Support Striking Transit Workers on Saturday, April 22, 2023
Shared on behalf of CUPE 561
On Saturday, April 22nd from 12:00-3:00 pm, the Fraser Valley District CUPE Council is hosting a community solidarity event for CUPE Local 561 transit workers who are on strike in the Fraser Valley. This event will help boost morale for workers, as well as support our efforts to keep community on the side of workers.
This is a family-friendly event that will include a free BBQ, bouncy castles, and other fun activities. If you are able, we strongly encourage you to come and drop by with your family and friends for a fun Saturday afternoon.
Shared on behalf of the PSAC
It’s confirmed: PSAC members went on strike today.
These workers deliver essential services day in and day out. They are hard-working maintenance workers, food inspectors, cleaners, and cooks. They are the people we rely on for our passports and that guide us through Employment Insurance applications.
Like all workers, they’re being pushed to the brink. They’re being gouged on prices and exploited on wages, and they’re looking for a fair deal from the federal government so they can make ends meet.
These workers have been without a contract for two years. Two years of falling further behind sky-high inflation, soaring grocery bills, and rising housing costs.
While the government’s revenues rose with inflation, these workers’ wages didn’t. The government can afford to treat their employees fairly – and as the largest employer in Canada, should make a reasonable offer that sets a fair bar for all workers in Canada.
Show your solidarity by joining your nearest picket line: https://workerscantwait.ca
Other ways to show your support:
- Share PSAC’s social media posts with your own messages of solidarity using the hashtag #WorkersCantWait
- Bring food or drinks for the picketers
- Honk when you pass a picket line to show support
Avoid crossing a picket line if possible. This is one of the biggest strikes in Canadian history – and you can be a part of it. If you must cross the picket line, please locate a picket captain and they will coordinate your access.
In solidarity with striking workers everywhere,
– Bea
Shared on behalf of the United Way of BC
Upcoming events:
- CUPW Social Steward 211 Rapid Training – Saturday, April 22nd
- 211 Rapid Training, Saturday – April 29th 9am-12pm
- Canadian Labour Congress Convention – May 8-12
- BC Federation of Labour Regional Convention – June 9-11
- 211 Rapid Training Workshops – June 10
- Labour Community Advocate Social – June 22, 2023
- Labour Appreciation Night (Lower Mainland) – TBD
- Labour Appreciation Night (Southern Interior BC) – TBC
- Period Promise Campaign Launch – May 16 to June 13, 2023
- Period Promise Drive-Thru Collection – May 28, 2023
- Period Promise Campaign Celebration Collection – June 8, 2023
- Period Promise Volunteer Opportunities ~ June 14-21, 2023
Shared on behalf of the Tri-Cities Young New Democrats
The first-ever Young New Democrat Networking Night is happening on April 27th at Taphouse Coquitlam. This is a unique networking opportunity for young people 19-29 in the Tri-Cities and neighbouring communities. We would be thrilled to have younger members of your organization join us and wanted to provide you with some additional information about the event.
Tickets are only $15 and include a buffet and drink ticket. The purpose of this event is to facilitate a space where young people can connect on the issues important to them and make participating in politics more inclusive and accessible to all. You do not need to be a member of the BC NDP to attend.
Buy your ticket here! https://www.bcndp.ca/events/young-new-democrat-networking-night. RSVP Deadline is April 20th.
Shared on behalf of the BC Labour Heritage Centre
Would you or someone you know be interested helping preserve labour history in BC? The BC Labour Heritage centre is looking for volunteers to review their transcribed oral history videos of B.C. labour leaders and activists for their archive.
Volunteers listen to and watch a video and have the computer-generated transcript available for comparison, noting any errors, omissions and corrections. The work is at your own pace and can be stopped and started again.
If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Donna Sacuta, Director, B.C. Labour Heritage Centre, info@bclabourheritagecentre.ca
Shared on behalf of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
The rise of “gig work” through apps like Uber and Skip the Dishes has sparked public debate about precarious work and what defines a “good job.” The BC government promised in 2020 to create a robust precarious work strategy, but a lack of data has hampered progress.
In a groundbreaking report we released today, we show that precarious work is much more common than people might think. Half the BC workforce lacks the job security, benefits and training that some of us take for granted. And the burden of precarious work falls more heavily on racialized and immigrant communities, Indigenous peoples, women and lower-income groups. These findings come from the first-of-its-kind pilot BC Precarity Survey we conducted with SFU’s Morgan Centre for Labour Research in late 2019. At that time, just prior to the pandemic, the labour market was strong—the situation is likely worse today. Read more about the highlights of the report here.
Iglika Ivanova is a senior economist and public interest researcher at the CCPA–BC Office.
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