BC FORUM News

Resolutions debated at BC FORUM’s 2018 AGM,
plus a Petition

June, 2018 - Read the Resolutions below that were presented and debated at BC FORUM’s Annual General Meeting that took place at the UFCW 1518 Hall in New Westminster on Wednesday, June 27, 2018:

RESOLUTION #1: ANBANG

RESOLUTION #2: GRANT’S LAW STATUS

RESOLUTION #3: BANKRUPTCY AMENDMENT

Petition

RESOLUTION #4: PHOENIX

RESOLUTION #5: DOOR-TO-DOOR POSTAL DELIVERY

RESOLUTION #6: POSTAL BANKING

RESOLUTION #1: ANBANG

WHEREAS the federal government was responsible for approving the sale of Retirement Concepts to Anbang Insurance; and

WHEREAS the recent Chinese government takeover of Anbang Insurance now places controlling interest of Retirement Concepts, B.C.’s largest non-government nursing home chain, in the hands of the Chinese government; and

WHEREAS officials from the Chinese Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), China’s central bank and other key Chinese financial regulators and government bodies may be making decisions that will impact a large segment of B.C.’s residential care homes; and

WHEREAS the B.C. government has a critical role in protecting seniors care from the possible negative impacts of this takeover:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the British Columbia Federation of Retired Union Members (BCFORUM) will continue to support the positions taken by the BC Health Coalition (BCHC) and the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU), urging the B.C. government to request a full review within the Investment Canada Act of the sale of the retirement home operator, Retirement Concepts, to Anbang Insurance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that BCFORUM will support HEU in their request of the B.C. Government to take the following steps to protect B.C. seniors:
- Implement more frequent and comprehensive staffing and financial audits of Retirement Concepts facilities;
- Implement a moratorium on contracting out/contract flipping in the broader residential care sector; and
- Investigate the business case for purchasing Anbang’s assets should they become available for sale.

AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that BCFORUM ask the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations (COSCO), the Congress of Union Retirees of Canada (CURC) and the National Pensioners Federation (NPF) to endorse this resolution.

RESOLUTION #2: GRANT’S LAW STATUS

WHEREAS the 2006 changes to the British Columbia Workers Compensation Act that increased protection of late night workers and those working alone; referred to as Grant’s Law; were severely watered down in 2012; and

WHEREAS the basic tenet of any Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations are to provide for the safety and health of workers:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the British Columbia Federation of Retired Union Members (BC FORUM) work with the British Columbia Federation of Labour (BC FED) and its affiliates to have Sections 4.20.1 to 4.23 of the Workers Compensation Act (Grant’s Law) restored to 2006 status.

RESOLUTION #3: BANKRUPTCY AMENDMENT

WHEREAS Canadian workers rely on their pensions and benefits to live and retire with dignity; and

WHEREAS, the Liberal Party of Canada campaigned on improving security for all Canadians; and

WHEREAS NDP Member of Parliament Scott Duvall’s Private Members’ Bill C-384, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, will ensure that claims in respect of unfunded liabilities or solvency deficiencies of a pension plan are accorded priority in the event of bankruptcy proceedings and provides that an employer has to maintain group insurance programs that provide benefits to or in respect of its employees or former employees.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the British Columbia Federation of Retired Union Members (BCFORUM) pressure the Canadian Government to immediately amend Canadian Bankruptcy Laws by enacting Bill C-384, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.

Petition:

Download a copy of the Petition here.

Whereas:

• Canadian workers rely on their pensions and benefits so they can live and retire with dignity;

• Canada’s inadequate bankruptcy laws allow failing corporations to take the money intended for their employee’s pensions and benefits, and use it to pay off CEOs, banks and investors instead; and

• The Liberal party campaigned on improving retirement security for Canadians.

We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the government of Canada to fix our bankruptcy laws to stop corporations from putting shareholders, banks and creditors ahead of their employees when they file for bankruptcy protection.

RESOLUTION #4: PHOENIX

WHEREAS it is a basic right of every worker in Canada to be paid all wages due them on the date due; and

WHEREAS the Federal Government of Canada has failed to do so for in excess of two years due to the Phoenix Payroll System; and

WHEREAS the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) continues to wage battles on behalf of their members pressuring the Federal Government to adopt a payroll system which properly pays workers all wages due on time:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the British Columbia Federation of Retired Union Members (BC FORUM) pressure the Federal Government to immediately commence a complete and comprehensive overhaul of the Phoenix pay system or adopt a new pay system; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the BC FORUM continue to work with the Pubic Service Alliance of Canada, the British Columbia Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress in their demands and actions to get fairness and respect for Federal Government workers who have suffered the impact of the Phoenix pay system.

RESOLUTION #5: DOOR-TO-DOOR POSTAL DELIVERY

WHEREAS on January 24, 2018, the Public Services Minister announced that the Liberals are ending a community mailbox conversion program; and

WHEREAS the Liberal Party of Canada are now reneging on their 2015 campaign promise to restore door-to–door delivery for those who already lost it; and

WHEREAS the British Columbia Federation of Retired Union Members (BCFORUM) has been and continues to be a strong supporter of keeping door-to-door mail delivery:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the British Columbia Federation of Retired Union Members (BCFORUM) continue to work with other organizations that are campaigning to have door-to-door mail delivery restored to the 840,000 households that have had their door-to door mail delivery ended since 2014.

RESOLUTION #6: POSTAL BANKING

WHEREAS the British Columbia Federation of Retired Union Members (BC FORUM) has expressed and maintained support of Postal Banking; and

WHEREAS Private Members Motion No. 166 – Postal Banking for Canada – was introduced in the House by NDP MP Irene Mathyssen calling upon the Government of Canada to form a special committee with the purpose of conducting hearings and proposing a plan for a postal banking system and that such committee report to the House within 12 months of adoption of M-166:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the BC Federation of Retired Union Members (BC FORUM) continue to support postal banking; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the BC FORUM pressure the Federal Government to support the actions of Motion No. M-166, Postal Banking for Canada.