First Transit strike in Eastern Fraser Valley is BC Transit’s failure
CUPE BC president Karen Ranalletta says BC Transit ‘needs to get its head out of the sand’ For most public sector workers in this province, contract negotiations occur between their union and their B.C.-based, public sector agency employer representative. Strikes happen, but they seldom occur under progressive governments. However, when talks do break down over […]
Worker tributes are great—but fair compensation is better
This Labour Day, let’s commit to making life more affordable for B.C. workers Anyone who knows me knows I love a good party, and Labour Day is no exception. This year especially, I look forward to the first big public gathering since 2019 to celebrate the important role that workers have played in fighting for—and […]
Facing B.C.’s challenges together in 2022
Welcome to the Winter 2022 edition of Public Employee. Though you will receive this issue well before January 1, I want to extend my best wishes to all CUPE members in B.C. for a very Happy New Year. Of course we hope that, as 2022 begins, we will start to see the COVID-19 pandemic more […]
Library Month celebrates vital community services and the workers who provide them
Commentary by Karen Ranalletta, President, CUPE BC October is Library Month in Canada, and I want to shine a spotlight on the important work CUPE members do to make libraries the vital community hubs that so many depend on. We represent more than 4,500 library workers across the province, and over the course of this […]
CUPE BC presents priorities for B.C. Budget 2022
As part of the provincial government’s pre-Budget 2022 consultations, CUPE BC President Karen Ranalletta presented the union’s priorities and recommendations. Read the full document here.
This Labour Day, let’s pause to reflect and recharge, then continue our fight for stronger communities
Happy Labour Day to all the more than 100,000 CUPE members in B.C.! I hope this important day gives you the opportunity to spend some time with your families and friends—subject to pandemic restrictions, of course—and to reflect on the contributions working people have made by forming unions and fighting for a better world for […]
It’s time to reconnect
In the year and a half since the first COVID-19 lockdown, we’ve learned just how challenging and unpredictable pandemic times can be. For many of us, the ability to make ends meet, stay healthy, and heed Dr. Henry’s call to “be kind, be calm, and be safe” has required us to find inner reserves of […]
