NEWS & UPDATES
May 29, 2017
DROP-IN UNION MEETING in the Downtown Eastside for GVCSS, RainCity, Lookout a...
THIS WEDNESDAY – May 31, 2017 FROM 1:00 PM TO 7:00 PM – COME WHEN YOU CAN!
Your Local 803 Executive is hosting a drop-in at the Japanese Hall, Room 416 - 487 Alexander Street, Vancouver. BCGEU Members working in the Downtown Eastside have difficult jobs and face unique problems.
Your representatives want to meet you and hear about the concerns you have at work. Come and talk with them about ...
May 26, 2017
Michael Hudson on the Vancouver Affordability Crisis - BCGEU
On April 14, over 400 people packed the sold-out Rio Theatre to hear economist Michael Hudson talk about the Vancouver affordability crisis in an event organized by the BCGEU and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
His presentation and the following Q&A touched on the links between global financial systems and the real estate market. His talk explores the ways in which rising real ...
May 26, 2017
Canada’s mayors call for speedy approval of proposals to address overdose cri...
Canada’s big-city mayors are calling for the expedited approval of new supervised drug-consumption sites, improved data collection and the expansion of unconventional therapies, such as heroin-assisted treatment, to address a national overdose crisis that shows no signs of abating.
The formal recommendations from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ task force on the opioid crisis come as...
May 26, 2017
Blistering VPD report calls for drug treatment on demand - BCGEU
At least three Vancouver police officers have been exposed to fentanyl during the opioid crisis.
That's just one statistic revealed in a Vancouver Police Departmnet report released Wednesday, which says the force feels "an ethical obligation to call for change" in how the crisis is being dealt with.
Read more...
May 25, 2017
Tentative Settlement Reached for Living Well Home Care Services Inc. - BCGEU
REVISED ADDRESS UPDATE
Your Bargaining Committee is pleased to announce that a tentative deal has been reached for a first collective agreement for members employed at Living Well Home Care.
The Bargaining Committee is recommending that you vote YES to accept the tentative new agreement.
Ratification votes will be held on the following days:
Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 @ 11:00am to 2:...
May 25, 2017
Vancouver hosts public forum focused on opioid crisis - BCGEU
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Fighting back against the deadly opioid epidemic gripping the province will be the discussion topic at a public forum tonight hosted by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson.
“It’s going to be an update on where we’re at right now. Vancouver of course is hardest hit by this crisis in BC. So it’s going to be local service providers and the mayor talking about what we have done...
May 24, 2017
OHS Courses for Labour Code OHS Committee Members in the Victoria Area - BCGEU
"Joint OHS Committee Training" will be held on Tuesday, July 18 and "Incident Investigations" will be held on Wednesday, July 19. These courses will be held at the BCGEU office at 2994 Douglas St, Victoria from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm.
In the Joint OHS Committee Training course you will learn:
Worker OHS rights, including the refusal of unsafe work procedure
OHS legislation
Roles and responsibilitie...
May 18, 2017
Progress on opioids, incoherence on marijuana - BCGEU
The move toward marijuana legalization is … still not as coherent as it could be, let’s say. The Liberal legislation, unveiled last month, would establish rules around THC-impaired driving that may well prove unconstitutional: science has yet to establish a solid link between a given level of THC concentration in a driver’s blood or saliva and his level of impairment. Frustratingly, there are s...
May 16, 2017
Strike vote results for members at We Care Home Health Services - BCGEU
To: All BCGEU Members L804 at We Care Home Health Services Re: Strike vote results
Your committee is pleased to report the strike vote passed with 97% in favour of strike action, if necessary.
This show of unwavering support provides us with a strong mandate to press for a fair and reasonable settlement, and to send the message loud and clear, the concessions on the table are unacce...
May 16, 2017
Provincial Government Awards Contract for Asbestos Inventory - BCGEU
The B.C. Government has taken a step forward in its commitment to create an inventory of asbestos in government buildings built before 1990 by awarding the contract to Pinchin West.
There are over 750 government buildings that must be inspected as part of this initiative and it is estimated the inventory will take about 18 months to complete.
Until the inventory has been completed, there will b...
May 15, 2017
Post-election message from Stephanie Smith - BCGEU
While we wait for the final results of recounts and absentee ballots, it’s become clear just how important your vote can be: one party is currently leading Courtenay-Comox by just 9 votes and another is leading in Richmond-Queensborough by only 263 votes.
Regardless of the outcome, we will continue to work with government as we advocate for improved public services and supports across BC – inc...
May 15, 2017
Update from Joint Labour-Management Committee Meeting for 803 GVCSS members -...
To: All BCGEU Members at Greater Vancouver Community Services Society Re: Update from Joint Labour-Management Committee Meeting
Follow-up To CHWs and 15 Minute Visits
In a previous bulletin, you were instructed to talk to your Supervisor if you have a client on 15-minute visits and if a longer visit is required for their care. The Employer has agreed that if you can provide a good ...
May 15, 2017
Overdose calls spike in Vancouver — again — during first week of May - BCGEU
A barrage of overdose calls marked the first week of May in Vancouver.
For the second time in less than a month, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS) reported more than 150 overdose calls in one week — responding to 168 calls last week. Vancouver Police reported seven suspected overdose deaths for the same period.
Read more...
May 10, 2017
Local 803 - Your Local Executive Coming to Downtown Eastside - BCGEU
SAVE THE DATE! May 31, 2017 (1-7pm) Your Local 803 Executive will be hosting a drop-in at the Japanese Hall, 487 Alexander Street, Vancouver. Your representatives want to meet you and hear about the concerns you have at work. In attendance will be:
Masoud Aminzavvar of Lookout, Local Chair
Seyran Enveri of GVCSS, Treasurer
Roxanne Martel of NSHS, Recording Secretary
Kathleen Muir of RainCit...
May 09, 2017
Discussion at Joint Labour Management Meeting for all 803 Members at Bayshore...
To: All Local 803 BCGEU Members at Bayshore Home Health Re: Discussion at Joint Labour Management Meeting
Following our recent Joint Labour-Management Meeting, the Union would like to make you aware of the following.
Right To Refuse Overtime As per Article 16.8 you have the right to refuse overtime (except in an emergency). You must be contacted and asked to work overtime. Overtime ...
May 05, 2017
B.C. Election 2017: Horgan speaks out on fentanyl crisis, more must be done -...
With deaths from illicit drug overdoses continuing to climb in the Lower Mainland, NDP Leader John Horgan said Thursday that the B.C. Liberals aren’t doing enough to mitigate the crisis.
Read more...
May 04, 2017
BC Employment Standards Coalition releases report: Why BC Employment Standard...
Today the BC Employment Standards Coalition released a powerful report called Workers’ Stories of Exploitation & Abuse: Why BC Employment Standards Need to Change. The report is based on a series of Workers’ Forums the coalition hosted over the past few months in the Lower Mainland and Victoria to give voice to BC workers who have been treated unfairly. The report brings the inadequacies of...
May 04, 2017
Day of Mourning honours lives lost on the job - BCGEU
About 25 people gathered at City Hall Friday afternoon to march in honour of those who lost their lives in the workplace.
The annual Day of Mourning recognizes the need for safe work practices and those who died on the job.
Kurt Langdon, an equipment operator with the city of Fort St. John and local chair for the BCGEU, said he was pleased to see the number of people that came out.
Read more...