Tag Archives: BC Federation of Labour

BC Auditor General must conduct performance audit of Employment Standards Branch

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For almost two decades, BC’s Employment Standards Branch has failed to adequately enforce the Employment Standards Act and the Employment Standards Regulation. This week, the BC Employment Standards Coalition called on the BC Auditor General, Carol Bellringer, to conduct an investigation.

In addition, this week the BC Employment Standards Coalition submitted our response to the Minister of Labour’s February 28th Consultation Paper, which also included our separate critique of the BC Law Institute’s December report on the Employment Standards Act.

Individuals can submit their views on modernizing the BC Employment Standards via email (ESAReview@gov.bc.ca)until March 31st. The BCFED has provided a template letter at this link: https://www.workersdeservebetter.ca/employment_standards

No April Fool’s Joke – Lowest Minimum Wage in Canada

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As of today, BC’s minimum wage is the lowest in Canada. Communities are rallying to send Fight for $15 National Day of Action Poster - Vancouvera strong message to Premier Clark: we need a $15/hour minimum wage.

Friday, April 15th is a huge day for the Fight for $15 campaign. It is Canada’s first official Fight for $15 National Day of Action. The BC Employment Standards Coalition supports this campaign, led by the BC Federation of Labour, and those who are joining with allied campaigns right across Canada and the United States in the fight for fair wages.

The rally will take place at Canada Place in Vancouver on Friday, April 15th at 5:00 pm. There will be music, performers, and speeches to help send a message to Christy Clark and the BC Liberal Government that low pay is not okay! Join in for an after party at the Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir St, starting at 6:30 pm.

Please bring your colleagues, friends, and family to this critical rally. Let’s ensure our voices are heard.

RSVP here or on Facebook.

If you are not in the Lower Mainland, you can support the day of action on Twitter #fightfor15bc and on Facebook by sharing posts and photos. If you’d like to organize an event in your community, contact the BC Federation of Labour office at 604-430-1421.

Together, we can build an economy that works for everyone.

Sponsoring “The Hand That Feeds” Feb 11 at Just Film Festival

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The BC Employment Standards Coalition, along with the BC Federation of Labour, is pleased to be co-sponsoring the screening of The Hand That Feeds as part of the Just Film Festival. It will be screened on Thursday, February 11th as the second film in a double-feature, with the first film beginning at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased here.

At a popular bakery café, residents of New York’s Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. Behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick.

Risking deportation and job loss, the workers team up with innovative young organizers and form their own independent union, launching themselves on a journey that will test the limits of their resolve. In one roller-coaster year, they must overcome a shocking betrayal and a two-month lockout. Lawyers battle in back rooms and workers walk the picket line with support from the “Occupy” crowd. If they can win a contract, it will set a historic precedent. But whatever happens, these workers will never be the same.

The BC Employment Standards Coalition will also be present for a Q&A after the film to share ideas about how the issues depicted in the film, which is situated in New York, relate to the local context in BC.

Fight for $15 BBQ & Leafleting August 15th

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Join members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) for a BBQ and leafleting event on Saturday, August 15th. They will start the day at 10:30am leafletting the Templeton SkyTrain in Richmond, followed by a BBQ lunch at 11am. Attendees will then head over to the new McArthur Glen Outlet Mall for further leafletting. For more information, see the Facebook event and Fight for 15 BC website.

fight for 15 bbq templeton skytrain station

 

 

 

Fight for $15

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bc fedOn March 12th, the government of BC announced a 20-cent increase to the minimum wage. However, even those minimum wage-workers employed full-time will continue to fall thousands of dollars below the poverty line.

The BC Federation of Labour points out that BC is falling behind places like the Northwest Territories, which is raising its minimum wage by 25%. Cities like San Francisco and Seattle are on their way toward a $15/hour minimum wage.

Please support the BC Federation of Labour’s Fight for $15. You can sign their petition at this link. The campaign offers numerous resources on reaching out to workers, including excellent Fact Sheets available in multiple languages. These fact sheets highlight BC’s minimum wage and poverty, the impact of the minimum wage on women, and on students.