LABOUR DAY 2020
LABOUR DAY 2020
IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
LABOUR DAY 2020
Grayson Gammon is a former Plan A student who graduated high school and became a Local 1598 member to pursue a career in carpentry. He’s pictured working for Campbell Construction at the Capital Park site in Victoria.
A big thank you to all workers!
A big thank you to all workers! Each year on Labour Day, we recognize the millions of working people in B.C. and around the world who have fought, and continue to fight, for workers’ rights. Employment rights such as minimum wage, job-protected leaves and occupational health and safety, are the result of collective action grounded in the belief that all working people deserve to be treated fairly and come home safely at the end of their workday.
Hon. John Horgan Hon. Carole James PREMIER MLA, LANGFORD JUAN DE FUCA 250-391-2801
DEPUTY PREMIER MLA, VICTORIA BEACON HILL 250-952-4211
Workers are the foundation of our economy and especially this year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we pause and acknowledge the contributions made by working people across our province. Over the past several months government has prioritized a number of changes to support workers and employers during this difficult time: > We added unlimited, unpaid job-protected leave for people who are unable to work due to a number of circumstances related to COVID-19. > We’ve also provided up to three days of unpaid, jobprotected leave each year for people who cannot work due to illness or injury. > Our government has led the way in advocating for a national paid sick leave program which will be implemented in the coming weeks. We’ve moved forward with government priorities that will support worker health and safety and fair compensation in the months ahead and beyond the pandemic. > The general minimum wage has increased three times in the last three years and will go up to $15.20 an hour on June 1, 2021. > Bill 23, amendments to the Workers Compensation Act, improves protections for people who can’t work due to workplace injury or illness, including a new presumption for workers who contract COVID-19 on the job.
Mitzi Dean MLA, ESQUIMALT METCHOSIN
250-952-5885
Hon. Lana Popham Hon. Rob Fleming MLA, SAANICH SOUTH
250-479-4154
MLA, VICTORIA SWAN LAKE
250-356-5013
We will continue to stand up for vulnerable workers and prioritize worker health and safety so that we can build safer workplaces and a better future for all British Columbians. Happy Labour Day from your South Island government MLAs.
LABOUR DAY 2020
Make a Career in the Trades Plan A TRAVIS TAMBONE Communications Lead B.C. Regional Council of Carpenters
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apital Region building permits are up 30 percent over last year. The LNG Canada project in Kitimat – the largest private infrastructure project in Canadian history – is set to proceed. New major public infrastructure projects in B.C. are either underway or impending. However, B.C. faces a skilled-labour demand. So, who will do the building? Victoria’s Carpenters Union, Local 1598 – which is affiliated with the B.C. Regional Council of Carpenters – is helping to solve the problem by giving high school students summer jobs. It’s not unusual for someone to go to university for academic pursuits, graduate with student-loan debt, have difficulty finding a relevant job, and ‘fall back’ on a career in the trades. Local 1598 would like high school students to consider entering the trades as ‘Plan A.’ That’s the name of the program where students of participating schools in districts 61, 62, 63, and 79 work for Local 1598’s signatory contractors before returning to school in the fall.
Paul Faoro, President Trevor Davies, Secretary-Treasurer CUPE.BC.CA
The program’s $17-per-hour starting wage makes it a goodpaying job for high school students. After high school, a Local 1598 member can proceed to get a Red Seal certificate, which is recognized worldwide. These apprentices do not incur student-loan debt, as their tuition is sponsored, and they earn a paycheque learning their trade the 10 months a year they’re not in class. Moreover, Plan A participants who return to become Local 1598 members earn top wages dictated by a collective agreement that includes employerpaid training, health benefits, and a pension. If a Plan A participant wants to try academia after high school, at least they’ll have gained some valuable life and work experience. And if in their lifetime a carpenter were to change their career, they’d always retain the sense of accomplishment and hard skills associated with carpentry – a career that many find rewarding due to the thought-provoking and tangible results of building.
LABOUR DAY 2020 Neighbours helping Neighbours Better workplaces, better communities
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e have seen many changes in our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. More people are living with uncertainty. There has been a toll on our mental health, our relationships and our financial security. More individuals are on the edge of poverty. Stress is high. There are, however, many things in Greater Victoria that have not changed: Our care and compassion for one another; our love for everything local; and our sense of community — neighbours helping neighbours. The Labour movement is committed to better working conditions, and for better social, economic and environmental policies. United Way’s partnership with the labour movement is very important. When we build better workplaces, we build better communities. This year, we remember a former colleague, Kim Manton, who passed away this summer. Kim was United Way Greater Victoria’s labour co-ordinator for four years.
The need to support our most vulnerable is greater than ever before. Because we love #YYJ, from Victoria to Sooke to Sidney and the Southern Gulf Islands, we will rally. We will rally our energy, time, talents and dollars to serve our community. This Labour Day, make a donation to help your neighbours who need it most at uwgv.ca/donate <http://uwgv.ca/donate> . We thank you in advance.
Mark Breslauer, CEO, United Way Greater Victoria Darlene Gallant, President, Victoria Labour Council Kirk Mercer, Labour Representative, United Way Greater Victoria Board of Directors
As we celebrate Labour Day on September 7th, please take time to reflect upon those who came before us. Their sacrifices and efforts shall never be forgotten.
HAPPY LABOUR DAY TO ALL!
THANKS FOR HAVING OUR BACK. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we were all thrown into a crisis. But healthcare workers and other essential service providers have been there for us from the start working on the frontlines. Many are unionized employees. This Labour Day, we formally thank and salute our frontline workers, across many sectors. United Way works proudly with the Labour movement. We also thank all of the unionized workplace employees who give to their local community through United Way.
JOIN THE RALLY TO RECOVER. GIVE AT UWGV.CA
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD TRADES & LABOUR COUNCIL (WEST) Proudly maintaining the Pacific Naval Fleet since 1967
Show your local love Let’s rally to recover. #YYJ needs you.
LABOUR DAY 2020 New mobile app helps employers access WorkSafeBC’s COVID-19 resources on the go
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s businesses across B.C. reopen their doors, they’re required to develop and follow a safety plan to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. WorkSafeBC has developed a comprehensive suite of resources to help businesses in this process, including industry specific guidance and a COVID-19 safety plan template. It’s now easier to access those resources using a new mobile app for smartphones and tablets. “We recognize that for many workers and employers, their business doesn’t involve sitting behind a screen at a desk — they’re in the field, on a jobsite or behind the wheel,” says Darrin McCaskill, director of prevention programs and performance at WorkSafeBC. For these people, their primary tool for accessing information is often their smartphone. “We have a lot of valuable information for both workers and employers on how to keep their workplaces safe, and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to access the tools and information,” he said.
Healthy and safe workplaces contribute to a safe and healthy province For workplace health and safety information, including COVID-19 prevention, visit worksafebc.com. #LetsDoOurPartBC
The app leverages the resources and information available on worksafebc.com, including the safety plan template, industry guidance documents, posters, and more. The tool was created to provide an additional way for workers and employers to view the COVID-19 prevention information for their sector, to look at resources to support safe work, or to build their safety plan. Employers are guided through the process of developing their COVID-19 safety plan within the app, and directed to industry-specific resources to help them do so. They’re then able to email their safety plan to themselves to print out later. Workers can select their industry in the app to see guidance and protocols relevant to their job. The app is available for iOS and Android and can be found at worksafebc.com/covid-19-app Stay up to date with COVID-19 information and resources as conditions evolve at worksafebc.com
www.psacbc.com ∙
psacbc
LABOUR DAY 2020
BC Boilermakers 191
PROUDLY CELEBRATING
LABOUR DAY Boilermakers 191 802 Esquimalt Rd., Victoria, B.C.
(250) 383-4196
boilermakers191.org Boilermakers 191 is a metal trades union located in Victoria, B.C. Local Lodge 191 representing working people since 1898 in the following: • Ship Building / Ship Repair • Steel Fabrication of Logging Equipment, Pressure Vessels and Structural Steel • Refitting of Naval Ships, Submarines, Cruiseships & other Commercial Vessels
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Today, Boilermakers 191 is a metal trades union located in Victoria. Membership stands at 300+ members who work in ship building and repair, steel fabrication of logging equipment, pressure vessels and structural steel, and the refitting of naval ships, submarines, cruise ships and other commercial vessels.
HE FIRST organizational effort among boilermakers in B.C. occurred in Victoria and resulted in chartering of Lodge 191 in 1898. The Yukon Gold Rush made Victoria rather prosperous; some of this business rubbed off on the members with the building of boilers and steamers for this trade. When this trade died off, the whaling fleet, using the facilities available in Victoria, provided employment for the early boilermakers. During World War One, Victoria Machinery Depot Co. Ltd, built freighters for the Canadian Government. Minimum rate of wages for Boilermakers and Shipbuilders was 50¢ per hour. Yarrows Limited built a number of wooden-hulled, steam-driven sternwheelers for service on the Irrawaddy River in Burma. Heavy unemployment struck in the early 1920s and the membership dropped to the point where the Charter lapsed in 1923; it was reinstated in 1925. On Feb. 1, 1930, the Boilermakers affiliated with the All-Canadian Congress of Labour and became Local #2: Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders of Canada with 19 members paying an initiation fee of $1. Lodge 191 was still in existence at this time, as the Charter never lapsed until 1944. Unfortunately, there were no
records available for this period. A collective agreement, in effect at the Victoria Machinery Depot Co. Ltd in 1940, shows the Boilermakers were paid 90¢ an hour. Early in 1945, a rift broke out between the Boilermakers Local #2 and its parent body, the Canadian Congress of Labour, and there was talk of disaffiliation. The dissension was aimed more at the newly-formed Shipyard General Workers Federation than the Canadian Congress of Labour. A vote took place and the result favoured disaffiliation. The Local turned to the Trades and Labour Council who issued a Charter calling the new organization the ‘Victoria Shipyard Workers Federal Union, Local #238’. In 1951, Local 238 had a strike situation, and the members were in need of strike benefits. Local 238 committee members met with two officials of the Boilermakers Brotherhood regarding the re-affiliation with the Brotherhood. On Oct. 4, 1951, a special meeting was called to discuss the matter of re-affiliation thoroughly and a vote was taken. Members of the Victoria Shipyard Workers’ Federal Union Local #238 made the decision to return to the Brotherhood after an absence of 21 years. This led to the return of the Local to the Brotherhood and Lodge 191’s Charter was reinstated on Oct. 23, 1951. boilermakers191.org
A lot of work went into Labour Day. For more than a century, the union presence in BC has improved the lives of all working people. And since 1931, IUOE Local 115 is proud to have been a part of that presence, advocating for workers’ rights in British Columbia.
rise above. IUOE115.ca | 1-888-486-3115
rise above
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115
Happy Labour Day! Thank you to the thousands of BCGEU members and other essential workers on the frontlines of COVID-19. Delivering vital services to British Columbians and every sector of our province’s economy.
Learn more at BCGEU.CA/JOIN
LABOUR DAY 2020 Nurses are the heart of our healthcare system
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LET’S RECOGNIZE OUR NURSES AND ALL WORKERS www.bcnu.org
Workplace safety has never been more important. Nurses continue working long hours delivering safe patient care when British Columbians need it most. Please do your part by following public health guidelines to help keep us all safe.
President, BC Nurses’ Union
he B.C. Nurses Union is the largest nursing union in B.C., and the only union to offer services to nurses related to all four domains of nursing: research, clinical practice, leadership, and education. It is committed to defending nurses’ individual rights as well as the nursing profession, and are the only health care union that has a long and successful track record of gains in wages and working conditions. Mission statement: The B.C. Nurses’ Union protects and advances the health, social and economic well-being of our members, our profession and our communities. Vision statement: The B.C. Nurses’ Union will be the champion for our members, the professional voice of nursing and the leading advocate for publicly funded health care. Values: The seven core values listed below support the vision and mission of the BCNU as a member-driven organization, and reflect key behaviors that guide our daily actions. 1. The BCNU demonstrates Collectivity by acting together to make certain that all activities and decisions are inclusive and accomplished for the betterment of the wholeCollectivity 2. The BCNU demonstrates Democracy by actively engaging our membership through egalitarian processes where equal rights to both representation and involvement are guaranteed 3. The BCNU demonstrates Equality by ensuring that each member has access to all services of the BCNU Democracy: 4. The BCNU demonstrates Excellence by supporting clinical practice, education, research, leadership, and incorporating best practices
5. The BCNU demonstrates Integrity by being honest, respectful, accountable and transparent 6. The BCNU demonstrates commitment to Social Justice by advocating and promoting that the social determinants of health be equally accessible to ensure the dignity of every human being 7. The BCNU demonstrates Solidarity by promoting unity of members based on shared goals and values. Mandate and Future: The 2020 organizational priority is to strengthen our organization through sound governance, build trust through positive member engagement and successfully implement collective agreements. By 2020, BCNU will have: - Anticipated and responded effectively to membership issues. - Effectively governed and fostered a member-centric culture by council. - Strengthened organizational capacity and improved culture. - Demonstrated it is the professional voice of nursing and a respected, influential health care leader. - Remained a strong defender of publicly funded and delivered health care systems. Our History: BCNU formed in February 1981 after the labour relations division of the Registered Nurses Association of BC (RNABC) broke away and formed a separate, independent union. Two hundred nurses gathered at Victoria’s Empress Hotel to attend BCNU’s founding convention on June 11, 1981. Today, BCNU represents more than 48,000 members, most of whom are covered by a single provincial contract. This contract is used as a standard for BCNU members working in private forprofit facilities.
JOIN A UNION THAT UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF PROFESSIONALS
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Dignity and Justice A Voice in the Work Place These are the principles on which organized labour was founded. No single union has ever achieved these goals with more success and consistency than the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
WE’VE FACED COVID-19 TOGETHER. Now let’s make health care even stronger.
A Labour Day message from the Hospital Employees’ Union More than 50,000 members across British Columbia
www.heu.org
Best wishes this Labour Day from the membership and officers of
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 31
affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters Canada, and the Canadian Labour Congress #1 Grosvenor Square, Delta, Be V3M 5S1 Stan Hennessy, President Richard Van Grot, Secretary-Treasurer
For Organizing Assistance Tel: 604-527-2722 Fax: 604-540-6073 Email: bhennessy@teamsters31.ca
LABOUR DAY 2020
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LABOUR DAY 2020
Delivering community in Greater Victoria for almost 70 years.
Reporters; copy editors; columnists; artists; circulation, advertising and accounting clerks; sales reps; district managers; drivers; photographers; IT and maintenance
Members of Victoria-Vancouver Island Newspaper Guild Local 30223, Communications Workers of America