News and media

Vancouver - A significant expansion in Canada Pension Plan benefits is now one step closer to becoming a reality after BC ended its holdout status and formally signed on to the agreement reached at a First Ministers’ meeting in July. “Improving CPP benefits and retirement security for millions of Canadians is the most important expansion of a social program in Canada for decades,” says Irene

Vancouver - Proposals from a parliamentary committee dominated by the federal Liberal government could—if enacted—make it easier for employers to use temporary foreign workers instead of recruiting Canadian workers by paying decent wages and implementing much needed skills training programs. “There will be intense pressure facing Employment Minister, MaryAnn Mihychuk, and Immigration Minister

Vancouver - The BC Federation of Labour has given the thumbs up to NDP Leader John Horgan’s pledge to build public transit in the Lower Mainland. “We’ve endured transportation grid lock in the region for far too long because of Premier Clark and the choices she’s made and the partisan political games she’s played,” says Federation President Irene Lanzinger. “The NDP proposal is a sound plan that

Vancouver - The $0.40 per hour increase in BC’s minimum wage that takes effect today will do little to address BC’s problem of poverty and inequality, says the BC Federation of Labour. “The small raise still means that 500,000 BC workers earn poverty wages—under $15 per hour. That’s one out of every four workers in our province,” says BCFED President Irene Lanzinger. “Premier Clark has done

Vancouver - The BC Federation of Labour says big-time fines should be levied against the contractor building the Evergreen rapid transit line after the company was found to have illegally fired a worker who complained about unsafe working conditions, and then lied about the reasons behind the termination. “The conduct of SNC-Lavalin is reprehensible,” says BC Federation of Labour President Irene

Plight of low-wage workers symbolic of Premier Clark’s abject failure to deal with poverty, inequality As we celebrate the holiday—Labour Day—that honours the contributions working people make every day to our economy and our communities, I’m asking all British Columbians to take a moment to think about this. Imagine you work full-time and support yourself or your family on less than $20,000 a