After finish reading Rod Mickleburgh’s new history of the BC Labour movement ‘On the Line’, the first emotion I feel is anger. Anger at how the apparatus of the State, through the decades and at the behest of robber barons, company bosses and the corporate elite, have conspired to thwart working people from not only our rightful share of the economic bounty but simply having some measure of control of our lives.
Read MoreOn October 20th citizens all across BC will have an opportunity to elect mayors, councilors, and area directors – the leadership of our local government. Unfortunately, only about 25-35 per cent of those citizens will exercise that right. As a participant, a few years back, in a group called the Citizens Voice Project, I feel strongly that not voting in these elections is a serious omission. Local governments are the most accessible level of democratic expression and City Hall, in many ways, has the most influence on people’s day to day lives.
Read MoreCanadians value fairness yet we tolerate a basically unfair system to elect our representatives. In BC this autumn we have an opportunity to correct that problem. Between Oct 22 and Nov. 30 there will be a referendum conducted by mail in ballot in which the question is asked, ‘Do you want to change the present past the post electoral system –yes or no?’ If you do want to change it, you have three choices for proportional representation voting systems and you can decide on the one you want.
Read MoreThe US Supreme Court ruled on June 27th on the Janus vs. AFSCME case that an Illinois law requiring workers, in a unionized workplace, to pay their ‘fair share’ of union dues, was a violation of ‘free speech’ and so was unconstitutional. Essentially this makes all public sector jurisdictions in the US governed by “right to work” legislation.
Read More There are a number of notable quotes around the subject of history.
‘History is written by the victors’- Winston Churchill ‘
There often is an ‘official’ version of history taught in schools and disseminated by the media that is so persuasive most people take it as a fact of life but that does not mean it is the only history out there. It is very difficult to kill an idea or a memory, and as long as a few people carry the alternative narrative within them, it can eventually be brought into the light.
Two representatives of the BC Government Employees Union (BCGEU) recently made a presentation to the Labour Council about a project BCGEU has undertaken called “Building an Affordable B.C.” which examines causes of the housing crisis in BC and proposes some concrete ways that we can make housing affordable. It makes sense that a union would undertake a campaign such as this. Our members don’t become non-members once they leave the job site. The stresses and insecurities they face affect them as workers and as members. Those stresses have a chilling effect on their willingness to speak out or to take action if they are one payment away from losing their home or they can’t make next month’s rent. Also, the collective bargaining process can be distorted if wage increases become the end all and be all and other important issues are relegated to the back burner.
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