News releases
Meagre WCB fine for tragic workplace death involving meat slicer criticized by labour group
June 14, 2018 | Health, Safety, and Compensation
Vancouver - Last year, a New Westminster pub worker met a tragic death when he fell on a meat slicer in the pub’s kitchen and bled out.
Now, the Workers Compensation Board has found the pub owner responsible for a series of “high risk” safety violations that caused the workplace... more Employers can’t subcontract away their health and safety responsibilities, top court rules
June 12, 2018
Vancouver - A recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling lays down the law on employer responsibility to keep workplaces safe—and be subject to penalties when safety violations kill or injure workers on the job, says the BC Federation of Labour.
The court was ruling on an appeal from BC... more BCFED’s Lanzinger available to speak to media about first major increase June 1 on path to $15 minimum wage
May 31, 2018
Vancouver-BC Federation of Labour President Irene Lanzinger will be available to speak with media about the $1.35 per hour increase in BC’s minimum wage that goes into effect June 1. It's the first leap in four significant increases implemented by Premier John Horgan’s government... more Traffic gridlock: Heavy lifting to find congestion solutions just starting, says BCFED
May 24, 2018
Responding to today’s release of a report outlining solutions to reduce traffic gridlock in Metro Vancouver, BCFED President Irene Lanzinger says she supports efforts for continued action by local governments to solve transportation congestion problems across the region.
“The completion of the work... more BCFED young worker delegation to lobby politicians in Victoria to level the playing field on key issues
May 16, 2018
Young workers representing the labour movement will be meeting with politicians today at the Legislature to make the case for change in key areas like strengthening employment standards laws, restoring balance and fairness in the labour code, and improving health and safety protections for gas and... more New training authority appointments bring workers’ insights and expertise to solve BC’s skills, training and apprenticeship challenges
May 2, 2018
Vancouver-The BC Federation of Labour is responding positively to today’s announcement that Victoria has substantially increased the role of working people in the BC government agency that coordinates and delivers training and apprenticeship programs for skilled trades in the... more National Day of Mourning: We must recommit ourselves to safe, healthy, violence-free, workplaces
April 24, 2018
Vancouver – The following is a statement from Irene Lanzinger, president of the BC Federation of Labour, marking the National Day of Mourning:
“Every year we mark April 28 - the National Day of Mourning - to draw attention to the significant number of people who have died, been... more Good-bye to the discriminatory server wage - BCFED applauds commitment to end lower wages for liquor servers
April 19, 2018
Vancouver – The BC Federation of Labour is pleased with the announcement that the BC government will phase out the discriminatory server wage, ensuring by June 2021 servers will no longer be exempt from minimum wage laws.
“I am relieved that we can say good-bye to the server wage... more Overnight protest Saturday at Eastside Vancouver Mac’s Convenience Store to push for better safety protections for gas, convenience store workers
April 13, 2018
Vancouver – The BC Federation of Labour Young Workers’ Committee will stage an overnight protest April 14 to highlight weak safety laws left by the BC Liberals that fail to protect convenience store and gas station staff working alone at night.
They will sit in starting at 8:00 pm... more Government’s mental trauma initiative for first responders a compassionate, important step forward says labour federation
April 11, 2018
Vancouver - The BC Federation of Labour is applauding new legislation introduced today by NDP Labour Minister Harry Bains, Bill 9, that will help first responders with mental disorders caused by traumatic working conditions receive the treatment and compensation they deserve.
“... more