VERNON— BC Assessment offices in Vernon and Penticton are slated to be shut down by the provincial government. The 22 members of CUPE 1767 who work at these offices want to keep jobs and services local and have launched an online petition to let the province know.

The province wants a single office for the entire Okanagan located in Kelowna.

BURNABY — CUPE members voted overwhelmingly against a proposed agreement in the Community Health sector.

The two-year deal features no general wage increase, no new money for benefits, and no major improvements in employee rights.

Members of CUPE Local 3495, representing workers at the BC Persons with AIDS Society, voted 94% against the proposed agreement.

“Members were appalled that the new deal eliminates pre-existing conditions from coverage under our Long Term Disability plan for new employees,” explains CUPE 3495 president, Zoran Stjepanovic.

Canadian reports find problems with public-private partnerships

BURNABY—Evidence is mounting that Canadian taxpayers are being sold a bill of goods with privatization.

BURNABY – A lunchtime crowd of 40 people had two strong messages for Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee: negotiation is always better than legislation and ambulance response times in British Columbia are a disgrace.

CUPE BC regional vice-president Colin Pawson told the crowd a story about a school district gardener who fell off a ladder. As he lay on the ground unable to move, he wondered how long it would take for help to arrive.

Victoria council committee to hear motion on Thursday

VICTORIA— The Greater Victoria Board of Education will be letting city councils and the Capital Regional District (CRD) board know that it supports public water and sewage treatment.

VICTORIA—Warnings surfaced a few days ago about yet another privatization attempt at UVic.

RICHMOND – The provincial government’s report on the BC Ambulance Service released today appears to live up to paramedics’ predictions that it would be of little practical use in addressing the complex and pressing issues facing deteriorating ambulance services.

The report was put together in eight weeks by former career bureaucrat Chris Trumpy without input from the Ambulance Paramedics of BC, CUPE 873, which represents the province’s 3,500 paramedics.

VANCOUVER—CUPE’s Community Health bargaining committee is recommending rejection of the tentative agreement reached with the Liberal government and the BCGEU last week.

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

PENTICTON – More than 50 boisterous union activists and supporters gathered outside Liberal MLA Bill Barisoff’s office Saturday to protest his support of Bill 21.

Accompanied by two ambulances, the marchers waved flags, wore signs and handed out buttons to pedestrians, while motorists honked their horns in support of free collective bargaining for paramedics.