal Benning chaired the conference, which was opened with a blessing from First Nations Elder Butch Dick of the Songhees Nation. CUPE […]
Health care town hall takes aim at private clinics
COURTENAY—A town hall meeting held here earlier this week revealed a deep well of frustration and anger with the Harper Conservative government for dismantling public health care while allowing private, for-profit clinics to proliferate. The meeting, which attracted a crowd of about 350, was hosted by CUPE, HEU, the Comox Valley chapter of the […]
Packed town hall meeting rejects Harper vision for health care
Moist, Barlow, local residents call for protection and expansion of Medicare CAMPBELL RIVER—More than 200 people crammed into the Maritime Heritage Centre here on Monday night (October 20), as CUPE National President Paul Moist and Council of Canadians National Chairperson Maude Barlow led a spirited town hall meeting that called for an end to the […]
Keep Health Care Public – Island town hall meetings next week
CAMPBELL RIVER—With Prime Minister Harper’s Conservative government cutting $5 billion from health care funding to our province over the next decade, the Conservatives are taking health care in the wrong direction. To share more information about what’s at stake, CUPE National President Paul Moist and Council of Canadians National Chairperson Maude Barlow will be the […]
CUPE BC executive board unanimously endorses Amber Hockin for President and Aaron Ekman for Secretary-Treasurer of BC Federation of Labour
BURNABY—In advance of next month’s elections at the BC Federation of Labour convention in Vancouver, CUPE BC’s executive board has voted unanimously to endorse Amber Hockin for President and Aaron Ekman for Secretary-Treasurer. “Our executive members know Amber Hockin very well from her work at the Pacific Region of the Canadian Labour Congress, and once […]
Amber Hockin, Aaron Ekman launch campaign for BC Federation of Labour President, Secretary-Treasurer
VANCOUVER—Amber Hockin, a longtime activist with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and currently the Pacific Region Director of the Canadian Labour Congress, and Aaron Ekman, from the BCGEU and past President of the North Central Labour Council, today launched their campaign for President and Secretary-Treasurer of the BC Federation of Labour. The Federation’s […]
‘Hope in Shadows’ praised as vital source of local empowerment
VANCOUVER—With the launch of its 2015 calendar at a packed awards ceremony on Wednesday morning, the Pivot Legal Society (PLS) celebrated the twelfth anniversary of its Hope in Shadows project to a chorus of praise from community leaders and union sponsors, including CUPE BC. Hope in Shadows is a community-based photo contest and calendar project […]
CUPE BC bids fond farewell to retiring Kootenay activists
CASTLEGAR—CUPE BC President Mark Hancock, along with general vice-presidents Susan Blair and Ian Norton, CUPE Regional Director Robin Jones, and several staff members joined local activists on the weekend to celebrate the many contributions of retiring Kootenay District Council President Gerry Shmon. Shmon, a custodian for Kootenay Lake School District, has retired from his union […]
Communities lose in Okanagan Regional Library proposed cuts
KELOWNA – Looming cuts to staff and services at the Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) will limit access to important community services and supports, says CUPE. Proposed cuts, including 375 staff hours in 19 library branches across the Okanagan would not only limit library and other services and reduce the number of hours that libraries are […]
