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Union

Faculty agrees to private mediation with university in wake of strike notice

KAMLOOPS - A private mediator will be brought in to help settle a nearly year-long labour dispute between faculty and administration at Thompson Rivers University. Faculty at the university agreed to private mediation with school administrators following a 72-hour strike notice that was delivered yesterday morning, Jan. 11. While the TRU Faculty Association have taken...

Kamloops postal workers to speak with (most) federal candidates tonight

THREE OF FOUR ELECTION CANDIDATES TO ATTEND KAMLOOPS — Local postal workers are planning to get together with local federal election candidates tonight, Aug. 26 for a meeting to discuss the end of door-to-door mail service in Kamloops with one notable exception: incumbent Conservative Cathy McLeod. Under her party's control, the Canada Post announced Kamloops...

Wage increase approved for West Kelowna firefighters

WEST KELOWNA - West Kelowna firefighters' wages and property tax bills with both get a bit of a bump over the next few years following the approval of a new collective agreement. West Kelowna council has ratified the new collective agreement between the International Association of Firefighters Local 4457 and the District of West Kelowna....

City and electrical workers make union agreement

PENTICTON - A negotiated agreement has been reached between theElectric Utility employees, and the City of Penticton and IBEW Local 213. The five-year agreement calls for two per cent increases each year in the term. The agreement was signed by union members on Thursday, Aug. 28. “The City is very pleased to have successfully negotiated...

PROSKIW: The lesson of the day: It’s okay to fight dirty

At a recent B.C. Teachers Federation anti-government rally, one of the speakers brought someone with her to the microphone. Her five-year-old son was suddenly before 300 cheering people on the side of a busy highway. The boy tries to hide in her arms a few times but after some gentle prodding he eventually parrots “I want school.”...

Talks break down between City of Kelowna and CUPE

KELOWNA – There are no plans for job action just yet as talks between the City of Kelowna and its unionized workers have broken off. “After five days of mediation we were unable to come to agreement,” a Thursday posting on the CUPE Local 338 website says. “Talks were progressing but both sides were unable to...

Only some summer programs affected by strike

KAMLOOPS - While school district summer school programs have been cancelled third party summer programs will not be subject to picketing, according to the local teacher’s union president. “There won’t be any third party picketing… where they just rent the facility,” Jason Karpuk says. “They rent, they do the hiring, the board doesn’t provide any...

Centre’s strike take toll on community and local businesses

PENTICTON — Naramata’s local economy will take a hit this summer while the community’s largest organization is on strike. Last week, the administration of the Centre at Naramata decided to pull the plug in summer programming, in order to prove their striking efforts were serious. Employees have been standing on the picket line since May,...

This could be last day of school in Kamloops

FULL STRIKE LAUNCHED KAMLOOPS — The teachers’ union appears headed to a full strike beginning Tuesday and with a ‘study session’ planned for Monday and a rotating strike day Friday, that means today is potentially the last day of school for many students in Kamloops. An email was sent to teachers Thursday night and quickly...

Teacher strike hits childrens’ festival where it hurts

"WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN IN THIS SITUATION." KELOWNA - Organizers of a West Kelowna childrens' festival are worried the ongoing dispute between the BCTF and the province will hurt attendance at the 8th annual Interior Savings Fat Cat Children's Festival this weekend. Artistic director Dorothee Birker says teachers bringing kids...

Workers fight for jobs while employer fights to avoid bankruptcy

NARAMATA – The Centre at Naramata is known as a sanctuary, a retreat from the stresses and hustle bustle of modern life. Since Thursday it’s been anything but for the 30 unionized employees. The CUPE workers walked off the job and are walking a picket line. Talks with the employer have broken off after the...