Alberta Finance Minister comments under fire from HSAA
“The Finance Minister pledged to both protect frontline services and impose a hiring freeze. These 2 actions are incompatible." — Mike Parker, HSAA President
“The Finance Minister pledged to both protect frontline services and impose a hiring freeze. These 2 actions are incompatible." — Mike Parker, HSAA President
“These webinars are intended to give pension activists, advisory committee members, union officers, and trustees the tools they need to secure and protect decent pensions for our members” — Elisabeth Ballermann, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
"Nova Scotia's Auditor General did his job. Now it's time for Stephen McNeil to do his and take action to fix the current crisis in health care." — Kim Jenkins, second Vice-President NSGEU/NUPGE
The MGEU/NUPGE has spoken out about cuts that are driven by the bottom line instead of patient care. The union will continue to urge the Premier and Minister of Health to reverse health care cuts that are putting patient care in jeopardy.
Thomas said it was “ironic, but not funny” that the government had passed Bill 148, which improves certain labour standards, “just a few days after it had walked all over the Charter rights of more than 12,000 workers.”
"Leaving things like the quality of care, safety, monitoring and enforcement to the whims of cabinet places politics ahead of our health care. It's no way to ensure the system will be available to all who need it." — Elisabeth Ballermann, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
“When a company in financial difficulties is giving $1.4 billion to shareholders and handing executives millions of dollars in bonuses, it’s ridiculous to claim that legislation to protect pensions will affect the ability of the company to survive. What legislation to give pension plans priority in bankruptcy proceedings will do is protect workers and retirees from greed and incompetence.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
"The government of Canada needs to take a stand in defense of the majority of internet users to maintain equal access to internet sites and services, and to support our new and developing industries by opposing the implementation of two-tiered access to internet services. In an interconnected world, allowing large companies to control internet access for the many is unacceptable." Larry Brown, NUPGE President
"Lack of availability of safe and affordable housing is a major barrier for women fleeing violence." — Lise Martin, Executive Director of Women's Shelters Canada
“When working people . . . say what they need, they have the power to get it. Bill 148 is a significant step forward for workers’ rights, and I think every union, community group, and individual who helped make it happen should take a bow.” — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President
"The rising cost of housing is forcing many to leave their communities, while others are leaving the province altogether. We need to do something before our communities are hollowed out." — Stephanie Smith, BCGEU President
"There must be a shift from a culture of reacting to violence in the workplace, to a culture of violence prevention." — Karen Jackson, PEI UPSE President
“We should be long past the days where we turn a blind eye to women and girls suffering from violence,” — Elisabeth Ballermann, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
Despite her bold declaration in Germany, what Minister Catherine McKenna did not disclose to the world is that Canada continues to mine and export millions of tonnes of coal for other countries to burn, mainly but not exclusively for steelmaking plants. And this will not change.
“Cost-driven reforms are risky for patients and not the only way to find savings.”— Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU President
“These new statistics expose the grotesque and obscene failure of the global economic system. Despite all the fancy promises from our political elites, the rich are getting richer, and income inequality is growing exponentially. And what’s equally morally unconscionable is that our federal Liberal government is doing nothing to stop it.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Back to work legislation would have been unnecessary and students would have been back in class faster if the College Employer Council had taken negotiations seriously.
The contract will be presented to NBU/NUPGE members working as instructors in the community college sector.
“With cooperation from Council at the bargaining table I believe we can settle this strike in short order.” — JP Hornick, OPSEU's Chair of the faculty bargaining team
Students gathered on November 15 to show solidarity with striking OPSEU/NUPGE college academic workers.
“Dollars parked in offshore accounts mean lower corporate tax revenues, and thus individual Canadians have to pay higher taxes.” — Dennis Howlett, executive director of Canadians for Tax Fairness
“The number of events that led to emergency calls has increased nearly 36 per cent since 2009, while the population of Alberta has increased by more than 15 per cent. Yet, we have virtually the same number of ambulances." — Mike Parker, HSAA President
“If the minister can tell the colleges how to spend the money they’ve saved, she can tell them how to bargain fairly as well. I encourage her to do so this weekend.” — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President
"A year and a half may seem a long time, but there are important issues that require urgent attention. British Columbians can't wait a year and a half for real solutions." — Stephanie Smith, BCGEU President
“Canadians have repeatedly expressed their opposition to the TPP, so the Prime Minister has no public mandate to support it,” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
“College presidents should get back to the bargaining table and settle this strike now before they do any more damage to a college system that students and our economy depend on.” — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President
“Like with liquor sales, the public sale of marijuana would ensure a greater level of social responsibility while also ensuring revenue generated from the sales would go back into other public services such as health and education.” — Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU President
This survey will examine the effects of precarious work, part‐time and casual employment on employees and the continuity of care in the community social services sector.
"Climate finance is not a gift. And it’s not charity either. It’s a commitment taken based on the capacity and responsibility of the developed world, so that developing countries can start adapting and preparing their economies to the massive changes ahead." — Elisabeth Ballermann, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer, at COP23, speaking on behalf of ITUC.
Condolences go out to Stiles' family, friends and colleagues.
“Negotiation is the only way to go at this juncture. I agree completely with recent statements by the Premier and by Advanced Education Minister Deb Matthews that the solution to this strike is at the bargaining table.” — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President
The Portage Plains United Way says they have raised close to 30 per cent of their 2017 campaign goal of $232,000.
“The amount Canada loses to tax havens will drop when the federal government genuinely believes that helping a hungry child is more important than helping the wealthy avoid taxes.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
“Thanks to P3 privatization schemes, money that should be funding quality public services is ending up in tax havens.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Supporters of public services will rally outside a major privatization conference on November 6 to highlight a new poll showing that more than two-thirds of Ontarians want to keep their public services public.
NSGEU/NUPGE working with employer to address air quality conditions.
The 2017–2018 theme for the Purple Ribbon campaign looks at the power of bystanders. Don't stand by. Stand with.
The Care Comes First tour continued through the Interlake region and Western Manitoba as President Gawronsky asked members in health centres and personal care homes to join her on their breaks and talk about health care.
“Our goal will be to make sure politicians cannot claim ignorance when confronted with the appalling damage cutting community service funding has done.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
"Our members in public services — health, social and children’s services, and justice to name a few — are working with families, with victims and with perpetrators. Therefore domestic violence affects all of us, and it is all of our responsibility to participate in its eradication." — Elisabeth Ballermann, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
We applaud government for coming forward with these changes. We believe this is a reasonable approach, one that will help both employers and workers alike." — Susie Proulx-Daigle, NBU President
According to NAPE President Jerry Earle, the agreement includes increases in wages as well as several improvements in contract language.
"Currently 16,000 members of my own union who are instructors, librarians and other professional staff in community colleges in the province of Ontario have been on strike for the past 3 weeks on this very issue. Over 60 per cent of the faculty are on short-term contracts, usually 4 months long. They are seeking creation of more permanent positions and equality of wages for contract staff." — Cliff Andstein, NUPGE delegate to PSI World Congress
“If Truth and Reconciliation mean anything to the Prime Minister, and if he is truly the feminist he professes to be, it is time to end the discrimination against First Nations women in Canada." — Elisabeth Ballermann, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
Mike Parker, NUPGE NEB member and HSAA President, addressed the PSI World Congress detailing how the labour movement can push legislators to ensure presumptive coverage for mental injuries is available to all workers.