BURNABY - CUPE BC is applauding all British Columbians who put their names forward in elections for mayors, councillors, school board trustees and regional district representatives across the province on November 15th.

CASTLEGAR – CUPE 2262 members who work for the City of Castlegar were joined by friends and supporters as they began picketing on Saturday morning.

CUPE 2262 president Leford Lafayette said that solidarity on the line is strong and members are solidly behind the need to take full-scale strike action in order to pressure the City to get back to the bargaining table and find a fair deal.

BURNABY—Earlier this month CUPE BC released its 2014 Local Elections Guide to members as a special insert in the Public Employee magazine. Today translated versions of the guide were released.

CASTLEGAR – CUPE 2262 members who work for the City of Castlegar have issued 72-hour strike notice of a full withdrawal of service.

CUPE 2262 president Leford Lafayette said that following Monday night’s presentation to city council, it is clear that elected officials are not focused on getting back to the bargaining table and reaching a fair deal with city workers. 

CASTLEGAR – City council candidates heard loud and clear about the bargaining breakdown between the City of Castlegar and its CUPE workers at the Castlegar & District Chamber All-Candidates Forum.

With a number of questions coming to candidates, there was clear support for getting back to the bargaining table and having the mayor and council take some leadership in reaching a fair deal with city workers. 

KELOWNA - CUPE 338 members who work for the City of Kelowna have ratified a new five-year agreement.

The previous agreement expired in December 2013 and bargaining began April 1, 2014. Following a lengthy and difficult round of bargaining that included a strong strike vote and mediation, Kelowna city workers are pleased to have stability for five years.

CUPE 338 President Lee Mossman said that the union pushed back on concessions and worked hard to achieve a solid contract.

VANCOUVER—Members from across the province focused on the theme “Building safe psychological and physical workplaces” at CUPE BC’s Occupational Health and Safety Conference held October 22 – 24 in Victoria.

OH&S Committee Chair Dal Benning chaired the conference, which was opened with a blessing from First Nations Elder Butch Dick of the Songhees Nation.

COURTENAY—A town hall meeting held here earlier this week revealed a deep well of frustration and anger with the Harper Conservative government for dismantling public health care while allowing private, for-profit clinics to proliferate.

As everyone knows, recent weeks have seen a dramatic increase in the media’s coverage of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). While most information coming out has been based on the facts, there has also been a great deal of speculation and misinformation that can spread rapidly.

Moist, Barlow, local residents call for protection and expansion of Medicare

CAMPBELL RIVER—More than 200 people crammed into the Maritime Heritage Centre here on Monday night (October 20), as CUPE National President Paul Moist and Council of Canadians National Chairperson Maude Barlow led a spirited town hall meeting that called for an end to the Harper Conservative government’s gutting of public health care.