BC Government delays royal assent of Bill 18

BC’s Advanced Education Minister Naomi Yamamoto’s short announcement via twitter on Friday afternoon that Bill 18 will not receive royal assent this fall is welcome news, but fails to commit to removing anti-democratic amendments, the BCGEU said today.

In a late afternoon tweet, the Minister posted: “No Royal Assent for Bill 18 this Fall. Looking forward to further debate.” However, there is no confirmation from the government that the sections of the Bill that severely limit the rights of union activists from serving on college and institute Boards of Governors will be removed.

“It is good news that the government won’t push forward with royal assent of the legislation this fall,” says BCGEU president Darryl Walker. “But there is no confirmation that any amendments will be made by the government, or whether they will continue to push the Bill to a vote in the legislature before the House rises on November 24.

“Fundamentally, this is a flawed legislation that would ban union activists specifically from serving as elected members of college boards. It is more important than ever that BCGEU members and the public continue to pressure the government to remove the amendments to the College and Institute Act.”

For more information, and to send an e-mail to the minister and NDP Opposition critic, visit the BCGEU campaign page at http://www.bcgeu.ca/withdraw_Bill_18.