Stop Harper! Rally Takes Place In Nelson On National Day Of Action

March 31, 2012

 

NELSON-Dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Harper and the federal Conservatives continued on Saturday across Canada after budget day on Thursday as people yielded the call by Occupy Canada, Democracy Canada and others to rally and march against Stephen Harper’s leadership and the governing Conservatives from coast to coast on March 31.

The National Day of Action included the following communities:

Saturday, 31 March, 2012.

Co-ordinated through facebook by DemocracyCanada.

1. Brantford: Victoria Park, 1:00 pm;
2. Calgary: Calgary City Hall, 1:00 pm;
3. Canmore: TBA;
4. Charlottetown: Province House, 1:00 pm;
5. Chilliwack: TBA;
6. Edmonton: Sir Winston Churchill Square, 12:00 noon;
7. Gatineau: Parc Moussette, 11:00 am;
8. Halifax: Parade Square, 1:00 pm;
9. Hamilton: Gore Park, 2:00 pm;
10. Kelowna: The Sails, 1:00 pm;
11. Kitchener-Waterloo: Kitchener City Hall, 1:00pm;
12. Lethbridge: 255 8th St. South, 11:00 am;
13. Montreal: Place Du Peuple – Square Victoria, 2:00 pm;
14. Nelson: City Hall, 12:00 pm;
15. Peterborough: Confederation Park, NE corner, 1:00 pm;
16. Regina: Victoria Park Plaza, 2:00pm;
17. Saint John: King’s Square, 2:00 pm;
18. St. John’s: Colonial Building, Military Road, 2:00 pm;
19. Toronto: Old City Hall, Queen & Bay, 2:30 pm;
20. Vancouver: Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St., 2:00 pm;
21. Victoria: Centennial Square, 2:00 pm;
22. Windsor: Charles Clark Square, 2:00 pm;
23. Winnipeg: corner Osborne St, & River Ave, 2:30 pm.

 

 

Here are some pictures of the event in Nelson, B.C. taken by Andrew Chernoff, Recording Secretary of the West Kootenay Labour Council:

    Della MacLoud, of MLA Michelle Mungall’s office & delegate to WKLC

 

Bruce Northcott of CUPW Local 790 and President of West Kootenay Labour Council at Nelson Rally

 

      Cindy McCallum Miller of CUPW Local 716-Castlegar & delegate to WKLC

 

 

 

 

Federal budget: Tories way off track on pensions

March 30th, 2012

Federal budget: Tories way off track on pensions The Congress of Unions Retirees of Canada (CURC) says the Harper Government’s attack on Old Age Security (OAS) is like taking an axe to retirement security for our children and grandchildren.

CURC President Pat Kerwin said, “The budget does little to assist young people today through affordable education and jobs and will penalizes them when they do retire.

He says instead of forcing Canadians to work longer before they can retire the more logical approach would have been to make improvements to the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans.

Kerwin accuses the Tories of blaming an ageing population for a lot of the problems facing Canadians. The cost of health care, he says, is another example of that. He urges the Government to bring in a National Pharmacare program which would tackle the fastest growing element in health care costs over the past decade.

Kerwin says all Canadians should expect to be able to reap the benefits of living in a resource-rich, prosperous country, regardless of age, now and into the future.

He says, “The Congress of Union Retirees of Canada will work with students and young workers to ensure that politicians understand our common concerns.”

The Congress of Union Retirees of Canada represents over half a million retired union members. Website: http://unionretiree.ca.

Conservative budget levies frontal assault on environment, First Nations

 

By Andy Crosby and Crystel Hajjar

| March 30, 2012

Only a week after record-breaking temperatures in the National Capital Region, a chill blew through Ottawa streets as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty prepared to deliver the federal budget. After five years of a minority Conservative government, all signs pointed to a strict austerity budget on March 29.

Social justice activists and concerned citizens have been organizing around the anticipated announcement of pension reform, job losses and social spending cuts. During the speech, about 17 concerned Canadians stood up in the House of Commons gallery and chanted, "This is not our budget! Where are we in your budget?" The group was detained by Hill security but later released without charges.

"We chanted for a solid 60 seconds before they moved to kick us out," said Taylor Eby, one of the participants in the demonstration. "The reason I took part in this action is because, like many Canadians, I’m frustrated with this government’s lack of accountability and their unwillingness to listen to the majority who did not elect them."

Canadians opposed to the Harper government’s austerity measures are rallying around the slogan Not Our Budget, and issued a press release coinciding with the action on Parliament Hill. The group expressed concern with the "gutting of environmental legislation" and cutting "services for First Nations education and health."

Shortly after taking power in 2006, the government scrapped the highly anticipated Kelowna Accord which would have invested $5 billion into Aboriginal education, health care, housing and clean water. In the 2012 budget, the government sought to appease its critics by offering $45 million towards education and job training this year, totalling $275 million over three years, as well as $330.8 million over two years to upgrade water systems on reserves.

Native protests surrounding the education crisis on reserves have been on the rise, as detailed in Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s (AANDC) "hot spot" surveillance system, a collaborative effort with Canada’s security agencies aimed at identifying and mitigating Aboriginal protest. The protests shed light on the stark inequality in the federal/provincial education funding structure which sees less than half the amount of dollars delivered to Native students on reserve. In the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative’s (CCPA) Alternative Federal Budget, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) demands a more equitable funding structure, which would include $800 million per year to "slowly bridge the $3 billion gap built up since 1996" and funding for 40 new schools immediately needed on reserves.

The federal budget emphasizes that extractive, resource-based projects are hugely beneficial to the Canadian economy and the prosperity of First Nations communities. According to the budget document, "[i]ncreased resource development activities can also offer new opportunities for Aboriginal businesses and can generate well-paying jobs for Aboriginal peoples near their communities." It uses positive language that sugarcoats oil and gas, offshore drilling and uranium mining as the perfect solutions for a prosperous future and focuses on short-term economic gains while considering proper environmental assessments as unnecessary obstacles that only delay progress.

The budget also states that important steps will be taken to ensure that the affected communities are properly consulted while simultaneously proposing to accelerate already faulty environmental assessment procedures to streamline industrial projects such as pipeline expansion, projects that many Indigenous communities from Manitoba to British Columbia have been actively resisting for years. Last week in Vancouver, hundreds rallied around a protest led by the central coast Heiltsuk Nation to oppose Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline and oil tankers on the coast. The rally coincided with the 23rd anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska.

"We will streamline the review process for such projects, according to the following principle: one project, one review, completed in a clearly defined time period. We will ensure that Canada has the infrastructure we need to move our exports to new markets," Flaherty announced in the budget speech. This underestimates the destructive implications such projects can have on the environment and communities.

This announcement is not surprising, especially given the government’s actions defending the tar sands at home and internationally. Whether by stating support for the industry in the UN climate negotiations, or by lobbying the U.S. and European Union to keep the tar sands from being listed as unconventional and a more polluting source of energy, this government has clearly shown where its priorities lie.

"In a budget that seems to have been written for, and even by, big oil interests, the Harper government is gutting the environmental protections that Canadians have depended on for decades to safeguard our families and nature from pollution, toxic contamination and other environmental problems," said Steven Guilbeault of Équiterre, in a statement.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Harper has been meeting with nations such as China and Japan in trade negotiations to diversify the markets for the sale of Canada’s natural resources, especially after the Keystone XL pipeline project, planned to transport oil from the Alberta tar sands to Texas, was rejected. This ensures that bigger markets with fewer environmental standards are open to export products from destructive mining industries that, conveniently, no longer have to go through proper consultation and assessment.

In recent years, growing opposition from Indigenous communities against tar sands and pipeline expansion has the government searching for alternative methods to facilitate industrial expansion in the energy sector. The 2012 budget makes explicit that the Conservatives will either duck or cut any "red tape" that stands in the way of ambitions in the oil and gas industry.

The budget represents a further emboldening of the Harper government and the oil industry to try and sidestep the environmental review process. "The battle lines have been drawn and Aboriginal communities will not be deterred by this announcement," said Clayton Thomas-Muller, with the Indigenous Environmental Network. "There hasn’t been a major environmental victory in this country without First Nations at the helm asserting Aboriginal title and treaty rights and we will continue in the face of Harper’s attempt to gut democracy."

Andy Crosby is an indy media activist, writer, and musician in the Ottawa/Gatineau region.

Crystel Hajjar is an Ottawa-based organizer and activist in the climate justice movement. She is a writer with the Leveller newspaper and working to expand the presence of alternative media in Ottawa.

Flaherty Budget Will Hike Health, Crime Costs for BC: Falcon

 

NDP’s Ralston blasts BC Libs’ ‘political love affair with Tories.’

By Andrew MacLeod, Today, TheTyee.ca

BC Finance Minister Kevin Falcon: ‘This is a good budget.’

 

British Columbia Finance Minister Kevin Falcon said he likes the overall direction of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s federal budget, but has some concerns about costs it will add for the province.

The finance critic for B.C.’s New Democratic Party, Bruce Ralston, said the provincial government needs to do a lot more to advocate for the province’s interests in Ottawa.

"This is a good budget, both as a British Columbian and a Canadian," Falcon told reporters in Victoria.

Suggesting a comparison with the provincial budget he presented Feb. 21, Falcon said the federal budget is the right one at a time when other jurisdictions are stagnating and some are close to collapsing.

"I think they struck the balance frankly between some modest spending discipline without going overboard and jeopardizing a very fragile economic system in the country," he said.

The budget sets a credible path back to a balanced budget and will help maintain the country’s triple-A credit rating, he said. "We benefit from the strong Canadian brand, so I’m very encouraged overall."

BC working with feds: Falcon

Falcon highlighted a couple areas where federal decisions will add costs for the province.

As announced in September, health transfers will rise by six per cent a year until 2016-2017, then will be capped at the rate of growth of national nominal GDP. Transfers will still be guaranteed to increase by at least three percent a year.

Falcon said he supports the principle and that it will avoid swings in health spending, but a per capita funding model is needed that allows for British Columbia’s older population compared to other provinces.

B.C. officials including Premier Christy Clark have raised the issue since the federal announcement, but Falcon said Harper’s government is yet to move on it. "We will continue to push for that."

The other big unknown is the costs the federal government’s omnibus crime bill C-10 will add for the province, he said. "We’re going to continue to work with the federal government to see whether we can have something that reflects the fact that there are going to be potential additional costs on the province resulting from that and we think that should be reflected."

The federal government also announced that as of 2023 the age for receiving old age benefits will increase from 65 to 67, meaning the change will affect everyone who is under 54 today, Falcon said.

"We have to do a little more work on that issue," he said, acknowledging it may add more people turning to the province for help. "We’re going to have to look at that and see what that means, particularly for lower income folks who may be relying on that GIS and OAS in 2023."

Fixed timelines welcome

Falcon welcomed the federal government’s planned changes to the environmental assessment process. The changes may speed approvals and reduce overlap between the two levels of government, he said.

"I think we have a very good environmental assessment process we can be proud of and what the federal government is saying is in the cases where we are having duplication in the environmental assessment process they’re prepared to allow the provincial processes to be utilized," he said.

Fixed timelines for assessments will help too, he said. "That will lend a lot of confidence to communities, to taxpayers and to investors that there is an end in sight when undertaking major investments," he said.

While saying he hadn’t seen the details, he said he supports the principle of tighter restrictions on charities that do political work.

"Charitable tax status is for charitable purposes and when charitable purposes are straying into political activities, I’m very concerned about that," he said. "I’ve seen that first hand and think that that’s something it’s worth them tightening up on."

Love affair with Tories hurts BC: Ralston

"The big thing is there’s nothing in the budget that deals with the cost of the federal crime bill," said NDP finance critic Ralston.

Quebec estimates the bill will cost it $600 million a year and Ontario expects added annual costs of $1 billion, he said. On a per capita basis, B.C. should expect a hit in the hundreds of millions, but the government has declined to offer any kind of an estimate, he said.

"This government seems to be silent," he said. "I just think that’s wrong and unacceptable."

The provincial government seems to be reluctant to criticize Harper’s government for political reasons, said Ralston. "The federal Tories seem to be off limits," he said. "I can only assume it’s because of their political love affair with the federal Tories and the premier’s effort to climb into bed with the federal Tories."

That lets down British Columbians, he said. "A legitimate willingness to express the interests of British Columbia and the fiscal capacity of British Columbians is an important part of the job."

The changes to old age payments will particularly hurt people who do physical work who may not be healthy enough to work past 65, Ralston said.

"The province may have to pick up those costs in terms of even social welfare costs," he said. The payments are income tested and go to people who need them, he said. "They’re not siphoning it offshore to the Grand Caymans or anything. They’re spending it on goods and services in their own communities. So it takes some money out of the economy that way, so in that sense it’s not good either."

Ralston also said Falcon is "completely mistaken" about B.C.’s environmental assessment process. A report by the Auditor General found that there is a lack of enforcement of the conditions that are included in the province’s environmental permits, he said.

"For him to say the process in British Colubmia is robust enough is just wrong," he said.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s legislative bureau chief in Victoria.

All but unscathed by federal cuts: MPs and their pensions

 

By Joan Bryden, The Canadian Press March 30, 2012 11:55 am

OTTAWA — So much for sharing the pain.

Retirement just got harder for ordinary Canadians and for public servants, but the gold-plated pension plan enjoyed by members of Parliament has emerged virtually unscathed — at least for now — from Thursday’s federal budget.

The budget promises only to begin moving "over time" toward making parliamentarians pay 50 per cent of their pension contributions and vaguely refers to further "adjustments" which won’t take effect until after the next election in 2015.

"So far, the government’s been pretty hard on ordinary Canadians and there’s no evidence that they’re willing to lead by example at all," said Gregory Thomas, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

For most Canadians under the age of 54, Thomas noted: "You’ve just had two years added on to your working life, you’ve just had your old age security benefits postponed by two years," yet "they don’t say a word about the MP pension plan."

"We’ve been led to believe that this government is capable of providing leadership and making tough decisions but, if it is, there’s no proof of that in this budget at all."

The federation has long crusaded against the parliamentary pension plan, under which MPs who’ve served a minimum of six years are entitled to start collecting what critics contend is one of the most generous pensions on the planet at age 55.

MPs enjoy pension benefits worth up to 75 per cent of their salary — and indexed to inflation — while ordinary Canadians are restricted by law to tax-sheltered pensions worth less than one-fifth of their annual pre-retirement income.

The federation estimates that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be eligible to collect an annual pension of at least $223,500 by 2015. Pierre-Luc Dusseault, a rookie New Democrat MP elected last May at the tender age of 19, can retire from politics at 27 and still be eligible to collect an annual pension of $40,000 once he turns 55.

Unlike the pension plans most Canadians rely upon, the parliamentary pension fund is immune to market meltdowns. It is not invested in the markets and its interest rate is set by regulation and paid for by taxpayers.

And whereas most private sector plans require employees and employers to each pay 50 per cent of contributions to their pension fund, the government officially reports that MPs contribute just $1 into their plan for every $5.80 contributed by taxpayers. The federation maintains the real ratio is more like $1 for every $23.30 from taxpayers, once disguised interest and accounting sleight of hand is taken into account.

Public service pensions are more generous than what most Canadians can count on — worth about one-third of their annual pre-retirement income — but they’re still not as cushy as MP pensions. It appears civil servants are going to have to pay more and wait longer to collect them.

Federal public servants currently pay 36 per cent of their contributions, with the government (that is, taxpayers) picking up 64 per cent. The budget says the Public Service Pension Plan will be adjusted "over time" to a 50-50 contribution ratio, as will pension plans for the Canadian Forces, RCMP and parliamentarians.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the change in contribution ratio will be phased in, starting next year. A spokesman for the minister later said the 50-50 ratio will be fully implemented in 2016.

"It’ll take some time to get there but that’s the direction," Flaherty said, adding that there has to be more consultations because the changes will impact collective agreements with the public service.

As well, the budget says for those who join the federal civil service starting in 2013, the normal age of retirement will be boosted to 65 from 60.

An official said the savings from the changes to public service pensions will be in the ballpark of $500 million.

There is no such estimate for the savings anticipated from the "adjustments" to the MP pension plan. Officials said that’s because the unspecified future changes will require consultation and legislation to implement.

Thomas said the ambiguity "makes you question the government’s resolve and its ability to lead through a difficult economic period."

"Are they putting the country first or are they still trying to figure out how to end their days on Parliament Hill with the most public dollars possible?"

While they’re still guaranteed a soft landing when they retire, MPs will have to get by for now with a bit less money for running their Parliament Hill offices. One day before the budget, it was announced that spending for the House of Commons will decrease by $30.3 million or 6.9 per cent, including $13.5 million less for MPs and House officers, $13 million less for House administration and $3.8 million less for committees, parliamentary associations and parliamentary exchanges.

The reductions are to be phased in gradually and fully implemented by 2014-15.

Joan Bryden reports for The Canadian Press.

Federal budget will increase income inequality; hurt families and the economy

NUPGE 

 

The federal budget will increase income inequality, decrease the quality of life for Canadians and slow economic recovery. 

Ottawa (29 March 2012) – The Harper government’s budget fails the Fairness Test because it will increase income inequality and make life harder for vulnerable Canadians, said James Clancy, National President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE).

"Income inequality is the greatest social and economic challenge facing Canada today," said Clancy. "The test of any federal budget should be whether it will reduce income inequality and make life better for vulnerable Canadians. This budget fails that test miserably."

Clancy said the budget is an attack on public services and the deep spending cuts in the budget will slow the economic recovery.  

"The global economic recovery is in a fragile state," explains Clancy. "Our economy is not as strong as the Harper government wants us to believe. Cuts to jobs and program spending are going to further weaken our economic outlook at a time when Canadians need increased public investment."

Clancy said the government had an alternative to deep spending cuts: it could have examined and implemented options on the revenue side of the ledger.

"The Harper government has spent billions on corporate tax cuts while crying about the size of the deficit," said Clancy. "They don’t understand the old adage that when you’re in a hole the first thing you should do is stop digging."

The National Union President argued that the Harper government should have taken steps to improve the revenue side and ensure greater tax fairness in Canada. This could have included:

• maximizing revenue from existing government enterprises;
• reversing recent corporate tax cuts;
• ensuring the wealthiest pay their fair share;
• ending the preferential treatment for capital gains and stock options;
• implementing a financial transactions tax (a Robin Hood Tax);
• closing loopholes; and
• getting tough on offshore tax havens.

Clancy said vulnerable families will be hurt the most by this budget as badly needed public services are cut and local economies suffer as job losses grow and public spending drops.

One item in the budget that received particular criticism from the NUPGE National President was the changing of the age requirements for Old Age Security (OAS).

"This is definitely bad public policy," said Clancy. "Over 60 per cent of Canadians don’t have access to a pension plan. It’s reasonable to expect our federal government to step up and help these Canadians – just as the government has done for banks and financial institutions. Instead, they are making life even more difficult for retired Canadians."

"These measures, like the changes the Harper government introduced to the CPP in 2009, are simply designed to keep older workers shackled to their jobs until the age of 70. Rather than increasing the retirement eligibility age for public pension benefits, the federal government should be looking at expanding the system, including the CPP and Guaranteed Income Supplement, to ensure that everyone has greater retirement security."

Clancy said the budget is also an attack on unionized workers in the federal government.

"NUPGE pledges our full support to our sisters and brothers in the federal public service. We will stand with them to defend their rights against this government’s anti-union actions."

The National Union’s members across the country are campaigning to defend quality public services and tax fairness as part of the All Together Now! campaign and Clancy urges people to get involved in the campaign.

PSAC BC/BC Federation of Labour Response to budget

 

In conjunction with the Canadian Labour Congress and the BC Federation of Labour, PSAC BC held a budget watch and press conference on March 29th.

REVP Bob Jackson and BC Fed President Jim Sinclair comment on the federal budget in the two clips below …

Wrong Choices, Wrong Time

This is a budget for Bay Street

 

Bargaining for health science professionals set to resume next week-HSABC

 

March 30, 2012  
http://www.hsabc.org

In a short bargaining session at the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association bargaining table this week, the union bargaining association tabled anti-bullying language to address issues in the workplace.
“The unions presented language that helps improve personal safety for health science professionals at work,” said HSPBA chief negotiator Jeanne Meyers.
“The pace at the bargaining table has been very slow. There has been only a limited exchange of specific language on the substantive issues,” Meyers said.
However, she said, union staff and stewards are working hard at negotiating and setting essential service levels in the event of job action.
“The priority for HSA labour relations staff and stewards for the past several weeks has been to ensure that HSA is fulfilling its obligation to provide essential services in the event of job action in the health care system,” she said.
The Health Science Professionals collective agreement expires Saturday, March 31. The terms and conditions of the existing contract will remain in place until such time as a new collective agreement is achieved. Bargaining resumes April 3.
HSPBA’s objectives for this round of bargaining, presented at the bargaining table in February, are:
• To optimize the quality of patient and client care
• To properly value the work of health science professionals on the modern health care team
• To end the reliance on employees’ subsidization of optimal delivery of care, and
• To regain and maintain the competitive edge needed to attract and retain the best and brightest
HSPBA represents 17,000 members, the majority of whom are represented by HSA.  Other unions at the table are BCGEU, CUPE, PEA, and HEU.

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Bargaining continues as Facilities agreement expires March 31-HEU

 

Bargaining bulletin  
http://www.heu.org

March 30, 2012

Negotiations for a renewed Facilities collective agreement picked up this past week as health unions tabled a substantial number of non-monetary proposals.

And although the collective agreement expires March 31, talks will resume next week and the terms of conditions of the current agreement will continue to be in force.

The multi-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) has now tabled most of its non-monetary package including proposals on job security, environmental sustainability, health and safety, union rights and on a number of other issues.

The FBA has also tabled some proposals for the renewal of appendices to the collective agreement covering CUPE 873 and BCGEU members employed by the BC Ambulance Service.

HEU secretary-business manager Bonnie Pearson says that this week marked the first time that it seemed like the pace of negotiations was picking up.

“Our unions believed we would be much further ahead by the time the contract expired,” says Pearson. “But the very restrictive negotiating process that government has imposed on employers continues to hamper progress at the bargaining table.”

Pearson says that the FBA unions were supportive of the BCGEU’s decision to break off talks and seek a strike mandate for its members in the public service.

“We are in a different place right now and still have a number of issues to explore with the employer and we have not yet addressed monetary issues,” says Pearson. “So our talks will continue next week.”

The collective agreement covers a diverse health care team that includes workers in hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic treatment centres as well as emergency health services and shared services such as logistics and supply operations.

More than 270 occupations are represented in the talks including care aides, licensed practical nurses, pharmacy technicians, OR booking clerks, medical transcriptionists, trades and maintenance workers, sterile supply technicians, pathology attendants, ophthalmic techs, housekeepers and many others.

HEU represents about 85 per cent of health care workers in the FBA. Another 14 per cent are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 873, the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 882/882H. Eight other unions in the association represent one per cent of workers covered by the talks.

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Statement from the president on bargaining impasse-BCGEU

 

30 Mar ’12

Talks break down, BCGEU looks for strong strike mandate from members

As you may already have heard, Master Agreement negotiations between the BCGEU and the government have reached a dead end and we are going to seek a strike mandate from our members.

It did not have to come to this.

Your union went to the bargaining table with fair and reasonable proposals. Our proposals took into account the economic challenges facing our province. They also took into consider-
ation the cuts our members have taken over the last few years

BCGEU members have done their part to help the province deal with the economic crisis that began in 2007. Now, it is time to start moving forward.

We presented the government with concrete proposals that would produce hundreds of millions of dollars in new annual revenues and savings. Government negotiators showed no interest in these proposals. Instead, they presented a wage offer that is well below inflation and well below wage increases that many private workers will get. This is unacceptable.

In the next few days you will receive information on a strike vote we will be taking with members.

You will receive more information on the strike vote process in the next few days and voting will be completed on May 4.

We’re calling on BCGEU members to give us a strong strike mandate to support our negotiations. Our ability to get a fair and reasonable collective agreement depends on it.

Members made it clear their priorities are wages, job security and improved benefits.

A strong strike mandate shows our members support their bargaining teams and their bargaining proposals. Strong strike mandates lead to better collective agreements.

Darryl Walker
BCGEU president

• B.C. Government