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2012 Day of Mourning

Empty Boots symbolize another deceased worker

2012 Day Of Mourning

April 28, 2012 News Release

The Nanaimo, Duncan & District Labour Council hosted three “Day of Mourning” ceremonies on Saturday, April 28 at three different locations – Lake Cowichan in the Woodworkers Memoril Park at 10:00 AM, Nanaimo in Pioneer Plaza on the waterfront at 1:00 PM, and the Picnic Shelter in Parksville Community Park in Parksville at 4:00 PM.

Speakers made the point that in 2011, there were 142 workplace fatality claims in British Columbia, of these, 71 were the result of occupational disease, mainly owing to previous exposure to asbestos. Three young workers, aged 18, 19, and 24 died due to workplace injuries, and three workers died in the Nanaimo Region. On average, 2.7 workers died every week.

Ellen Oxman, President of the NDDLC and a School Trustee in SD 79 noted this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Nova Scotia Westray mine disaster, where an underground methane explosion took the lives of 26 workers. Since then, the labour
movement worked for parliament to pass legislation, the Westray Bill, which amended the Criminal Code of Canada in order to hold employers, who failed to take steps to protect the lives of their employees, criminally liable.

In the nine years since the Westray bill amendments and corporate manslaughter law came into effect, she said, only two provinces have laid charges under the criminal code. If the provinces were using the Westray legislation as intended, she stated, we could make significant inroads at protecting workers health and safety and we could save lives.

Tragically, thousands of workers, every year, have their life destroyed because of a major injury while hundreds more lose their life because of their work. No job is worth dying for, yet 1,014 people lost their lives in 2010, the most recent year for which we have statistics. These are not accidents, they can be prevented. It’s important to remember that Canada still has one of the highest rates of workplace deaths in the industrialized world, and even one death is still one too many.
Ellen Oxman

Nothing can bring back those who have died, but a message has to be sent that cutting corners on health and safety and employees being killed is not acceptable. If and when an employer willfully neglects health and safety,
knowing that someone can be injured or killed – they should be held criminally responsible. Corporations and their representatives need to be held accountable. As workers, we need to pressure our governments to use the Westray legislation as intended.

Today should not be the day another worker dies at work.

NDDLC President Ellen Oxman

Lisa Arlint, (right) who lost her father to a logging fatality in Northern BC in 2011 brought the message that we're not doing enough to bring workers home to their families at the end of the day.

Thousands Rally At BC Legislature

Thousands of BC teachers and labour union members from almost every other union demonstrated on the lawn of the BC Legislature Tuesday to protest against Bill 22, the so-called Education Improvement Act. The Act imposes a cooling off period that forbids strike or lockout, and imposes government chosen terms of reference for a mediator. For more stories on the rally, see our labour news page.

BC Teachers To Strike Monday

Following a province-wide vote of its membership, the BCTF has announced that teachers will launch a full strike for three days starting Monday, March 5, 2012. BCTF Susan Lambert announced the strike action Thursday, March 1.

BCTF members have been seeking a negotiated collective agreement . Despite 78 bargaining sessions, on Monday this week, a confrontational Liberal government introduced Bill 22, the Education Improvement Act. The Act imposes a cooling off period that forbids strike or lockout, and terms of reference for a mediator to reach an agreement. The terms include a two year agreement under the net-zero mandate, matters dealing with professional development, teacher evaluation, and scheduling and selection of teachers, as well as hefty fines for teachers and the BCTF if they take strike action after the legislation is passed.

While other unions respect picket lines wherever and whenever they are encountered, in this case the BCTF has asked that CUPE members continue to work during this BCTF Strike action, as BCTF and the employers have agreed there will be no pickets.

This agreement was made to ensure the BCTF would be in a full scale strike position without lengthy Labour Relations Board hearings.

BCPSEA has assured unions the schools will be closed to students but remain open for support staff to report to work as they normally would. CUPE members will report to work and perform their normal duties. School District employers will not close schools or layoff support staff during the dispute. Regular duties will be continued, such as dealing with backlogged work, special cleaning, meetings or Pro-D. This will not include student supervision, which is teacher and administrator work.

2012 NDDLC Executive Elected

At its Annual General Meeting, The Nanaimo, Duncan & District Labour Council elected the following to the 2012 Executive:

President, Ellen Oxman
Vice Presidents, Jim Sadlemyer, Jennifer Duggan, John Little
Secretary, Debbie Fraess
Treasurer, Betty Smits
Sergeant at Arms, Steve Lewis
Members at Large, Bob Smits, Ann Batchelar, Nancy Curley, Patricia Varnadore
Youth Rep, Lucy Oxman

Tom Duncan rejoins the other trustees, Alatair Haythornthwaite and Sue Creba for a 3 year term.

To read Jack's letter to Canadians, go to our MLA/MP page, please at this url:

http://www.nddlc.ca/mlasmps.html

Labour Day 2011 Well Attended

Hundreds of local trade unionists and activists and their families descended on Transfer Beach in Ladysmith on Labour Day 2011, on September 5th. They enjoyed free hot dogs and drinks, listened to great music from Beverly Mckeen, Martin Jones and Art Farquaharson, and cheered short speeches by Barry Oneill and other labour leaders.

For more pictures and stories see our Labour Day Picnic Page at

http://www.nddlc.ca/labourday.html

Workers Most Vulnerable to Possible Double-dip Recession, CAW says

September 9, 2011, 10:00 AM EST

Canada's job market still hasn't fully recovered from the last major economic crisis, leaving workers more vulnerable to layoffs, wage cuts and poorer quality job prospects in the event of a double-dip recession, says CAW President Ken Lewenza.

Lewenza's comments come after Canada's latest national job report showed stagnant growth over the month of August, as the economy lost over 5,000 net jobs and 16,000 more Canadians joined the unemployment rolls.

"There are clear signs that our economy is struggling and facing down another potential recession," Lewenza said. "Our government can keep denying that fact, or they can take proactive measures to lessen its impact on Canadians."

Lewenza said that, while still poor, Canada's job market indicators prior to the 2008 global financial crisis showed workers had entered the recession in a much stronger position than today.

In September of 2008, there were fewer Canadians vying for jobs (18.3 million), the unemployment rate was 6.2 per cent, the employment rate (the proportion of Canadians actively employed among the total working age population) was 63.7 per cent, and part-time work made up 18.5 per cent of total jobs.

Today, there are more Canadians in the labour market (18.7 million), unemployment rate is at 7.3 per cent, the employment rate has dropped to 61.9 per cent and the share of part-time jobs has risen to historic highs of over 19 per cent in recent months.

He noted that Canada's recovery period flooded the economy with too many poor quality temporary jobs, contract jobs and other more 'precarious' forms of work - filled by Canada's most vulnerable working populations, including women, temporary foreign workers, new immigrants and youth.

"These workers are often the first to lack access to important workplace benefits and government benefits, and face the headwinds of recession without adequate protection," Lewenza said.

"It's time for the Conservative government to stop just waiting for disaster to strike, and start putting measures in place to deal with this impending crisis. This must come in the form of a good jobs strategy, which would promote the creation of sustainable full-time, permanent employment."

Thanks to the CAW for this story.