Victoria Rally For Cowichan Transit April 14 2025

Ocean Concrete in Victoria B.C. Locks Out its Workers to Force Concessions

 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ocean-concrete-locks-out-workers-to-force-concessions-828350574.html?fbclid=IwAR0ZFAL9JYZgPsX9sjQR261YPZSfPBWpal10YucS-o_bPl0ur7EbDz7c88A

Hands Off Our Post Office Rally in Victoria

CAW Supports BCTF Video

Hope you enjoy the video.  It is one of the longer videos I've made and I've come to realize that longer is not always better.  For instance, file size on this blog is limited to 100 megs.  As a result I had to compress the video a couple of times so it will not look as good if viewed full screen.  The original was 29 minutes long which I was able to edit to 19 minutes.  I could have done a lot more editing to shorten the length of this clip but then it has already been 12 days since the rally in Victoria and needed to get this up as is, as soon as possible.  Thanks to all the activists and members,  National and Local Reps and Area Director Susan Spratt for your participation. Many of you can be seen representing our union in support of the teachers.

Bill 22 passed.  For the latest updates go to http://bctf.ca/

BC Unions to protest Bill 22

http://bcfed.ca/node/2199

CAW Supports B.C. Teachers Federation

Activists from Local 333 and 114's Sister Jeannie Blaney supported the  B.C. Teachers federation and other labour activists on the steps of the Victoria Legislature today.  For more information about the dispute, click here: 

For CAW National Comprehensive Distribution

 

 January 16, 2012

Union Serves 72-Hour Strike Notice at Viking Air

(Victoria, BC) – The Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) served 72 hour strike notice today at the bargaining table with Viking Air.  The union has now set a strike deadline for 12:00 noon on Thursday, January 19.

“The skilled workers at Viking Air have been patiently waiting for well over a year for a new contract that addresses wages, benefits and job security issues,” said CAW National Representative Gavin McGarrigle. “The union reached a new contract with Cascade Aerospace in Abbotsford last year without any disruption and that pattern should work for Viking Air as well,” he added.

The workers at Viking Air voted 94 per cent in favour of strike action on October 28, 2011.

“We’re going to work hard in bargaining this week to reach a fair deal as a strike at Viking Air will completely disrupt production and further delay deliveries of many new Twin Otter aircraft that are already behind schedule,” said McGarrigle. 

The current collective agreement expired on October 31, 2010 and the parties will continue to bargain all week in Sidney, BC, starting today.

Viking Air (www.vikingair.com) is an aircraft manufacturing and repair firm based on Vancouver Island near Sidney, British Columbia.  Viking is re-starting production of the famed de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.  With the new product, Viking will be the only manufacturer of complete aircraft in western Canada; the firm has also opened a satellite facility in Calgary, Alberta to deal with the expansion. 

CAW Local 114 (www.cawlocal114.com) currently represents a bargaining unit of 270 workers at Viking Air including aircraft mechanics, machinists, sheet metal mechanics, painters, welders, stores persons and labourers.

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For further information, please contact Gavin McGarrigle, National Representative at (778) 668-6455 or email gavinm@caw.ca .

Rally in Victoria to Protest Canadian European Trade Agreement- C.E.T.A.

Check out these links for more information:
http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/rockrally.pdf
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153433041418614

Kick Off to May Day

Kick Off to May Day March 3^rd, 2011

Victoria’s Elders Share Their Tales of May Days Past

For Immediate Release                                                                                  24 February 2011

The public is invited to an event where the Elders of the Community will share their remembrances of International Workers’ Day – celebrated around the world as May Day, May 1^st.  This kickoff event will take place on March 3^rd, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the BCGEU Building at 2994 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC.

Since 1886 May 1^st has been the true workers’ day around the world, at time when workers and their organizations remember the sacrifices the working class has made to gain what it has and to renew the call for struggle to rebuild the movement.  Less a celebration of the work we must do to survive May Day is more about refocusing our attention upon the true class adversary.  We have gained much in the 125 years since the general strike for an 8-hour day and its roots in Chicago.  But those gains will be taken away by the financiers and parliamentarians if the working class doesn’t step up to the challenge. 

Worldwide the tradition is for the workers to march on May Day.  This year a new committee has been formed to plan a march in Victoria which will commence at Bastion Square at 1PM on May 1^st.  The committee is building support by a number of planned outreach and public education events.  The first is our kickoff event on March 3^rd.   On hand to share stories will be Bill Doherty, Gudrun Doherty, Kevin Neish, Freda Knott, Larry Tickner, Dave Rothkop, Alison Acker and D.J. Alperovitz.  Our moderator for the evening will be Saloumeh Pourmalek.  The audience will have an opportunity to ask questions of our elders and to share their stories as well.  We’re inviting interested individuals to bring their mementos, too; banners, photos, buttons, books, recordings. 

This event is open to the public and admission is free of charge. 

For further information contact us at:  maydayvictoria@gmail.com   phone:  250-384-6893(Art Farquharson)

Visit our blog at:  http://maydaymarch.wordpress.com/

Art Farquharson for the Victoria May Day Committee

Supported by the Victoria Labour Council and the Vancouver Island Branch of IWW. 

2011 New Year’s Day Poor People’s Levee Tour a Success

2011 New Year’s Day Poor People’s Levee Tour a Success

            Another grey and chilly New Year’s Day morning but the ever enthusiastic regulars from year’s gone by were going to ensure the newcomers would enjoy this remarkable journey.  We were about to embark on the 14^th annual Poor People’s Levee Tour in Victoria.  And this year has a special remembrance attached. 

            Every year we start at City Hall in Victoria BC at 9:00 AM New Year’s Day.  Most Victorians are sleeping off the celebrations but we’re up to meet the Mayor and City Councilors in the Council chamber.  We’re among about 200 other citizens and we’re making the best of it.  Coffee, sandwiches, tea, fruit, muffins and scones help to get the day started right for low income folk who’ve slept on the street or in shelters.  About 45 have informally signed up for the tour, sponsored by CAW Local 114 and other unions, by accepting a custom designed ID badge and song lyrics.  “Song lyrics,” you ask?  Yes, if the prosperous residents in attendance haven’t figured us out be our style of dress they’ll guess it by the song.  This year’s chosen musical treat is “Hallelujah, I’m a Bum”, not to be confused with that which KD Laing offered at last year’s Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver.

            So we travelled from Victoria to Government House to meet the Lieutenant Governor and his wife, thence to the Oak Bay levee and finally to Esquimalt Municipal Hall.  The long lineup at Government House, the official residence of the Royals when they show up in the Capital, was rewarded with a spectacular view from the balcony over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, plenty of coffee, tea and sweets but also a delightful vegetarian soup.  People may wonder why food is so important to the tour.  Well, along with the political statement about poverty not taking a day off and homelessness one must remember that soup kitchens are closed on holidays.  For our travelers this may well be the only chance to eat on New Year’s Day.  What may be on the menu is critical to choices of the tour’s destination. 

            The levees are public events and some of our riders on the bus have been back several times.  In fact the 2011 tour is dedicated to Steven Stewart who died in December but was on every tour since 1998.

            Thanks again to Local 114 for its generous support of this event. 

Art Farquharson, Tour Organizer 

Member CAW Local 114