News

Across much of the world, May 1 is a time to celebrate the contributions of the working class and the labour movement. International Wokers’ Day (or, colloquially, May Day) is held on May 1 to commemorate the victims of the Haymarket massacre, which saw four protesters and seven police officers killed in 1886, as workers peacefully protested for an eight-hour workday.

May is Asian Heritage Month. For CAPE, it’s a time to underscore and celebrate the important contributions that Canadians of Asian descent have made to our nation.

April 28 is the annual Day of Mourning for workers who are killed or injured in the workplace. Established by the Canadian Labour Congress, this day gives us an opportunity to remember the victims of workplace hazards and redouble our efforts to maintain safe workplaces.

This past Wednesday, President Phillips, along with other union and non-union representatives, had the chance to meet with members of the Parliament to voice their opinion on Bill C-62.

This week is National Volunteer Week; CAPE would like to take this opportunity to encourage all of its members to consider volunteering some time towards a worthy cause.

Effective April 1, 2018, all forms of contraceptives will now be covered under the Public Service Health Care Plan.

Technical and library staff at Carleton University have been on strike for close to a month. These union members, part of CUPE Local 2424, have taken to the picket line in the hopes of protecting their pension rights.

On March 21, 1960, in Sharpeville, a small township in South Africa, 69 people lost their lives and 180 others were injured when the police fired on a crowd of peaceful Black demonstrators who were challenging laws that restricted black South Africans’ movements under apartheid. Six years after this massacre, the United Nations decreed March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Public Services and Procurement Canada has been engaged in a pilot project to test for legionella, an article in the Globe and Mail has revealed. The new technology by Ottawa-based Spartan Biotech has confirmed the presence of legionella in several federal public service buildings, leading some members to wonder if they are at risk of developing legionnaire’s disease.

Treasury Board has indicated that it will temporarily stop collecting overpayments from public servants who aren’t getting paid accurately.