Author: labourstartcanada

Today, the BC Ministry of Labour introduced new health-and-safety measures that help two categories of workers.

New crane safety measures are being introduced. (I write this from Kelowna where 5 people were killed in a crane collapse in 2021.)

And 8 more forms of cancer will be covered under workers’ compensation provisions for firefighters.

It got me thinking this government has put in a number of good health and safety measures for workers since being re-elected in 2024

Much of the heavy lifting on labour reforms were done by the NDP minority gov’t in 2017-20 and the supermajority from 2020-24. But the current razor-thin majority gov’t is doing some good, perhaps less visible, things.

Here’s a bit of a list:

• Minimum wage increasing to $18.25 in 2026
• Minimum rates increase Dec. 31 for hand-harvest farm workers
• New job-protected medical leave under the Employment Standards Act for workers facing serious illness, injury. (“Workers with a serious illness or injury can now take as many as 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave within a 12-month period”)
• New rules now limit when employers can ask for sick notes (“Under the new employment standards regulations, employers cannot ask for a sick note for a worker’s first two health-related, short-term absences of five consecutive days or fewer in a calendar year.”)
• Flush toilets coming to B.C. construction sites (mandatory for employers at construction sites with 25 workers).
• Income protection options expanded for child actors.
• Minimum wage, basic protections for gig workers. (Not enough, some complained, but it was a start.)
• More workers will receive easier access to mental-health supports.

More to come, we hope.

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026LBR0004-000211

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026LBR0003-000208

LabourStart wants to thank CoDev (CoDevelopment Canada) for inviting us to attend their 7th International Solidarity Conference in Vancouver on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Delegates learned, heard and discussed a lot about international solidarity and unionism, and got some labour updates from around the world.

Here’s a few highlights that made an impression on our delegate (aka me):

– You’ve likely heard people say, or seen online memes that say, we should deal with problems at home before trying to help the rest of the world. Anne-Catherine Bajard and Angelo Aguilar Maurer of the BC Council for International Cooperation reminded us those don’t need to be either/or choices. Yes. We can do both.

– When labour rights and human rights are under attack, how can you NOT talk about capitalism and imperialism’s roles in these. Um, yeah. That’s a good one too.

– Caren Weisbart of Common Frontiers said with everything going on, Latin America is at risk of falling off our radar. She referred to Donald Trump’s re-determination to dominate the Western Hemisphere (the Trump Corollary to the Munroe Doctrine) and Canada’s response to US actions against Cuba. Canada is not demonstrating courageous leadership on that issue, she said.

– The day after the US and Israel started bombing Iran, BCGEU’s Masoud Aminsavvar gave us an informative short talk on Iran. He was imprisoned there for three years under the Islamic regime.

– Luiz Eduardo Azmitia of Capilano University talked about Honduras, CODEMUH, the women’s collective there, and Canadian company Gildan’s role in that country.

How valuable is international solidarity? “I’m alive because of it,” he said. International solidarity saved his father’s life in Guatemala.

– Karen Ranalletta, CUPE BC president, talked about a 2022 trip to meet with trade unionists in Cuba. A timely and insightful presentation considering current events.

There was lots more to get people fired up to take action.

Ambulance Paramedics of BC

On behalf of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC – CUPE 873, we are heartbroken by the tragic events in Tumbler Ridge, BC today. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, the community, and the first responders that were involved with this call. 

In moments like this, first responders run toward the danger to provide care, comfort, and protection. We are incredibly proud of the paramedics, dispatchers, police officers, fire crews, nurses, doctors  and hospital staff who responded with courage and professionalism in the face of this chaos. 

We also recognize the emotional weight these calls carry. Critical Incident Stress supports are being made available to those who responded, and we encourage anyone affected to reach out, or if you feel comfortable doing so, reach out on their behalf.   

We stand in solidarity with the people of Tumbler Ridge and with every responder and healthcare professional who served today. We mourn alongside you.

HEU (Hospital Employees’ Union)

We are heartbroken by the devastating shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone in this close-knit community as they face an unimaginable tragedy.

We want to acknowledge the extraordinary school staff, health care workers, and first responders who are stepping up in this crisis with professionalism and compassion under incredibly difficult circumstances.

The staff at the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre, along with emergency services and hospital teams across British Columbia, are carrying a heavy burden today. They are providing urgent care, comfort, and stability in the midst of chaos and grief. We stand with them and will continue advocating for the supports they need during and after this tragedy.

To the people of Tumbler Ridge: we are holding you in our hearts.

BCGEU (BC General Employees’ Union)

The BCGEU is grieving with all the people of Tumbler Ridge. 

Our thoughts are with everyone in the community and we extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends mourning loved ones. We are thinking tonight of those whose lives have been forever altered by this unspeakable tragedy.  

As we search for answers that may take a long time to come, our focus will be on supporting our members, their families and the community of Tumbler Ridge.

BCGEU members are among the staff working at Tumbler Ridge Secondary and among the health care professionals who are responding. We are grateful to the first responders who acted swiftly and to those healthcare workers who continue to work into the night.

We are working to get in touch with members directly impacted by this incident and will continue to provide support as we navigate this difficult moment together.

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Ironworker Lucien Lessard, now 96, still remembers falling from the bridge on June 17, 1958

Lucien Lessard was working on the bridgedeck when the Second Narrows bridge (now known as the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge) collapsed on June 17, 1958. 

“The bridge came out from underneath our feet and I was just following the locomotive from the deck down to the water. When I hit the water, I don’t really exactly remember. I was running out of air,” said Lessard. “When I came out of the water, I was lost. I was stunned. I saw some debris floating. I managed to float until a boat fished me out.” 

Lessard dealt with a number of serious injuries, but with 19 workers dying in the incident, he felt lucky to survive. He eventually returned to complete the project.

“I had a broken leg, a broken arm and plenty of bruises. They put me in the back of a pickup and took me to North Vancouver hospital. I spent three or four months there.”  

Now, 67 years later, Lessard continues to remember that day and honour the lives that were lost at the annual Ironworkers Bridge Memorial event, organized by Ironworkers Local 97. The event will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17th at New Brighton Park in Vancouver. Proceedings will begin at 1 p.m.

B.C. Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside will be in attendance at the event and will share remarks in remembrance. 

Ironworkers Local 97 business manager Doug Parton said it’s important for today’s ironworkers, and all tradespeople, to remember these kinds of workplace disasters.

“This isn’t just about remembering a tragic day. It’s about showing respect for the people who lost their lives building this bridge and making sure we never forget the cost of cutting corners on safety,” said Parton. “Every year, we come back to this site to honour them, and to remind ourselves why the work we do has to be done right.”

Ironworkers Bridge Memorial – 67th anniversary

Tuesday, June 17th

1:00 p.m.

New Brighton Park, Vancouver

Brampton, ON – After a strike threat, Brampton Transit Workers, represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1573-Brampton, ON, have reached a tentative agreement with the transit agency yesterday afternoon.

The deal was reached only weeks after the more than 1,400 Union members threatened to strike after overwhelmingly rejecting a previous contract offer from Brampton Transit that had significantly reduced wages from their previous offer, while also adding new concessions. In March, as contract talks stalled, the Union members voted to authorize a strike if necessary. The two sides returned to the table, but talks once again broke down.

“We are pleased to announce that after negotiations yesterday afternoon, Local 1573 has reached a tentative agreement with Brampton Transit,” said ATU International Vice President Ken Wilson.

“The transit agency recognized the important role our members play in the community by putting forth a contract with wages and benefits that put our members on par with transit workers in the Greater Toronto Area.”

“Our members’ unwavering unity is the reason we have a tentative agreement they should be proud to vote on,”

said ATU International President John Costa. “Our members now have a pathway to the middle class for the essential public service they provide. This agreement represents our efforts to ensure that transit workers across Canada are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Local members are expected to vote soon on the deal at a ratification meeting. Details of the settlement will not be shared with the media or public until it is presented to the Union’s membership.

VANCOUVER—British Columbia Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB)—a unique provincial organization that uses a community benefits agreement to help workers land good local jobs in construction—is succeeding in making its workforce more representative of the province’s population, finds a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). 

Building Better: The positive impact of a community benefits agreement on the B.C. construction workforce shows how using a community benefits agreement in construction employment helps address the industry’s chronic shortage of skilled workers, diversify the workforce and provide substantial local economic benefits by giving priority to hiring from communities where its projects are located.

“The tools the BCIB are using to provide better local jobs in the construction industry are working,” says report author John Calvert. “It’s helping to counteract a toxic worksite culture that can be hostile to new workers who are women, Indigenous or racialized. It’s helping construction workers land better paying, unionized jobs. And that’s helping local economies.”

From 2019 to the end of 2024, British Columbia Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB) hired 4,946 workers, who logged over 7.5 million paid hours. This makes it the second largest provincial construction employer and the source of benefits, such as:

• Reaching a 92 per cent hiring rate of B.C. residents, 76 per cent of whom are in the communities where projects are built.
• Reaching a 20 per cent hiring rate of trainees or apprentices and a 21 per cent of rehiring of BCIB employees on new jobs.
• Reaching a 14 per cent hiring rate of Indigenous workers, more than double the provincial construction average 
• Addressing the frequently toxic worksite environment affecting many workers via its Respectful Onsite Initiative (ROI). 
• Guaranteed payment to all workers on BCIB’s payroll, eliminating the common problem of non-payment of wages.
• Providing consistent pay across worker classifications, regardless of contractor, through unionization of workers on BCIB worksites.

“BCIB is unique,” says Calvert. “It is the only example of a government creating a public employer to train, employ and supply the trades’ workforce on major construction projects in Canada. “BCIB’s support for training and apprenticeship, its efforts to retain skilled workers in the industry by promoting employment continuity through rehiring workers, and its focus on local employment represents a long-term investment in the industry’s workforce. It’s working.” 

Build Better is available at: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/build-better

News release:

The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC (FPSE) is sounding the alarm as layoffs of faculty members have started to ripple out across the province with reductions of up to 10% of the workforce. Last week, Kwantlen Polytechnic University announced that approximately 70 full-time faculty would be laid off, and announcements had already been made at Vancouver Island University, Camosun College, the College of New Caledonia, North Island College, and Langara College. We expect more layoff announcements in the coming weeks.

Despite this crisis, the provincial government and the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills have been silent on the plight of our institutions.

“As we face the headwinds of tariffs and the call from the provincial government for a more responsive, innovative, and flexible post-secondary education sector, we are stunned by the silence of the Premier and the Minister on this crisis,” said Brent Calvert, President of FPSE.

“The Eby government supervises and micromanages every element of our sector but has failed to take any action in the face of this crisis,” Calvert added.

In January 2024, the federal government abruptly announced a 35% cut in new international student permits. In addition, the federal government subsequently changed regulations around post-graduation work permits and dramatically reduced the ability of international students to access pathways to permanent residency. These combined changes have had a devastating impact on BC’s colleges and universities.

“We need a bold response from the government on the path forward for higher education in British Columbia. The government controls almost all aspects of our institutions but is now pretending they have no role in addressing this crisis,” said Michael Conlon, FPSE Executive Director. “The Minister and Deputy Minister continue to mislead our members and British Columbians about the tight control they exercise over our sector. They need to step up and provide solutions to this crisis instead of peddling the half-truth that our institutions are autonomous,” concluded Conlon.

BC launched a post-secondary funding review in 2022 … but the government suddenly abandoned the review without any notice or communication … the Minister has continued to reference the cancelled review in correspondence with the Langara Faculty Association and others as if it were a completed, credible review.

“Our members are losing patience with obfuscation and political games,” said Calvert. “We are ready to enter into a meaningful dialogue with the government to ensure we have a post-secondary education sector that meets the needs of all British Columbians,” concluded Calvert.

A letter from the Rise Memorial Foundation, Kelowna, B.C., Canada

It is with immense pride and anticipation that I write you this letter to share the news that the Rise Memorial Gardens, located at its future home of Knowles Heritage Park in Kelowna B.C., officially commenced construction on March 11, 2025.

This project has taken over 3 years of immense planning, coordination, and effort from countless devoted community members, organizations, and supporters such as yourself. Together we’ve raised over $350,000 to guarantee we memorialize the memories of the five young men (Cailen Vilness, Jared Zook, Eric Stemmer, Patrick Stemmer, and Brad Zawislak) whose lives were taken away far too soon in this horrible workplace tragedy. This memorial stands to ensure their memories live on, but also to offer the community a future space for grieving and healing from the impacts of any workplace accident that may ever occur in the future. Lastly, it will serve as a stark reminder to all of us of the importance of making a continued commitment to workplace safety each and every day.

As such, I wanted to invite you to tentatively save the date of Saturday, July 12, 2025, when we are anticipating the site to be complete and opened to the public, to join us for an unveiling event that will also mark the 4th anniversary of the tragedy.