PORT ALBERNI – CUPE 118, municipal workers in Port Alberni, sponsored the first playoff hockey game of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs last night as part of their action to build community support for public services.

The Local welcomed local hockey fans at the CUPE booth that featured photos of members at work in Port Alberni (taken by CUPE 118 member Ryan Foster). Fans were able to pick up decals in support of public services, get information on what CUPE does, and enter a draw.

RICHMOND – In an effort to conclude stymied contract talks, the Ambulance Paramedics of BC have agreed to roll over their collective agreement until April 1, 2012.

CUPE 873 president John Strohmaier says the move to extend the current collective agreement “would at least give paramedics and emergency dispatchers some much needed stability while allowing both the union and the employer to use existing mechanisms to resolve the day-to-day operational needs.

BURNABY—If local governments opt for public private partnerships (P3s), something which is under consideration for the Capital Regional District’s new sewage treatment, they are more vulnerable to the restrictions of the Canada-United States Procurement Agreement (CUPA).

A new legal opinion by Steven Shrybman of Sack Goldblatt Mitchell says the CUPA contains temporary rules that will make it difficult for the CRD to achieve environmental protection and local economic development objectives.

CUPE women at the IWD breakfast.

BURNABY – Union women celebrated International Women’s Day with a breakfast that included bread and roses, as well as inspiring and moving words from Adrienne Montani of First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition and BC NDP Leader Carole James.

BURNABY —As International Women’s Day approaches, we reflect on the past year and highlight opportunities to celebrate this important day.

In the past year, the CUPE BC women’s committee has reached out into our communities to support community partners who share our goals. The initial outcome of this initiative has been very exciting as there are many initiatives that we can participate in.

BURNABY—Community social services workers are in every community in B.C., helping people daily. The services these workers provide are crucial to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the province. Yet these programs remain a low priority for the provincial government.

BURNABY – The BCGEU announced today that the contract negotiated on behalf of community health workers has been ratified by a vote of 76 per cent.

All four CUPE Community Health sector locals (CUPE 4816, 3495, 15, and 3403-01) soundly rejected the tentative agreement reached with the Health Employer’s Association (HEABC) and the BCGEU in early January.

The tentative agreement offers no general wage increases for two years and trades off hard-won existing benefits for new benefits.

VICTORIA—With its first post-Olympics budget, the BC Liberal government is worsening economic polarization and providing little relief to rural communities suffering from the economic crisis, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

“This government talks a great line about ‘partnerships’ and ‘innovation’ when it comes to overseas investors and private development incentives, but not when it comes to strengthening our local economies,” said CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill.

“BC’s finance minister boasts about this province having the lowest corporate tax rate in the G7.

VANCOUVER–The Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) have agreed to begin contract discussions March 17, 2010. The current collective agreement expires at the end of March.

Health Sciences Association (HSA) is the lead union, representing 16,000 health science professionals in the HSPBA. CUPE represents over 500 members in this bargaining association represented by CUPE Locals 15, 1978 and 4816.

BURNABY—Representatives from the community social services sector’s multi-union negotiating team met by conference call on February 22, at the request of the B.C. Government and Services Employees’ Union.