BCFED Submission on Proposed 2016 Occupational Health and Safety Regulation Amendments

The skilled trades training investment announced today by the BC government will make an enormous difference to the province’s economy, and open up promising careers to thousands of workers, the BC Federation of Labour said today. “This is huge, and it’s exactly what we need right now,” said BCFED President Sussanne Skidmore. “This is how you build a strong, resilient economy: by investing in the

Canada’s federations of labour, representing over three million workers in every province and territory, today released the following statement: We condemn the Alberta government’s decision to legislate teachers back to work, and its use of the notwithstanding clause to impose a collective agreement. This action is a direct and deliberate attack on the fundamental freedoms of association and

A new private member’s bill by the federal NDP would restore bargaining rights the Liberals have been all too willing to trample, BCFED President Sussanne Skidmore said today. Introduced on Monday, Bill C-247 would amend the Canada Labour Code by removing section 107, which allows the Minister of Labour to short-circuit collective bargaining by referring labour disputes to the Canada Industrial

The BC Federation of Labour appreciates the opportunity to provide our recommendations with respect to the proposed amendments for Part 6, Combustible Dusts and subsequent changes to Part 4, General Conditions, Part 5, Chemical Agents and Biological Agents, and Part 31, Firefighting in the OHS regulation. The proposed combustible dust regulation resulted from the tragic dust explosions at the Babine Mill in Burns Lake and Lakeland Mill in Prince George in January and April of 2012. The Babine Mill explosion killed Robert Luggi Jr. and Carl Charlie and injured 19 workers. The Lakeland Mill explosion killed Alan Little and Glenn Roche and injured 24.

The BC Federation of Labour’s Executive Officers today voted unanimously to declare a boycott of the Coast Hotel Victoria & Marina over the hotel’s lockout of its frontline staff, members of UNITE HERE Local 40. “We reserve boycotts for the worst of employer behaviours, and this is certainly a case in point,” said BCFED President Sussanne Skidmore. “There’s no excuse for locking out workers who

by Sussanne Skidmore and Hermender Singh Kailley First published in the Vancouver Sun August 29, 2025 If there’s one bright spot in the tariff war Donald Trump is waging on us, it’s the way we’ve come together to support each other and build up our local economy. Many of us are heeding the call to “Buy BC” around everything from wine and fresh produce to where we take our vacations, with steep

A pdf of the complete submission can be found here. Introduction The BC Federation of Labour (“BCFED”) is committed to ensuring that workers' rights and well-being are maintained and strengthened as we make the necessary shift to a clean economy. In the current moment, with our governments looking for province- and nation-building projects to ensure energy sovereignty and security, there is huge

Improving benefits for injured workers and strengthening workplace safety should be the Workers’ Compensation Board’s top priority in using its “surplus,” BCFED President Sussanne Skidmore said today. The WCB — known by many as WorkSafeBC — announced Monday it would use $570 million from the Accident Fund to keep employer premiums frozen for the ninth straight year. That brings the total diverted

A pdf of the complete submission can be found here. Introduction The BC Federation of Labour (“Federation” “BCFED”) appreciates the opportunity to provide our submission with respect to the consultation on the policy on retirement age determination. The BCFED represents more than 500,000 members of our affiliated unions from more than 1,100 locals working in every aspect of the BC economy. The

June 1 is Injured Workers’ Day in Canada, when we rededicate ourselves to the fight for justice for injured workers. In British Columbia, that fight has made important strides in recent years. The BC NDP government has reversed many of the most vicious cuts to workers’ compensation made under John Rustad’s old government. Their changes have brought BC closer to a worker-centred system it was