News and media

November 14, 2025 |
Releases

“This is huge”: BCFED welcomes massive provincial investment in skills training

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

October 30, 2025 |
Statements

Canada’s federations of labour issue joint statement in solidarity with Alberta teachers, condemning Alberta’s use of notwithstanding clause

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

October 8, 2025 |
Releases

BCFED applauds NDP bill to stop federal interference with bargaining rights

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

September 26, 2025 |
Briefs

Submission to WCB re proposed amendments to Part 6, Combustible Dusts

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.

September 25, 2025 |
Releases

BCFED declares boycott over Coast Hotel Victoria lockout

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

August 29, 2025 |
Op-Eds

“Buying BC” starts with investing in workers

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


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The BC Federation of Labour office is located on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) territories.