Archive
Working multiple jobs to make ends meet: More common in BC than we might think
May 6, 2020
The devastating toll of COVID-19 in nursing homes across the country has drawn attention to the fact that many workers in long-term care work at multiple facilities because they need more than one job to make a living, and this has directly contributed to the tragedy that is currently unfolding. Unfortunately, long-term care workers aren’t… View Article
Legislated paid sick leave is long overdue
May 4, 2020
Workers in British Columbia without a union collective agreement have no paid sick leave rights under the Employment Standards Act—the provincial legislation that contains the minimum conditions of employment for all workers, such as minimum wage and statutory holidays with pay. On March 23, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government made two… View Article
Dismantling tent cities—why choice matters
Apr 28, 2020
On April 25, 2020 the BC government announced a plan to evacuate tent city communities in Vancouver and Victoria and place residents in temporary accommodations.[2] There have been many calls from community urging the government to recognize that people experiencing homelessness are disproportionately vulnerable to COVID-19 and other health and human rights issues. We commend… View Article
A progressive macroeconomic response to the coronavirus crisis in British Columbia
Apr 27, 2020
While much of the world remains under strict lockdown and we have yet to determine the full extent of the already-unprecedented economic crisis caused by the global coronavirus pandemic, it is not too early to start thinking about the way out of the crisis. So many people have seen their incomes collapse or their jobs… View Article
Comparing provincial economic responses to COVID-19
Apr 23, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital importance of collective responses via governments at all levels. The Canadian context of federalism, with a division of powers between federal and provincial/territorial governments, also highlights key differences in approaches to the pandemic. At its best, federalism is an advantageous arrangement, with the federal government addressing national issues,… View Article
This year’s tree-planting seedlings could end up a huge compost pile
Apr 22, 2020
For British Columbia’s tree-planting industry, COVID-19’s arrival came at the worst of times. This year was to be the industry’s great leap forward, the biggest season on record with more than 300 million seedlings slated to be planted. But while the industry managed to get the provincial government to declare “reforestation” an essential service, it… View Article
Time to end profit-making in seniors’ care
Apr 22, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has shone a light on serious problems in Canada’s seniors’ care system, as nursing homes quickly became the epicenters of the outbreak. These problems are not only due to the greater vulnerability of seniors to the disease, but also to how care is organized and staffed. In recent weeks, BC’s provincial government… View Article
Who’s left out? COVID-19 & psychiatric detainees
Apr 21, 2020
For weeks, we’ve all been doing our best to follow guidelines about staying home and physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But who is left out of those public health protections? What happens when laws or policies impair the ability of people to make their own decisions and protect themselves against the virus?… View Article
Digital equity and community solidarity during and after COVID-19
Apr 21, 2020
As many have noted, COVID-19 is an efficient illuminator of our society’s strengths and weaknesses; its progress accelerates in spaces of inequality and injustice. There is a race among public health agencies at all levels to provide timely, accurate information about COVID-19 that is essential to support physical distancing policies and to maintain quarantine and… View Article
Time to extend financial supports to local governments
Apr 15, 2020
Local governments and regional authorities like TransLink have been missing from federal and provincial economic responses to COVID-19. Local governments are facing collapsing revenues, and unlike federal and provincial governments, they are not allowed to run deficits to cover their operating costs. As a result they are already staring into the abyss of painful austerity… View Article
Excess profits tax needed to prevent profiteering amid COVID-19
Apr 9, 2020
People and businesses all over the country and the world are hurting as large parts of the economy have shut down to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But a subset of businesses will see a spike in profits, including in big tech, e-commerce and logistics, and cleaning products, as well as vendors of scarce… View Article
Food insecurity and hunger during COVID-19
Apr 7, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed holes in our social safety net and significant inequality across BC households. Much of the recent focus has been on workers facing unemployment and renters unable to pay for their housing, with new federal and provincial supports enacted to try to address these needs. In this post I want to… View Article
Taking stock of COVID-19 economic policy measures in BC
Apr 7, 2020
A multitude of measures have been tabled by the provincial and federal governments to prop up workers and an economy reeling from mandated closures of businesses brought about by physical distancing measures. Spring 2020 will be a period economic historians will be writing about for decades to come. Most economists were encouraging significant fiscal and… View Article
BC’s relief measures for people on income assistance are welcome but more is needed
Apr 4, 2020
On April 2, the BC government announced emergency financial support for some of the most vulnerable British Columbians: an extra $300 per month for people receiving income and disability assistance and some very low income seniors, for three months. This necessary and welcome measure can’t come fast enough. BC is now only the second Canadian… View Article
Open Letter to BC Minister of Labour Harry Bains | Re: COVID-19 Action Plan
Apr 3, 2020
Hon. Harry Bains Minister of Labour Government of British Columbia Dear Minister Bains: The COVID-19 pandemic is having the greatest social and economic impact on workers who rely on wages from employment for their survival, this is particularly so for workers who are engaged in precarious employment and without the benefit of a union. The… View Article
Concerns about federal wage subsidy program remain as details emerge
Apr 2, 2020
The federal government announced new details yesterday regarding the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) that will flow to employers facing significant revenue declines amid the COVID-19 crisis. CEWS applies to businesses, non-profits and charities of all sizes (including large, highly-profitable corporations) if they are facing a decline in revenue of at least 30 per cent… View Article
Ne provoquez pas une crise pour les organismes de charité et sans but lucratif avant que le programme de subvention salariale entre en jeu
Apr 2, 2020
MISE À JOUR – 8 avril 2020 : Aujourd’hui une lettre a été envoyée à des fonctionnaires clés afin de demander que le nouveau programme de Subvention salariale d’urgence du Canada soit disponible à tous les organismes communautaires à but non lucratif ainsi qu’à ceux de bienfaisance sans qu’on leur exige une perte de revenus en… View Article
Don’t force charities and non-profits into crisis before wage subsidy kicks in
Apr 2, 2020
UPDATE—April 8, 2020: Today a letter was sent to key government officials requesting that the new Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program be made available to all charities and community non-profits, without the requirement to experience a revenue loss before becoming eligible. All the organizations which added their name at the bottom of this blog… View Article
Protecting the health and rights of migrant agricultural workers during the COVID-19 outbreak should be a priority
Apr 1, 2020
Manually skilled migrant workers contribute vitally to the Canadian food chain, including to agricultural and seafood industries. But food security cannot be achieved on the backs of workers who are denied equal access to social protections and benefits, and made uniquely vulnerable to coronavirus transmission. With news about this week’s community outbreak among migrant agricultural workers… View Article
What do recent changes to the Employment Standards Act mean for BC workers?
Mar 26, 2020
The current COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it have shone a light on the depth and breadth of precarious labour in BC, across Canada, and internationally. For many workers, the variety of restrictions and responses imposed, while integral to an effective response to the pandemic, have placed already precarious employment in further jeopardy. Many workers… View Article