ITA Bureaucracy harms BC Economy

"I’m writing you today to inform you of what we perceive as a bureaucratic step introduced by the Industry Training Authority (ITA) approximately a year ago which amounts to nothing more than duplicitous red tape. This step requires the sponsor to fill out paperwork to simply confirm what they have already told the ITA, which is, the apprentice is ready for Journeyman status. This further step compounds the real problem which is..."

Read the full letter to the ITA

LabourStart's Boycott Sears E-mail Campaign

Sears Holdings Corporation has 3800 retail stores and over $50 billion in annual revenues in Canada and the U.S. On October 1, 2007, Sears Canada locked out 70 appliance repair technicians in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Sears said the technicians could return to work under imposed terms that do not include any scheduled wage increases for four years, allow Sears to schedule split workweeks without two consecutive days off, eliminate certain overtime premiums, and remove a pre-existing paid holiday. Sears also said the technicians returning to work would not pay union dues. Two months later, the lockout continues. The locked-out technicians are asking North American workers to boycott Sears stores in order to get Sears back to bargaining.

Please help by telling Sears you support the locked-out technicians. Go to the LabourStart Link at http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=327

Bring M212 forward for a Legislative Debate on TILMA

On April 31, 2007, the Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) came into effect in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The province of B.C. has yet to debate the need for such an agreement, even in the most obvious of places, including the legislature. The BC Liberals have introduced Bill 17, which amends the current legislation that allows courts to order the BC government to pay out monetary settlements, through the private court system set up under TILMA. When Bill 17 comes forward in the legislature the discussion will only allow for a debate on that Bill and discussion on the Agreement itself will be ruled out of order.

A Private Members Bill named M212, which would allow for debate on the Agreement, has been put on the floor. This Bill introduces the full text of the Agreement into the legislature and would allow for significant debate on TILMA to take place in the legislature.

If you are concerned about TILMA and the impact the Agreement will have on democratic process, we encourage you to sign this petition for Premier Gordon Campbell and Minister of Economic Development Colin Hansen, letting them know that you want to see M212 brought forward to ensure debate on TILMA in the legislature.

Visit Care2 - The Petition Site and Sign the Petition

Who knew? First Old Roy dog food that killed dogs, human feces contaminated, farm-raised tiger shrimp, dangerous chemicals in toothpaste, high lead content in the paint of infant toys, high bacteria count in food, and...

Used chopsticks latest mess in Chinese food scare

Will this Chinese recall situation ever end? Well, not today. In the latest edition, a factory in the Chinese capital of Beijing apparently recycled used chopsticks -- to the tune of 100,000 pairs per day -- without properly disinfecting them. Nice, huh?

It's hard to say how used chopsticks were not immediately outed as being used (unless the initial owners left no teeth marks), but in an age of recalls that included pet food, medicine, tires, toothpaste and toys, I guess eating utensils was just the next step.

China's immense growth apparently has led to a complete oversight of inspections for goods as the company marches toward becoming the second-largest exporter in the world behind the U.S.

Lets help stop the mayem in our Health Care Industry.

CLICK HERE to help BC Health Care Workers obtain a good Collective Agreement.

Date: September 27
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: Ports Theatre, 125 Front St.