The BC Federation of Labour today released the following statement from President Sussanne Skidmore, regarding the BC goverment's decision to make September 30 a provincial statutory holiday:
By making the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday, the BC government is offering thousands of working families a new way to participate in reconciliation. This gives workers time to reflect, learn about Indigenous history and the history of residential schools, and join reconciliation actions in their communities.
This welcome change is the result of several years of effort by activists from both Indigenous and settler communities, and we’re deeply grateful for their work.
This fall, BC unions and our members will be honoured to join people throughout this province in this day of reflection, resolution and reconciliation. We congratulate the government on taking one more step in a long, vital process — and we recommit the labour movement to our own continued, year-round work of meaningful partnership and reconciliation.