Articles Menu
Labour movement shows solidarity with striking B.C. teachers
10/09/14
Link:
To paraphrase Lennon and McCartney, striking B.C. teachers are hoping to get by with a little help from their friends.
Today, those friends in the labour movement stepped up with a massive amount of money to help the B.C. Teachers' Federation combat the Christy Clark government.
The B.C. Nurses' Union has given the teachers' hardship fund $500,000. It comes at a time when teachers are not receiving strike pay.
"I have heard from our members they want us to show support for teachers," BCNU president Gayle Dufeil said in a news release. "BCNU's provincial council was unanimous in its desire to make a sizeable contribution. We believe this significant sum will help teachers stand strong against a government trying to bleed them dry."
Other unions joined B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair in promising the B.C. Teachers' Federation $8 million in interest-free loans.
These pledges came from the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union, Hospital Employees' Union, Local 258 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), United Steelworkers, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union Local 378, Public Service Alliance of Canada, Federation of Post Secondary Educators (FPSE), Health Sciences Association (HSA), and Unifor.
The BCGEU will make up to $3 million available; the HEU has promised $1 million. In addition, the BCGEU has contributed $7,500 to the hardship fund...more
Category:
