FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
September 13, 2023

New report demonstrates vacancy control is a common-sense policy urgently needed to address housing crisis 

BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) today released Evaluating Prospects for Vacancy Control Policy in B.C.'s Housing Affordability Crisis, a comprehensive assessment of vacancy control policy (where rent control is tied to the unit rather than a tenancy agreement). The report finds no evidence that tying rent to the unit has had significant negative impacts on developing new rental housing supply. Instead, a lack of vacancy control represents a loophole in B.C.'s rent control laws that has allowed rents to rise between 10-23 per cent year after year since 2019 in major metro areas. 

The union is calling on the provincial government to amend the Residential Tenancy Act and implement vacancy control as part of the solution to the housing crisis. 

"Rising rents have been a key driver of housing inflation for over a decade, and this has become increasingly untenable for the one in three British Columbia residents who are renters," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "While the provincial government has taken important steps to help limit runaway rent increases during a tenancy, they have stopped short of regulating rents between tenancies. We cannot leave vacancy control off the table any longer." 

The report tackles key myths about vacancy control, and rent control more generally, and outlines case studies of vacancy control policies in B.C., Ontario, Manitoba and P.E.I. from the 1970s onward. It also proposes seven recommendations – including the implementation of vacancy control as an "evidence-based social policy" rather than one that is determined based on purely economic grounds. 

The union is also joined today by organizations from across the province gathering on the B.C. Legislature lawn to rally in support of vacancy control and other policy solutions needed to address the housing crisis. In attendance at the rally are groups representing organized labour, tenants, faith and anti-poverty organizations: 

"Too many working people can't afford to live and raise their families in the communities they work in - and the spiraling cost of rent is a huge factor. Vacancy control not only helps to stop that upward spiral, but it removes one of the strongest incentives for landlords to pressure tenants to move out. For working families, that means lower costs and more stable homes." - Hermender Singh Kailley, Secretary-Treasurer, BC Federation of Labour 

"The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition represents over 80 member organizations across B.C. that advocate for public policy solutions to end poverty, homelessness and inequality. Vacancy control is a crucial tenet of building a durable foundation for affordable housing throughout B.C., and is a part of our Blueprint for Justice policy platform. B.C. needs vacancy control now – tackling the housing crisis requires strong measures, and we need to see government action to make affordable housing a human right again." - Rowan Burdge, BC Poverty Reduction Coalition Provincial Director 

"MVA is a coalition of labour, faith, community and nonprofit groups in the Lower Mainland representing over 100,000 people that come together to work on shared goals that make Metro Vancouver a more just place to live. We believe that housing and homes are basic human rights, and that vacancy control will aid in turning this right into a reality for those of us living in one of the most expensive and beautiful places in the world." - Metro Vancouver Alliance 

"Our current rent control laws reward bad landlords who continuously kick their tenants out just so they can jack up the rent. Every week, the Community Legal Assistance Society receives calls for help from tenants facing eviction based on false or flimsy pretenses by landlords trying to get around the rent control limits. This harsh reality will continue until the government limits the rent increases that landlords can impose, not just during a tenancy, but also when new tenants are brought in." - Danielle Sabelli, Community Legal Assistance Society

"Since 2018 our union has been telling this government that real rent control (vacancy control) is the only way to remove the financial incentive to evict tenants, and for over five years this government has refused to act. Metro Vancouver is the eviction capital of Canada, and tenants are organizing with their neighbours to keep themselves and their homes safe. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that working people can get together and demand a better deal from their landlords, and through this freedom of association, tenants can collectively bargain to demand vacancy control in their buildings. While we continue to demand this government take action, it's important for us to fight for the right of tenants to collectively bargain in the face of increasing crackdown on tenant organizing by the landlord class."- Mazdak Gharibnavaz, Vancouver Tenants Union. 

"The Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre firmly believes that implementing vacancy control is necessary to protect renters in B.C. at a time of unprecedented crisis. Thousands of tenants contact us every year with requests for legal assistance when their landlords threaten to evict them for "landlord use" or no-fault evictions unless they agree to a higher rent increase than allowed by law. We hear so many stories about the insecurity people feel in their housing – all driven by the profit motive that fuels our eviction epidemic. Tenants' security of tenure in their homes and their fundamental human right to housing must take precedent over investor returns on real estate. Vacancy control will remove the incentive to evict people and protect tenants' right to housing as an important part of addressing the affordability crisis." - Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre 

"I represent GVAT (Greater Victoria Acting Together), a coalition of caring Victoria organizations representing faith groups, unions, service providers, environmental and other non-governmental organizations. As part of our ongoing work on affordable housing, we lobby for provincial policies that meet the critical needs of tenants. Too many families and individuals are being evicted to avoid the type of rent control that dies when they move out. We cannot solve homelessness until we can keep our community safely housed. That is why we support real rent control - vacancy control." - Lynn Beak, Greater Victoria Acting Together 

The report was commissioned by the BCGEU as part of its Affordable BC campaign which proposes bold policy solutions to address the housing crisis for working class people. A copy of Evaluating Prospects for Vacancy Control Policy in B.C.'s Housing Affordability Crisis can be found here: https://www.affordablebc.ca/vacancycontrolreport

Since 2017, the BCGEU has worked with experts to research and develop extensive housing policy solutions that can be implemented immediately by the province, and all levels of government to address the housing crisis. Visit www.affordablebc.ca to learn more. 

The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with over 85,000 members in almost every community and economic sector in the province. 

For more information contact [email protected].

UWU/MoveUP

These are unprecedented, difficult times. After weeks of the worst wildfire season yet, officials have declared a state of emergency and put in place evacuation orders for thousands of people in the Kelowna, West Kelowna and Shuswap areas.

We have many members living in the Okanagan area and other impacted regions of B.C. Our thoughts are with you and your families at this time.

As one of B.C.'s largest unions, and as the union representing many of the emergency crews serving our communities, we are here to support our members and affected communities across the province.

That's why we want to make sure all BCGEU members affected by this crisis are aware of the emergency relief fund that can help you out during moments like these.
If you have lost your home as a result of the wildfires, you may be eligible to apply for emergency financial assistance.

If you believe you are eligible for these funds, please contact the Kelowna area office (250) 763-6405 / 1-800-667-1132  or the Kamloops area office (250) 372-8223 / 1-800-667-0054 to speak to a staff representative and receive the application form.

Note: A completed FA-111 application form must be submitted within three months of the fire, flood or other natural disaster to receive payment, which will be made directly by your component. Applicants must be full or life BCGEU members as noted in constitution and bylaws articles 4.1 and 4.4.

Learn more about how to find the full list of wildfires, highway closures and evacuation orders and alerts.

Throughout this crisis, we will be doing our best to support you and your communities. Please feel free to get in touch with us should you have any issues with your employer during this time.

In solidarity,

Paul Finch, BCGEU Treasurer

UWU/MoveUP

Dear MGEU liquor workers,

On behalf of the B.C. General Employees' Union, I write to you to share an expression of solidarity as you stand on the line fighting for a new agreement with wages that reflect the rising cost of living.

I know that you, and workers across the country, have seen your wages significantly eroded by inflation and that the government offer of a two per cent increase for each year of the agreement means you would be falling further and further behind. You certainly deserve a raise at least in line with the raise Manitoba's own premier and her MLAs are receiving.

BCGEU members in the liquor and cannabis sector proved just last year that strike action can work, after two weeks of job action forced the employer back to the table and helped get a deal members could ratify.

Overwhelming support and solidarity from across the country helped keep morale high on our picket lines -- we want to send that solidarity back to you and help encourage you to stand strong and fight for a better deal.

Solidarity is always the basis of positive social change. When workers stand together and use their collective power they improve their working conditions and help create a more just and equal world.

When we stand together, we win!

In solidarity,

Stephanie Smith,
BCGEU President

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2023

BCGEU condemns City of Vancouver's decision to allow Yaletown OPS to close 

BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – The City of Vancouver's decision last week to allow the lease at Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) in Yaletown to expire in March 2024 will put lives at risk at a time when harm reduction services are needed more than ever. 

"We are in the midst of a drug-poisoning crisis. Shutting down one of the most-used overdose prevention sites in the city with no plans for an alternative is unacceptable to our members who work at this facility and the clients they serve," said Paul Finch, BCGEU treasurer. 

The BCGEU is calling on Mayor Ken Sim and the ABC majority to intervene and renew the lease until an alternative space in the downtown area is secured. 

In addition to overdose prevention visits averaging 100 per day, the Yaletown site also distributes food donations and water during heat waves. The loss of this site or an alternative would represent a significant gap in multiple supports that vulnerable people in the area depend on. 

"We urge the City of Vancouver to extend the lease in order to save lives while an alternative space, one that addresses the needs of the community accessing services as well as residents in the surrounding area, is found," said Finch. 

Hundreds of BCGEU members at Raincity Housing and Support Society and Lookout Housing and Health Society work at overdose prevention sites, including at Thomus Donaghy OPS. 

-30- 

Media contact: [email protected].

UWU/MoveUP

Statement from BCGEU President Stephanie Smith

Forty years after the dramatic worker occupation of the Tranquille Institution, its impact is still as meaningful and significant as it was then. It's a story of courage and a story of collective action. 

Worker power cannot be understated: the historic 22-day occupation of Tranquille is a major piece of labour history that was made by working-class, everyday people in this province. It remains to be one of our country's most inspiring examples of workers using collective action to protect both workers' rights and the rights of those they cared for. It took tremendous courage, and as a result they successfully stood up to their employer to make collective demands to advocate for quality community care for the people they supported, for their community, and for themselves.

It's important to remember our movement's history and our roots. Honouring and acknowledging the Tranquille occupation helps us continue to build on what we've learned from past battles. Actions like this remind us of the need to connect the struggles of our members to broader struggles for social justice around disability rights, pushing back against the gutting of the public service, and expanding it to include the community health some of our most vulnerable citizens rely on.

Despite meaningful progress made in our movement in the last four decades, there is always still work to be done. The courage and solidarity of the members who occupied Tranquille is a reminder of our power when we stand together. They did what they knew was the right thing, even when it seemed like all odds were against them. They refused to give up. Let's take inspiration from their actions and bring the same determination to the fights we face today.

UWU/MoveUP

It is with heavy hearts that our union mourns the loss of one of our BCGEU family who lost her life today fighting a wildfire outside of Revelstoke.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to her family and community, both at home and in the BC Wildfire Service.

B.C. wildland firefighters are renowned for their teamwork and incredible service to our communities. Each and every one is committed to ensuring that their fellow members return from work safely while protecting our resources and our communities. Unfortunately, incidents like today's remind us all how dangerous this work can be.

As a union, we are committed to making occupational health and safety the highest priority in our worksites. Over the coming days, we will ensure that the WorkSafeBC investigation into the incident is thorough and that her colleagues have access to all necessary counselling and supports.

As fellow workers, we mourn her loss. 

UWU/MoveUP

Seniors' care workers in Chilliwack ratify new agreement 

Members of the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) working at Lynnwood Retirement Residence have ratified their new collective agreement by a vote of 100%. 

Over months of negotiations, these workers fought for a living wage that would address the soaring cost of living and put an end to high staff turnover at their facility. 

The new agreement, effective August 1, 2020, until July 31, 2024, includes: 

• General wage increases of about 14.5% on average over the term of the agreement. 

• Improved extended health care and other benefits. 

• New language to make communication between management and staff clearer and more consistent.

These gains will significantly improve conditions for both workers and the residents who live at Lynnwood Retirement Residence.

View previous media release for more details: Seniors' care workers issue 72-hour strike notice 

The 35 BCGEU members at Lynnwood work as front desk services, housekeepers, line cooks, chefs, dishwashers, servers and activities and events specialists.

UWU/MoveUP

Photo description: Members of the BCGEU Indigenous Advisory Committee in front of the Tlúu Xaadaa Naay Longhouse, Old Masset, Haida Gwaii

National Indigenous Peoples Day: 21 Things you can do on June 21st

Activities marking National Indigenous Peoples Day are held from coast to coast to coast on and around June 21^st to commemorate and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples. These events honour the diverse traditions, resilience, and contributions of Indigenous communities. This year, here are 21 things that you can do on June 21^st:

1. Attend an event in your community such as the pancake breakfast and friendship walk at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre or other events around the province listed here.
 
2. Support and honour Indigenous children by wearing orange. Orange represents the "Every Child Matters" movement which remembers the countless children whose lives were taken from them through the residential school system.
 
3. Read the recommendations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
 
4. Listen to a CBC Reclaimed playlist or watch the documentary Rumble: Indians who rocked the world.
 
5. Read the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
 
6. Learn more about whose land you are on and learn a greeting in the traditional language.
 
7. Start listening to an Indigenous-created podcast.
 
8. Support and amplify Indigenous-owned businesses in your community.
 
9. Celebrate the history and contributions of two-Spirit peoples and other members of the LGBTQQIA communities during Pride celebrations.
 
10. Read and celebrate Indigenous authors and storytellers and Indigenous-owned booksellers.
 
11. Watch the APTN's National Indigenous Peoples Day broadcast on June 21^st, 2023.
 
12. Watch a film from the National Film Board of Canada's catalog of over 200 Indigenous-created films.
 
13. Learn 21 things you may not have known about the Indian Act.
 
14. Stand in solidarity with land defenders such as Indigenous Climate Action, RAVEN and Indigenous Environment Network.
 
15. Learn about and follow these Indigenous trailblazers who are leaders in the arts, journalism, business, culture and share their stories on social media.
 
16. Challenge yourself to stop using language and talk that perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Here is a helpful guide
 
17. Do some independent learning on Canada's history of colonialism. Thomas King's An Inconvenient Indian is a good start.
 
18. Celebrate Indigenous artists at galleries such as the Bill Reid Gallery or other galleries that showcase the rich traditions of different nations.
 
19. Donate to Indigenous organizations or to residential schools' survivor groups such as the Indian Residential Schools Survivors.
 
20. Share This Land: A companion resource for Early Childhood Educators to accompany Musqueum short films.
 
21. Keep learning- even when it's uncomfortable.
 
This is just a start, and we hope that you have some of your own ideas. And remember, there are 365 days in the year when we should learn, acknowledge, celebrate, and uplift Indigenous peoples and communities!

UWU/MoveUP

The BCGEU is pleased to support our 2023 scholarship recipients in their continuing education.

Click here for the 2023 scholarship winners

(Winners will be mailed a letter with instructions on how to claim their scholarship).

This year, applicants were asked to write an essay or submit a video on one of five topics:

1. Workplace health and safety is a core value of the labour movement. What role do unions play to ensure the health and safety of workers? How has health and safety in the workplace evolved? 

2. Describe a protest you have seen or taken part in and the positive ways it has changed your perspective, your life or your community. 

3. If you were a leader in a position of power, what steps would you take to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and who would you involve? 

4. How has the rising cost of inflation affected your community? Has it impacted your ability to seek a higher education? How? What part do unions play to address the rising cost of living? 

5. What challenges have you faced in your life that led you to seek higher education? What helped you on this journey? What other resources would support this goal? 

You can read some of the top winning essays below: (please link attached essays to names)

• Willow Hamilton
• Alina Wong
• Yazdanmehr Gordanpour
• Owen Lang

UWU/MoveUP