Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The first strike day by government workers wasn’t defined by the location or size of its picket lines on Tuesday, but by the political muscle that showed up to help it push back against the New Democrat government. Leaders from the BC Teachers’ Federation, BC Nurses’ Union, BC Federation of Labour and Canadian Union of Public Employees travelled to Victoria to attend BC General Employees’ Union president Paul Finch’s opening strike rally. “Thank you for your support,” said Finch, who highlighted attendees like BCNU president Adriene Gear. “We’re going to be there to support you.” The solidarity is an early sign that the BC NDP government may find it harder to divide and conquer the organized labour movement than it first thought ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Flight attendants at Air Canada are now voting on a tentative agreement, after defying a government back-to work-order in a historic strike on August 16.  However, this is not a typical contract ratification.  Rather than considering a comprehensive package of proposals comprising a new collective agreement, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members at Air Canada are voting only on the wage package. Terms and conditions of the agreement addressing pensions, benefits and other issues are effectively locked in, preventing members from weighing in on the entire settlement.  Should flight attendants vote against the proposed pay increase, wages will be decided through third-party arbitration, not by sending the bargaining team back to the negotiating table to hammer out a better deal with Air Canada.  In other words, the ratification process involves significant constraints, limiting union members’ ability to determine the conditions of their work ... CLICK HERE ...

IMAGE CREDIT:   Ambulance Paramedics of BC (CUPE 873) In response to a deeply concerning rise in suicides among BC paramedics, Claire Rattée, Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions, is calling on the provincial government to act urgently. She has formally requested a meeting with the Minister of Health and is backing the union’s call for a joint inquiry into the root causes of the crisis. “This is a warning we cannot ignore,” said Rattée. “Every day, BC’s paramedics are on the front lines of overdoses, medical emergencies, and traumatic events. But when they need help, the system simply isn’t there for them.” According to the Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia – CUPE 873, 2025 has already marked a record high in paramedic suicides. The union estimates that approximately 30 per cent of members are either currently off work due to mental health struggles or receiving treatment while still on the job. “This isn’t about assigning blame, it’s about finding real solutio...

Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute The school year is over, but the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) recently launched its “Better BC Schools” campaign. Unsurprisingly, CUPE wants the British Columbia government to spend more. According to CUPE, the government has been under-funding schools for many years. Like other public-sector unions, CUPE argues that more government spending will lead to better results. Specifically, CUPE wants the government to hire more student support workers. However, what CUPE fails to note is that the BC government has already increased its spending ... CLICK HERE for the full story

BC government negotiators have offered public sector unions a wage increase of 3.5 per cent over two years in what the New Democrats are calling a “balanced budget” bargaining mandate.  The offer, presented last week to unions in the health care, education and central government sectors, is much less than the settlements of 14 per cent over three years in the last bargaining round under the NDP ... CLICK HERE for the full story