The document summarizes recent activities of CUPE BC including: - Welcoming new members from the Village of Pouce Coupe who joined CUPE Local 2403. - Criticizing the BC Liberal government's provincial budget for failing to address issues like child poverty and for cutting funding to education and healthcare. - Congratulating the BC NDP on wins in two provincial by-elections, seen as a sign that voters want change from the BC Liberal government. - Announcing that CUPE will seek intervener status in an upcoming Supreme Court case between the BC Teachers' Federation and BC government.

1. PUBLICSPRING 2016
EMPLOYEE
OPEN GOVERNMENT | ISLAND LIBRARIES | HEALTH & SAFETY YEAR | CUBA VISIT
CUPE K-12
members lead
the fight for
public education
SAVING
OUR
SCHOOLS

2. 2 THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
the BC New Democratic Party, and we recommit ourselves to
working to elect a truly progressive government in Victoria.
Next May — just 377 days from the opening of our convention
— is the next provincial election. After 16 years of regressive right-
wing Liberal government in Victoria, it truly is time for a change.
We will be working hard over the coming months to build addi-
tional capacity to engage members to work with us for change.
CUPE BC traditionally has been most active in local elections,
where in so many communities we are almost literally electing
our bosses. The connection to provincial politics for our members
and our locals isn’t quite so direct, but the provincial government
holds the key to solving so many of the problems that our mem-
bers — and our communities — face.
A TERRIBLE LEGACY
Sixteen years of BC Liberal government. Sixteen years of torn-up
contracts. Cuts to health care. Cuts to education. Cuts to supports
for the most vulnerable. An almost absolute indifference to the
needs of working people, and an almost absolute focus on the
needs of the richest and the biggest corporations.
Having this gang of right-wingers run this province for 16 years
is bad enough. But if Christy Clark pulls off another win next year,
by the time the next election comes around in 2021, it will have
been 20 years — two decades — since the NDP was in power, and
I’m afraid we won’t recognize our province. I hope you’ll work with
us to elect a government that represents all British Columbians,
not just the privileged elite.
FOLLOW PAUL ON TWITTER
@PaulFaoro
LEADINGUS PAUL FAORO, PRESIDENT
“At a time when our province’s economy
leads the country, it’s appalling and
shameful that the government is only
sharing prosperity with the people who are
already doing just fine."
Clock’s ticking on
Clark government
TWENTY YEARS OF BC LIBERAL
RULE? DON'T LET IT HAPPEN!
As the Spring 2016 edition of Public Employee went to press,
I looked forward to working with all the delegates who will be
in Victoria for our annual Convention to conduct the important
business of our union on behalf of all our 85,000 members.
Thanks again to our executive board for appointing me as
president to succeed Brother Mark Hancock. After working with
him for three years, I am honoured to build on Mark’s work as
our division president as he sets the course for CUPE across
Canada as our national president.
WE’RE PAYING FOR THE RICH
In February I attended the provincial budget lock-up in Victoria.
The “lock-up” gives stakeholders, including the labour move-
ment and the business community, an advance look at the
Budget documents before they’re released to the public.
I was shocked to see the BC Liberals’ complete inaction on what
I think is one of the most pressing issues of our time: child pov-
erty. They managed to raise MSP rates — again — and slash sup-
ports for the most vulnerable while, at the same time, cutting
taxes for the richest British Columbians by $236 million. And
they managed to siphon off $100 million for a phony “prosperity
fund” by making cuts to K-12 “administration costs” while at the
same time increasing support for private schools.
When it’s properly funded, public education is the great level-
ler in our society. It gives kids from disadvantaged backgrounds
the same opportunity to succeed as kids from wealthy homes.
One of the greatest weapons we have to fight inequality and
social injustice is a quality public education system. And yet
Christy Clark is closing schools and slashing funding.
At a time when our province’s economy leads the country,
it’s appalling and shameful that the government is only sharing
prosperity with the people who are already doing just fine.
PROUDLY NEW DEMOCRAT
CUPE BC is not only the largest union in British Columbia, but
also one of the most politically active unions in the province.
Every year, delegates to Convention reaffirm our affiliation with
SOLID PARTNERS CUPE BC President Paul Faoro joined
BC Teachers’ Federation President-elect Glen Hansman
(centre) and outgoing president Jim Iker at the BCTF
convention on March 14. CUPE BC and the BCTF have long
supported each other’s efforts in advocating for a quality,
fully-funded public education system.

3. SPRING 2016 3
CUPEACTION MEMBERS ON THE FR­ONT LINE
CUPE 2403 WELCOMES
NEW CIVIC WORKERS
POUCE COUPE | Nine employees from
the Village of Pouce Coupe have become
members of CUPE Local 2403, Dawson
Creek civic workers.
“I’m pleased to welcome these work-
ers to Local 2403,” said Acting President
Melina Sweezey. “They will be a good
fit with the members we represent in
Dawson Creek.”
The workers voted to join CUPE in a
Labour Board vote counted in January.
CUPE 2403 represents approximately
150 workers including outside workers,
bylaw officers, parks workers, administra-
tive office staff and recreation workers, as
well as sub-locals for library workers and
the Peace Regional District.
The BC Liberals’ 2016 provincial budget,
released in February, is more about re-
positioning the Christy Clark government
in advance of next year’s provincial elec-
tion than it is about making a positive
difference in the lives of working people,
said CUPE BC President Paul Faoro.
“British Columbia’s economy is forecast
to outperform other provinces, which
ought to present the BC Liberals with an
CUPE WORKERS ARE ‘THE
HEART OF THE COMMUNITY’
NANAIMO | CUPE 401, representing
approximately 210 members working at
Vancouver Island Regional Library, reached
a settlement earlier this year thanks in large
part to member involvement.
CUPE 401 members were featured in
advertising in community papers, bus inte-
riors and ferries, and at www.loveourlibrary.
ca.
“We’re pleased with how this round of
bargaining concluded,” said CUPE 401
President Blaine Gurrie. “We hope to work
HELPING HAND CUPE 401 members like Daina Stalzer, shown here giving
Cumberland Public Library’s newest patron his first library card, helped win
a collective agreement through their participation in the public awareness
campaign.
Island library campaign a big hit
together with VIRL to foster a workplace
relationship that better serves all library
users. After all, our members and public
libraries are at the heart of the community.”
After a strong strike mandate, bargain-
ing concluded with the help of a mediator
and after serious discussion on the many
issues that affected members. The contract
includes wage increases as well as benefit
and language improvements.
The local represents library workers in
39 branches at 37 locations covering all of
Vancouver Island (except Victoria), B.C.’s
Central Coast, Haida Gwaii, and several
islands.
WHAT’S “APP” AT
CONVENTION?
Delegates to the 2016
CUPE BC Convention
(April 27-30, Victoria)
will be among the first to
experience the Division’s
new convention app,
which packs everything
you need for the week
into your mobile
device. It will include
links to resolutions,
speakers, related documents and
the agenda. And you don’t have to be a
delegate to install the app: just go to the
app store for your device, search for "CUPE
BC" and follow the instructions.
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
New CUPE 2403 members in Pouce
Coupe include, from left, Patsy Smith,
Barry Cox, Donna Schillinger, Donna
Cooke, and William Bull.
opportunity to re-invest in key areas of gov-
ernment spending and public services that
they have spent the past 15 years gutting,”
said Faoro.
“Premier Clark and her government con-
tinue to miss the point — British Columbians
are suffering and only a few are sharing the
prosperity generated by the economy.”
For more Budget coverage, see cupe.bc.ca.
BC BUDGET: A LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH

4. 4 THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
CUPEACTION MEMBERS ON THE FR­ONT LINE
VOICES
“If someone doesn’t meet contractual commitments,
there’s usually a compensation…Where’s your
compensation?”
CUPE 3742 President Karen Wong calls for accountability after
Fujitsu Consulting Canada Inc., the company responsible for
B.C.’s much-maligned MyEducationBC system, admits it has
“performance issues”.
Prince George Citizen, Tuesday, February 23, 2016.
“We’re going to lose members because of the school
closures regardless, but the other cuts are still out there
no matter what.”
CUPE 606 President Rob Zver predicts more than just job losses
in the district, with pending school closures at Woodlands
Secondary and Woodbank Primary at the end of June.
Nanaimo News Bulletin, Wednesday, March 2, 2016.
“I’m a little disappointed in this report…Most of the
infrastructure is looking like it’s going farther and farther
and farther into eastern Maple Ridge.”
Pitt Meadows Councillor and CUPE 498 member Dave Murray
says that consultants planning the city’s parks and recreation
services should have considered options such as Vancouver’s
OneCard program (which allows holders access to all pools,
rinks and fitness centres across the city) rather than forcing Pitt
Meadows residents to travel to another municipality for those
services.
Maple Ridge News, Friday, February 12, 2016.
“I do blame the provincial government for this; they
keep downloading the costs for MSP and Hydro, and
didn’t relieve those cost pressures.”
CUPE 5523 President Mark Olsen tells a Vernon School District
meeting that he’s pleased the Ministry of Education is providing
more money for districts across B.C. but that it is not enough.
Vernon Morning Star, Sunday, January 31, 2016.
“They were very clear today that they will be consulting
with our employees.”
CUPE 401 Vice-President Laurence Amy, pushing back on an
employer-initiated core review, notes that CUPE 401 is protected
by a labour contract that prevents the City from contracting out
services.
The Daily News (Nanaimo), Thursday, January 28, 2016.
CUPE MEMBERS IN THE MEDIA
Local wins ruling on leave
BURNABY | Collective agreement provisions denying paid vacation
accrual to employees off work due to maternity/parental leave, sick
leave, or workplace injury are discriminatory and violate the BC Human
Rights Code, an arbitrator has ruled.
In a decision issued on December 31, 2015, Arbitrator John Hall found
that provisions in the collective agreement between CUPE Local 23 and
the City of Burnaby denying paid vacation accrual to such employees
were contrary to Section 13 of the BC Human Rights Code.
Hall determined that the appropriate remedy was to declare the lan-
guage to be in violation of the Code, but he referred the matter back to
the parties to resolve at the bargaining table given that their collective
agreement expired on December 31, 2015 — the very date of his decision.
This decision may be relevant to your local should you have similar lan-
guage in your collective agreement. Whether or not your language vio-
lates the Human Rights Code will depend on the specific language and
nature of the benefit under your agreement, and specifically whether
employees are entitled to paid vacation based on their status as employ-
ees, or whether such entitlements must be earned through the perfor-
mance of work, much like wages.
If you find this language in your collective agreement or have questions
about it, please contact your CUPE National servicing representative.
CUTLINE CAP HEAD Cutline here. Vivamus vitae porta nibh.
Vestibulum semper placerat hendrerit. Vivamus pharetra
ex vitae tincidunt pellentesque. Cutline here. Vivamus vitae
porta nibh.
SEWAGE TREATMENT TO COME IN-HOUSE
SOOKE | More evidence that public operation is a better deal has led
the District of Sooke to bring sewage treatment in-house. The plant was
built and operated as a public-private partnership with EPCOR begin-
ning in 2006.
CUPE 374, representing Sooke inside workers, campaigned from the
start for public operation. On March 29, when a second five-year con-
tract with EPCOR was up for renewal, Sooke crunched the numbers and
found that it can save $225,000 a year with in-house operation.

5. SPRING 2016 5
CUPEACTION MEMBERS ON THE FR­ONT LINE
CUPE SUPPORTS BCTF
COURT CHALLENGE
CUPE will seek intervener status in the
upcoming Supreme Court of Canada case
between the British Columbia Teachers
Federation and the B.C. Government. The
case is the outcome of years of successful
court challenges mounted by the BCTF
stemming from the BC Liberals’ unilateral
changes to the union’s collective agree-
ment.
Although CUPE members aren’t cov-
ered by the BCTF’s collective agreement,
the union is seeking intervener status
to challenge the government’s ability to
arbitrarily change the terms of collective
agreements with no recourse available
to union members whose contracts have
been torn up. The outcome of the case
may have wide-ranging ramifications for
all public sector workers, particularly in
the education sector, where 27,000 CUPE
members are employed.
The case is expected to be heard by
the Court this fall. Watch cupe.bc.ca and
future editions of Public Employee for
updates.
By-elections a message to Clark
CUPE BC UNVEILS SPLASHY NEW WEBSITE
NDP WINS SUGGEST MORE
ROUGH SAILING FOR LIBS
On February 2, the BC NDP saw two new
MLAs elected in Lower Mainland by-elec-
tions, sending a strong message to Premier
Christy Clark and putting her government
on notice that voters have had enough of
regressive, right-wing politics.
“I want to congratulate both new MLAs-
elect, and I know all CUPE members join
me in celebrating their historic accomplish-
ments,” said Faoro. “Melanie Mark is now
the first-ever First Nations woman elected
to the B.C. Legislature, and Jodie Wickens
defeated both BC Liberal and Green candi-
dates in a riding the NDP has never won.
“The Premier and her spin doctors won’t
admit it, but they were hoping for a far
better showing in both ridings. Instead,
the BC Liberal candidate in Vancouver-Mt.
Pleasant came in a distant third place. And
in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, the BC Liberal
vote collapsed dramatically.”
CUPE BC Secretary-Treasurer Trevor
Davies, thanking CUPE members and staff
who volunteered on the campaigns, said
the victories show the importance of union
political action.
GREAT ADDITIONS To a rousing welcome from aboriginal drummers and
dancers, BC NDP Leader John Horgan accompanies newly elected MLAs Melanie
Mark, the first First Nations woman elected to the B.C. Legislature, and Jodie
Wickens into the House for their swearing-in ceremony on February 17.
CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
CUPE BC recently created a Precarious
Workers Working Group tasked with defin-
ing what constitutes precarious work and
researching the issue within our bargaining
units. The Group’s purpose is to assist the
Division in developing policy that address-
es the needs of these workers.
The Working Group will soon launch a
survey aimed at gathering important infor-
mation regarding the nature and extent of
precarious work within bargaining units,
the experiences and struggles of precari-
ous workers, and what the union can do
to help.
The Working Group is seeking a repre-
sentative group of locals from different
sectors and regions of B.C. to assist with
developing the survey and implementing it
once it is launch-ready.
Interested locals should contact
Working Group Chair Jacqueline Hall, care
of info@cupe.bc.ca.
Launched just in time for Convention 2016,
CUPE BC’s new website (still at www.cupe.
bc.ca) positions the Division on the cut-
ting edge of online union activism. The new
site, developed by cStreet, is built on the
NationBuilder platform, the “go-to”
technology for campaign-driven progressive
organizations.
“We’ve been working with Communica​-
tions for the better part of the past year to
develop a new site that will help us connect
with our members,” said CUPE BC President
Paul Faoro. “I’m excited to see how our
union can use new technology to improve
our capacity to support our Locals and work
for positive change in our workplaces and
our communities.”
TOTAL REBOOT The new version of
cupe.bc.ca will be more interactive for
members, says Paul Faoro.

6. 6 THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
PLANNING AHEAD CUPE’s district councils, established throughout the
province, meet periodically to coordinate the union’s efforts in every region.
Seen at meetings earlier this year, from the top down, are delegates to the
Okanagan Mainline District Council in Vernon, Northern Area District Council in
Prince Rupert, and Kootenay District Council in Creston.
CUPEACTION MEMBERS ON THE FR­ONT LINE
Safety comes
first in 2016
The Strategic Directions document
approved at the 2015 CUPE National
Convention called for 2016 to be the Year
of Health and Safety.
As part of the campaign in all regions,
CUPE National is launching the new
Health and Safety Learning Series this
year. Modelled after the successful
Steward Learning Series, the new Union
Development program will feature a nine-
hour introductory course followed by a
selection of three-hour modules. This for-
mat allows locals to run courses at their
convenience.
Currently, 10 modules have been com-
pleted, and CUPE National will continue
to develop additional courses. The Health
and Safety Learning Series will be launched
at this year’s Weeklong School (May 29 -
June 3) to be held in Kamloops. To register,
please fill out the online application on the
new CUPE BC website by May 16.
You can also access the courses through
your servicing representative or union
education representative. Please visit www.
cupe.bc.ca/union-education for more infor-
mation.
SAVE THE DATE!
CUPE BC is organizing a conference
this fall for CUPE members in all three
education sectors — K-12, Colleges and
Universities. The conference is scheduled
for November 7-9 at the Westin Bayshore
in Vancouver. More information will be
coming soon. Watch cupe.bc.ca for
registration information.
VICTORIA | With CUPE 4163’s tentative
agreement reached on behalf of 1,100 mem-
bers in Components 1 and 2, all CUPE univer-
sity sector locals have now settled contracts.
“We were able to reach this agreement
thanks to both the strong efforts of our bar-
gaining committee and our members, who
showed strong solidarity and support,” said
CUPE 4163 President Greg Melnechuk.
ROLE MODEL CUPE 402’s Aman
Cheema was featured in a cupe.ca
profile as part of the national union’s
Year of Health and Safety coverage.
Big issues for members at the University
of Victoria were protection against aca-
demic harm, term of contract, and fair
compensation for newly certified Resident
Life Workers. Components 1 and 2 mem-
bers also include Teaching Assistants,
Lab Instructors, Computer Lab Assistants,
Academic Assistants, Language Instructors,
and Cultural Assistants.
UNIVERSITY LOCALS
Tentative deal for CUPE 4163

7. SPRING 2016 7
NEWSBRIEFS
CORE REVIEW UPDATE
The City of Nanaimo is continu-
ing to look for ‘efficiencies’ as
part of a core services review
ordered by mayor and council.
The scope of the review was
greatly narrowed in late 2015
and the contractor, Western
Management Consultants
(WMC), is now looking at 16
specific services and six cor-
porate-wide processes. Service
areas being examined include
bylaw/parking, recreation, and
permissive tax exemptions – all
common targets of core service
reviews.
CUPE 401 continues to closely
monitor the core review and has
recently launched a radio ad
focused on promoting the value
of community public services.
The final review is due in early
May.
CRD SEWAGE UPDATE
The Capital Regional District
(CRD) continues to move for-
ward with plans for new sewage
treatment infrastructure. The
CRD held a second phase of
public consultations in early 2016
where yet again the ‘publicly
owned and operated’ message
was noted as a theme.
In March, the committee in
charge of developing a plan for
sewage treatment made a con-
ditional change to their liquid
waste management plan and
are now considering a two-plant
plan. They will also move for-
ward with a canvas of the private
sector for more ‘innovative’ and
‘cost effective’ solutions.
CUPE 1978 members continue
to follow the progress of the
plan and advocate for a public
solution to sewage treatment.
METRO BARGAINING
With contracts for Lower
Mainland municipal workers
expiring on December 31, 2015,
negotiations for new collective
agreements got underway in
early 2016.
Metro bargainers met in
January for two days of coordi-
nating strategies and issues and
developing new bargaining skills,
including communications. In
addition to wages and benefits,
addressing issues for precarious
workers — including auxiliary
and casual workers—pay equity,
and job evaluation were com-
mon concerns across many
locals.
CUPE Local 1004, representing
outside workers in the City of
Vancouver, was the first local to
reach a tentative agreement in
mid-March.
MYEDBC COMPUTER
The provincial government’s
$95-million data management
computer system continues to
cause inconvenience, frustration
and lost time in school districts
throughout B.C.
Tasks that should be complet-
ed within 45 minutes are taking
upwards of three hours — creat-
ing a heavy workload for clerical
staff — with overtime coming
out of districts’ pockets. Until the
supplier addresses system bugs,
problems will continue to plague
staff and create additional costs.
MyEdBC was brought in by the
provincial government to replace
BCeSIS, which cost $89 million
and was also unreliable and
problematic.
BC FED CONFERENCE
KAMLOOPS | The BC Federation
of Labour is holding a regional
conference (“Good Jobs, Strong
Communities,” May 13-14) that
NEW OFFICE FOR PG CUPE members in Prince George
finally have their new area office. At its opening in
February, members, staff and activists were joined by
members of other Prince George local unions. Here, B.C.
Regional Director Robin Jones shares a laugh with CUPE
National Secretary-Treasurer Charles Fleury and Dawn
Hemmingway, a faculty member at the University of
Northern British Columbia and a member of Stand Up for
the North.
will explore initiatives on how
to protect good jobs and build
strong communities both locally
and provincially.
The conference will touch on
local organizing efforts, labour
history and leadership develop-
ment. There will also be a focus
on the 2017 provincial election
and what¹s at stake for the
labour movement.
On the day before the confer-
ence, delegates will be invited
to join a half-day field trip to the
Secwepemc Museum & Heritage
Park and Chinese Heritage
Ceremony.
Register at: conference.bcfed.
ca/kamloops
SCHOOLING UP Facilitators for last year’s week-long CUPE Spring School gathered
outside the Coast Kamloops Conference and Convention Centre. This year’s week-long
school in Kamloops runs from May 29-June3.

8. 8 THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
BURNABY | Thanks to BC Liberal policies
that negatively impact public education
in every corner of the province, CUPE
members in B.C.’s K-12 system continue
to face serious challenges and difficulties
supporting students and teachers. With
more grim news of cuts and school
closures, the positive gains made in the
last round of bargaining bring a little
welcome respite.
An inadequate funding formula and a provincial gov-
ernment mandate that boards must submit balanced
budgets — on top of more than a decade of under-
funding — are policies that continue to wreak havoc in
B.C. schools.
The current Budget and Fiscal Plan reduces what
the government calls “administrative expenditures”
by $29 million in 2015/16 and a further $25 million in
2016/17. However, what the BC Liberals call “admin-
istrative” (implying less important, or bureaucratic)
expenses clearly includes some of the integral support
services that CUPE members provide.
“Much of the spending now classed as ‘administra-
tive’ is really money spent on school clerical work-
ers, trades and maintenance staff, custodians, and
bus drivers,” CUPE BC President Paul Faoro told the
Kelowna Daily Courier in a recent interview.
Faoro, arguing that support workers will only be hurt
by the Ministry’s “mislabelled cuts,” raised concerns
about cuts to public education at a time when the
Ministry has managed to increase funding for private
schools by $48 million.
Education Assistants seeing benefits of LIF
On the bright side, this is the first year members
are seeing the impact of the Learning Improvement
Fund (LIF), which increases the number of hours for
Education Assistants (EAs) towards providing jobs
SAVING
OUR
SCHOOLS
COMMUNITY PRESENCE CUPE 2020
member Robert Vogstad is a First Nations
Resource Worker at Queen Charlotte
Secondary School in Haida Gwaii. Public
schools throughout B.C. provide public
space, offer programs, serve children and
families, and provide a community hub.
ON THE COVER
Chilliwack School
District Education
Assistant Brenda
Moores is a CUPE
411 EA shop steward
and a member of
CUPE BC’s Workers
of Colour Working
Group.
CUPE K-12
members lead
the fight for
public education
that can support a family. This year, the fund reached
$20.3 million. Most districts saw increases to EAs and
more whole jobs. (“Whole jobs”, a term included in
consecutive Provincial Framework agreements since
2006, refers to jobs that are not full-time but include
liveable wages and decent working conditions — such
as hours outside the classroom for preparation and
consultation with supervising teachers.)
EA shortages mean that students do not get the
support they need, some districts cannot find enough
EAs, and some EAs are denied requested leaves.
The Provincial Education Assistant Committee
includes one EA from each region along with BC
School Employer’s Association (BCPSEA) and Ministry
representatives. Formed through the Provincial
Framework Agreement, the committee continues to
work toward improved working conditions for EAs.
Progress is being made on the three priorities: the

9. SPRING 2016 9
FUNDING WOES CONTINUE
FOR POST-SECONDARY SECTOR
creation of whole EA jobs; recommenda-
tions for deployment practices; and a sys-
tem of recognized credentials and qualifica-
tions for EAs.
First-ever K-12 Job Evaluation begins
A provincial job evaluation process, negoti-
ated in the last round of bargaining, will
carry out a pilot job evaluation in each
of B.C.’s seven school district regions.
Currently, each K-12 local and school dis-
trict has its own job evaluation process,
which takes up a huge amount of time and
resources.
One goal of the provincial committee,
established with both CUPE and BCPSEA
representatives, is to help streamline the
process and make it more consistent across
the board.
The committee has begun to establish
terms of reference for the project and is
modifying the CUPE Job Evaluation Plan,
VALUED SERVICE CUPE 3742
member Bev Proppe is a custodian
at Prince George Secondary School.
The BC Liberal government is
forcing school districts to make $25
million more in cuts to what it calls
‘administrative’ services — including
school clerical workers, trades and
maintenance staff, custodians, and
bus drivers.
which will be used to measure support staff
jobs across the province. With about 50
per cent of school districts reporting, there
are already more than 2,000 different job
descriptions, which reflects the diversity
of services provided by CUPE members
(thus reinforcing the need for job evalua-
tion). With the new system, the committee
and Job Evaluation Representative Peter
Coombes hope to have only a few hundred
provincial job descriptions.
The pilot program will be rolled out in a
couple of years. Job evaluation presents an
opportunity for locals, particularly smaller
locals, to work toward improved regional or
even provincial equity in pay rates.
MORE SCHOOL
CLOSURES COMING
Districts throughout B.C. are facing
pending school closures with mul-
tiple closures being considered in
Vancouver, Nanaimo, Campbell River
and several towns in the Okanagan.
In Osoyoos, the District is looking at
closing both the secondary and ele-
mentary schools, leaving students to
bus to nearby towns. Quesnel is clos-
ing three schools, including a brand
new building.
"Many communities have already
closed schools in the past and these
latest cuts will be devastating," says
Paul Faoro. "Closing schools often
pits communities against each other
as they fight for a piece of the ever-
shrinking pie."
STANDING UP FOR SCHOOLS AND
COMMUNITIES Paul Faoro addresses
School District 28 trustees on March
30, urging them to reject BC Liberal
cuts and keep local schools open.
While the number of student
spaces in post-secondary has
increased by 30,000 (or 18%)
over the past 10 years, govern-
ment spending on the Ministry
of Advanced Education has
decreased. This lack of funding
has forced institutions to cut
programs and services.
While funding stands still,
costs continue to rise. Some of
those increases, such as for MSP
and BC Hydro, come directly
from government. In 2015/16,
the budget for Advanced
Education was cut by more than
$10 million. Although the prov-
ince plans to modestly increase
funding for the sector (around
1.4% annually) over the next
three years, this won’t even
come close to making up for the
underfunding.
Corporatization a problem
Underfunding means that insti-
tutions must raise money in
other ways — tuition increases,
sale of goods and services,
donations and non-government
grants, and investment income.
As they turn to private fund-
ing, post-secondary institutions
are under increasing pressure
to operate more like businesses
than public institutions. During
the 2014-2015 fiscal year, all
three of B.C.’s largest universi-
ties were less than 50-per-cent
funded by the government.
Pay more, face higher debt
Tuition fees for the average
undergraduate have doubled
since the BC Liberals came to
power in 2001.
Most students rely on loans
to fund their education, and
the average student debt is
$26,000 at graduation, accord-
ing to a 2013 BMO survey.
Some post-secondary institu-
tions may be using extra fees to
get around the 2 per cent fund-
ing cap mandated by the provin-
cial government. For example,
North Island College is adding a
fee of $5 per credit, which could
be up to $150 dollars extra
per student per year on top of
the 2 per cent tuition increase.
And at Selkirk College, overall
tuition could go up 4.5 per cent
in September, thanks to a pro-
posed new student services fee.
The only good news about the
BC Liberal government’s abys-
mal record on post-secondary
funding, and its lack of commit-
ment to post-secondary educa-
tion? The next provincial elec-
tion is only one year away.

10. 10 THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
LINKINGLABOUR ROBIN JONES, REGIONAL DIRECTOR
“The main thing is to ensure that, throughout
every sector, there’s no CUPE member
working beside someone who’s not
unionized.”
Expanding our horizons
CUPE IS RAMPING UP ITS ORGANIZING
EFFORTS IN EVERY SECTOR AND REGION
During CUPE’s National Convention last fall, delegates passed a
Strategic Directions (2015-2017) document that places top priority
on building our union’s strength through organizing and increasing
protection for precarious workers.
To this end, CUPE is developing an organizing strategy aimed at
building strong and sustainable new bargaining units across the
country. The union also intends to strengthen the negotiating power
of existing bargaining units by identifying strategic organizing tar-
gets in specific sectors and regions.
BUILDING OUR STRENGTH
Key to the plan is organizing “wall-to-wall” within every work-
place — that is, representing everyone employed under the same
roof. The national plan also commits CUPE to identifying collective
agreements that exclude part-time, temporary, casual and other
precarious employees from the scope of our bargaining units, and
then bringing those workers into CUPE.
To put this plan to work, CUPE is increasing the resources dedi-
cated to organizing. We are also developing materials for each sec-
tor to demonstrate “the union advantage” and training more of our
members to spread that message. Finally, the plan calls for strate-
gies to organize and bargain with private multi-national employers
in sectors such as long-term care.
In B.C., we have so far completed a mapping project that identifies
regions and sectors that are ripe for the picking. At the moment, we
are identifying CUPE members that can be brought in for training
to become member organizers. After prioritizing the target projects,
we will have a full roster of member organizers we can send out to
those workplaces along with our staff.
WALL-TO-WALL CERTIFICATION
The “wall-to-wall” approach will be key to our efforts in every sec-
tor. In the City of Surrey, the early childhood educators (ECEs) were
organized a couple of years ago and brought into CUPE to work
alongside fellow brothers and sisters who were already unionized in
that city. In the K-12 sector, it used to be the case that we went in
just to organize educational assistants. Now we’re working to bring
janitors, mechanics — all support staff in schools — into CUPE.
In community social services, there are pockets of wall-to-wall
organizing efforts where the newly organized do not have to negoti-
ate new collective agreements but instead are folded into larger CAs
that automatically improve their wages. The main thing is to ensure
that, throughout every sector, there’s no CUPE member working
beside someone who’s not unionized.
The biggest areas for mapping are municipalities (including com-
munity centre workers), libraries, social services and day care. We
also anticipate more organizing in the universities sector, which is
large. Recent CUPE certifications include workers for the Village of
Pouce Coupe, Rayleigh Waterworks District, and Black Mountain
Irrigation District. Welcome to CUPE!
A LOCAL IN EVERY REGION
Regionally speaking, we are looking at expanding our organizing
efforts in smaller communities in the Interior where there is no union
presence. As we head into spring and summer, we will take a closer
look at opportunities in the North.
Organizing promises to be a central theme for the second CUPE
National Sector Conference in October this year. The plan is to pro-
duce a comprehensive national organizing strategy there that can be
brought to the 2017 National Convention for debate.
With these goals in mind, I think we’re off to a good start here in
British Columbia.
NO STONE UNTURNED CUPE 1936 President Michael
Lanier, who is assisting in a current campaign, shows
Organizing Representative Tracey Mathieson and
Robin Jones where in B.C. CUPE might direct its future
organizing efforts.

11. SPRING 2016 1111 THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
CUPEFOCUS OPEN GOVERNMENT
Ending all the secrecy
UNION CALLS FOR CHANGES TO FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT
VICTORIA | In the wake of the recent ‘triple delete’ e-mail scandal surrounding the
Christy Clark government, CUPE BC had a chance to weigh in on provincial freedom of
information and privacy legislation. Thanks to the BC Liberal record over the years, the
union’s conclusion will not come as a shock: stated commitments to accountability and
transparency — to open government — are simply not being met.
Every six years, the government conducts
a legislative review of B.C.’s Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act
(FIPPA). Every time that happens, CUPE BC
presents the union’s recommendations for
creating more open, accountable and acces-
sible government.
Information is power
As a public sector union, CUPE BC relies on
access to information as a crucial element
to our work — both in representing work-
ers in a fair and democratic context, and
in advocating for quality public services.
Access to information is also a cornerstone
of democratic participation: without access
to reliable and comprehensive informa-
tion, citizens can’t adequately assess and
judge policy formulation and government
decision-making.
Despite having once been a leader in
Freedom of Information, British Columbia
has fallen far behind other provinces when it
comes to Freedom of Information provisions
and practices. As CUPE BC’s submission
makes clear, the current system seems to
operate more to withhold information than
release it.
FOI requests, while serving an important
function, represent a more complicated,
comparatively expensive, lengthy and some-
times overly restrictive process to accessing
information. As such, CUPE BC believes that
FOI requests should not be the main way
information is accessed.
A fear of documentation
Instead, a significant amount of government
information could and should be made avail-
able to the public through proactive, routine
disclosure. This practice could be easily
facilitated by digital technology, but routine
CUPE’S PLAN FOR
MORE TRANSPARENCY
Earlier this year, CUPE BC submitted
recommendations that the union believes
will lead to improvements to the Freedom
of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
(FIPPA). Among those 17 recommendations,
we placed a priority on the following:
Proactive disclosure — making information
routinely available so that applying for its
release becomes a “process of last resort”
Strengthening the government’s duty
to document, in order to avoid “oral
government”
Formal explanation of why there is no
record in the event of a “no responsive
record" response
Better training for employees searching,
handling, and maintaining records
Duty to create and maintain records
Reduced wait times for responses (in
B.C., wait times are higher than in other
provinces and countries), bringing the
system in line with other jurisdictions
Eliminate backlog
Penalties for the heads of public bodies
who fail to meet requirements and for
public bodies that don’t meet timelines
Remove mandatory exception for cabinet
confidentiality, for discretionary standard
Private corporations, when doing public
work, should be included under the Act
Any board, committee, commission, panel,
agency or corporation that is created,
controlled, or owned by a public body or
group of public bodies should be included
under the Act.
disclosure remains an area where B.C. lags
behind other jurisdictions.
“A further, and we argue crucial, starting
point to this discussion is that of the ‘Duty
to Document’ and maintain public records,”
the submission states.
If there are no public records to begin
with, FOI legislation is effectively meaning-
less. The ‘triple delete’ scandal, CUPE BC
notes, “brought to light the elimination of
potentially millions of emails that have been
wiped from the public record.”
Avoiding responsibility
CUPE BC’s submission cites two case stud-
ies involving the Southern Interior Municipal
Employers Association (SIMEA), a society
incorporated by several municipalities in the
Okanagan Region to perform certain admin-
istrative duties on their collective behalf.
Recently, municipal governments that are
members of SIMEA have been relying on the
existence of SIMEA as an excuse to refuse
to produce documents and provide infor-
mation that used to be readily available to
the Union upon request: e.g. a copy of the
employee benefit plan.
In the first case, CUPE had to go to arbi-
tration to force the employer to release
a copy of its Group Extended Health and
Dental Policy because SIMEA was not sub-
ject to FIPPA provisions. In the second,
CUPE had to file a bad faith bargaining
complaint at the Labour Relations Board
when the employer failed to respond to
the union’s request for information on the
nature of its relationship with SIMEA.
The case studies, the union concludes,
raise the question “of whether municipal
governments who are members of SIMEA
are legally entitled to sidestep their obliga-
tions under the Labour Relations Code and
FIPPA through this mechanism.”

12. 12 THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
CUPECOMMUNITIES MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
YEAR-ROUND GIVERS
SURREY | CUPE 728, representing K–12 work-
ers, supports their community year-round.
In spring, they hand out apples at the Surrey
Vaisakhi Parade. In summer, they support
the multicultural celebration Surrey Fusion
Fest. And at year’s end, they help the BC
Federation of Labour serve Christmas dinner
at the Whalley Legion.
The Women’s Committee helps CUPE Metro
on International Women’s Day and also
serves dinners a few times a year at Surrey
Urban Mission. Last May Day, the Local pro-
vided sandwiches to Trinity House and donat-
ed equipment to set up its garden.
As well as supporting Surrey Food Bank and
Canucks for Kids, they work with other unions
on Earth Day, Pride and Labour Day. CUPE
728 tries to help out whoever needs support.
“It’s great to be able to give back where you
live and work,” says CUPE 728 President Ryan
Groundwater.
LOCAL SPIRITS CUPE 728's Kids
Christmas Party Elves for 2015 raised
donations for the Surrey food bank.
Aquatic staff lauded for saving life
Strengthening workers globally
CUPE VISIT TO CUBA BUILDS
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
HAVANA | “Qué viva Cuba!” is a rallying cry
that John Hall and Kirsten Daub won’t soon
forget.
Hall, a CUPE BC general vice president
and chair of the union’s International
Solidarity committee, and Daub, a CUPE
1004 member and CoDevelopment Canada’s
executive director, heard this expression
many times during the National Union of
Public Administration Workers’ (SNTAP)
convention held in Havana in November
last year.
Hall and Daub were part of an internation-
al delegation to the SNTAP convention that
also included labour union representatives
WORKER TO WORKER CoDevelopment Canada’s Kirsten Daub and CUPE BC
General Vice-President John Hall join Mindrey Marrero, head of international
relations for SNTAP National, in Havana.
PENTICTON | CUPE 608 members working
at the Penticton Community Centre received
a letter of recognition from the mayor at
an April 4 city council meeting in honour of
their timely intervention that saved the life of
a swimmer earlier this year.
On the evening of January 15, aquatic staff
at the Penticton Community Centre man-
aged a grave medical emergency at the pool
when one of the lifeguards noticed that a
patron swimming laps required assistance.
After removing the swimmer from the pool
when she was unresponsive, staff called 911,
checked her vital signs, then connected her
to the automated external defibrillator (AED)
machine and conducted CPR. They then
applied multiple shocks, keeping the swim-
mer alive as they waited for paramedics to
arrive. The swimmer has fully recovered.
The team initiated quick action, effectively
executed procedures, and professionally
managed all aspects of this medical emer-
gency, the City’s statement said.
from Nicaragua, Norway, Argentina, Serbia,
Ecuador, Chile, and Belgium.
As well as participating in the convention,
the CUPE delegates met with workers from
a variety of sectors and learned about the
history and structures of SNTAP. One of
Cuba’s largest and most diverse unions, it
represents more than 260,000 workers from
62 sectors including municipal services,
banking, judiciary, customs, and insurance
services.
The international delegation, while meet-
ing with workers from several SNTAP-
organized worksites, learned about the
importance of SNTAP workers in provid-
ing public services in Cuba, as well as the
challenges they are facing with the recent
changes to Cuba’s economy.
LOCAL HEROES L-R: CUPE 608
aquatic staff members Garret Naish,
Madison Head, Graeme Naish, Lisa
O’Daly, Diane Philips, and Michelle
Jones.

13. SPRING 2016 13
CUPECOMMUNITIES MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Lifting spirits in the Downtown Eastside
SISTERS UNITED Volunteers from CUPE Locals made this International
Women's Day event possible for the 140 women who attended.
VANCOUVER | International Women’s Day
featured a successful event in Vancouver’s
Downtown Eastside, with the best turnout
ever on March 8.
Newly elected BCNDP MLA Melanie Mark
won hearts with her empowering story, her
warmth, and her generous spirit. “Today is
a celebration of our sisterhood, our warrior
spirit,” she said.
After lunch, all enjoyed Coast Salish drum-
ming and songs. Participants made cedar
bracelets and took home purses filled with
personal care products donated by CUPE 15
young workers.
“We honoured women at risk and women
who provide support to them,” said Metro
President Cindy McQueen. “They are the
true champions of our community.”
CUPE MOURNS LOSS
OF 1004'S JODY TAYLOR
VANCOUVER | Local 1004 and the entire
CUPE family began the month of April in
mourning after the loss of Jody Taylor, a
certified arborist for the Vancouver Park
Board who died on March 31 while doing the
work he loved.
The much loved city employee, who had
just turned 43, was trimming the branches
of a catalpa tree in Connaught Park while
working from an elevated, boom-mounted
bucket when a large branch struck him,
resulting in a fatal head injury. He left
behind ten-year-old daughter Tristan, for
whom CUPE 1004 workers have set up a
youcaring.com fund.
Social media tributes poured in for
Brother Taylor as a sombre news confer-
ence was held at Vancouver City Hall on
April 1. CUPE 1004 President Andrew Ledger
described Jody as a dedicated arborist
who for 16 years took daily pride in keeping
Vancouver’s parks, playgrounds and bou-
levards “not only beautiful but safe for the
citizens of our city.”
Ledger joined Vancouver Mayor Gregor
Robertson, City Manager Sadhu Johnston,
Park Board Manager Malcolm Bromley, and
Park Board Commissioner John Coupar in
expressing condolences to everyone affect-
ed by this terrible event.
On April 28, the international day of
mourning for workers killed or injured on
the job, a commemoration event at CUPE
BC's convention will feature a special tribute
to Brother Taylor.
MUCH LOVED Jody Taylor is the
second CUPE 1004 member in less
than two years to have died on the
job, following the Portland Hotel
Society’s Brian Goble, but the first
City of Vancouver employee since
1997.
FUN IN THE KOOTENAYS On April 7, Public Employee caught up with CUPE
2450 members in Nakusp (School District 10 - Arrow Lakes and the Village of
Nakusp), who were meeting to discuss an upcoming community campaign. In
addition to sponsoring music in the park on summer Wednesdays (featuring
live local entertainment and events for kids), the CUPE local is also partnering
with Gabi’s Fairytale Cafe and Cutrite Meats & Deli to provide “Coffee Days” in
which residents will receive their morning coffee for free.

14. POWERINNUMBERS TREVOR DAVIES, SECRETARY-TREASURER
“While the political work tends to be
the most visible to our members, the
administrative and financial responsibilities
have been the main focus of my work.”
2016 a year of renewal
and growth for CUPE BC
UNION BOOSTS ONLINE PRESENCE
AND SUPPORT FOR PROGRESSIVE
CAUSES, OPENS NEW OFFICES
I would like to start by thanking the CUPE BC executive board,
staff, and members across the province for all the kind words and
support since I was appointed secretary-treasurer by the board in
December. It truly is an honour to serve our 85,000 members in this
capacity, so that support only fuels my passion for our union and
the labour movement.
As secretary-treasurer I hold a position that includes political,
administrative and financial responsibilities. While the political work
tends to be the most visible to our members, the administrative and
financial responsibilities have been the main focus of my work since
I was appointed.
As this issue went to print, preparations for Convention 2016 were
well under way. I’m particularly excited about the convention app
we will be trying for the first time. In the future, the app should
allow us to offer delegates the opportunity to reduce our paper
usage at convention by opting out of hard copies, and it will defi-
nitely improve our communication with delegates.
Also at this year’s convention, we will be re-launching cupe.bc.ca.
This new website, built on the NationBuilder platform by cStreet,
will significantly improve our ability to support campaigns from the
Division office.
Last year, CUPE National announced the purchase of new property
for the regional office in Burnaby. In conjunction with Paul Faoro,
our president, I have worked with CUPE National to ensure that
the workspace for our Division is well designed to meet the needs
of officers, members and staff, with considerations for long-term
growth.
FINANCIAL DONATIONS
While we support a wide range of progressive initiatives and cam-
paigns, I want to highlight a few donations the executive board
approved at our February meeting.
Next UP: Director Kevin Millsip spoke with our board on the work
of Next UP, a youth leadership program based in Vancouver whose
goal is to equip participants with the skills and tools to become
effective leaders for social and environmental change. We’re proud
to have a few Next UP alumni among our members and staff, includ-
ing Sarah St. John who works in Research and Carlos Carvahlo with
the United Way.
$10-a-Day Child Care: This project is something we have support-
ed for a few years now, and it remains a key part of our efforts to
eliminate child and family poverty in B.C. In conjunction with Local
1936, our funding allows for publication materials that promote the
creation of a child care system that provides a regulated space for
every child whose family wants or needs it.
Coalition of Senior Citizen Organizations (COSCO): Our funding
includes both a small operational donation and support for their
annual conference. COSCO works on senior advocacy issues with a
focus on expansion of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). This support
is in line with CUPE BC policy and our work to see the CPP expand-
ed to the benefit of all working Canadians.
FOLLOW TREVOR ON TWITTER
@TDaviesCUPEBC
COPE 491
PUBLISHED BY The Canadian Union of Public Employees, British Columbia Division
510 - 4940 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C. V5G 4T3 POSTAL AGREEMENT # 42016512
TEL 604.291.9119 FAX 604.291.9043 EMAIL editor@cupe.bc.ca
CUPE BC PRESIDENT Paul Faoro SECRETARY-TREASURER Trevor Davies
THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE EDITOR Dan Gawthrop CONTRIBUTORS Murray Bush, Roseanne Moran, Clay Suddaby, Kathryn Sutton, Janet Szliske
COVER IMAGE Murray Bush PHOTOS CUPE Communications, Josh Berson, Greg Burkitt, John Hall, Rich Overgaard,
CUPE locals 608. 728, 1004, and 2403
DESIGN AND LAYOUT Working Design
SUPPORTING OUR GROWTH CUPE National Secretary-
Treasurer Charles Fleury joins Trevor Davies at the new
area office in Prince George on March 11. CUPE's recent
growth means that some existing facilities can no longer
do all the union's work. Next year, BC Regional Office and
CUPE BC will move to new headquarters near Metrotown
in Burnaby.

15. POWERFUL LEARNING, AT ITS BEST!
CUPE SPRING
WEEK-LONG
SCHOOL
THIS YEAR’S WORKSHOPS
Introduction to Human Rights
 Conflict Resolution
 Parliamentary Procedure / Public Speaking
 Steward Learning Series Modules (8)
 Health and Safety Series

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT CUPE Education representative
Greg Burkitt at 604-291-1940 or send him an e-mail at gburkitt@cupe.ca
Once again, CUPE's
week-long school is
being held in the heart
of B.C.’s Interior.
Coast Kamloops
Conference and
Convention Centre
May 29-June 3
 Remember, scholarships
are available. Check with
your rep or visit cupe.bc.ca
REGISTRATION
DEADLINE IS MAY 13
Book now to
expand your
horizons and
sharpen your
activist tools. NEW

16. PUBLICATION MAIL
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