Sonia Furstenau Profile picture
May 10 7 tweets 6 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
Transit staff in the #FraserValley have been on strike for 7 weeks.

These workers are underpaid & overworked by a private company the @bcndp have outsourced to provide an essential public service.

Their employer hasn't stepped up to negotiate & the gov't is silent. 1/ #bcpoli
Fraser Valley residents are frustrated, but they understand the plight of CUPE 561.

Drivers in the region make 32% less than those in neighboring areas.

They work long standby hours making less than $3/hour. They have no pension plan. 2/ #bcpoli
cbc.ca/news/canada/br…
This is what happens when governments outsource public services to for-profit corporations without safeguards.

Although the buses are owned by #BCTransit, they are in fact operated by a private company – and that company is nickel and diming its workers. 3/ #bcpoli @cupenat
We saw this same issue last year when #SeatoSky drivers went on the longest transit strike in BC's history.

Negotiators took over 4 months to reach an agreement that offered workers fair wages & fair treatment.

Transit workers across BC need & deserve a living wage. 4/ #bcpoli
Today I asked Premier @Dave_Eby if he'll end the private outsourcing of essential public operations & ensure workers like those on strike in the #FraserValley earn a living wage.

He didn’t answer, but @Rob_Fleming made it clear that the outsourcing will continue. 5/ #bcpoli
Public operations should be publicly run to avoid situations like this.

The @bcndp claim to be the party for workers, but it's clear this only extends to their branding, rhetoric & fundraising campaigns — not meaningful action on workers' behalf. 6/ #bcpoli
#FraserValley residents are spending 100s on taxis & Ubers amidst an affordability crisis.

We've seen this happen before & it will happen again, unless the @bcndp ensures public services are reliable by taking ownership & providing workers with living wages. 7/7 #bcpoli #CUPE561

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More from @SoniaFurstenau

May 11
We’re calling on the @bcndp to put an end to the outsourcing of essential public operations to for-profit corporations, and ensure that public workers in BC receive a #livingwage.

As things stand, workers are being nickeled and dimed. 1/ #bcpoli
cbc.ca/news/canada/br…
The ongoing transit strike in the #FraserValley is a reminder of the importance of government responsibility for public services.

When government hands over operations of a public service to for-profit companies, it's the workers who pay the price. 2/ #bcpoli
Bus drivers in the #FraserValley are paid 32% less than their counterparts in neighboring regions.

Working long standby hours for less than $3 an hour, with no pension plan.

They are underpaid and overworked, and they are now on the picket line asking for fair wages. 3/ #bcpoli
Read 5 tweets
May 9
How many restaurants would still be open if they failed 4 food safety inspections? None.

The law should be applied equally. CGL has shown they can't be trusted to operate.

The @bcndp gov't must stop protecting #CGL and revoke its permit. 1/ #bcpoli
cbc.ca/news/canada/br…
Coastal Gaslink claims they are pausing construction in part of the project due to "the challenging terrain and the effect of climate change on watersheds" and “an abundance of caution”.

But their track record says otherwise. 2/ #bcpoli
CGL has demonstrated a reckless, spiteful and dangerous attitude towards laws and regulations. They simply absorb the costs of relatively small fines and continue to destroy ecosystems.

And the challenging terrain and impacts of climate change will not improve. 3/ #bcpoli
Read 4 tweets
May 8
Today the gov't released a report on @BC_Housing, uncovering significant conflicts of interest & financial mismanagement.

The @bcndp have committed to implementing the report's recommendations by Spring 2024.

But this gov't has a serious problem with follow through. 1/ #bcpoli
We've seen countless disturbing reports on gov't institutions.

Everything from lottery operators, to real estate, to environmental regulators have been exposed for criminal activity, misuse of funds & harm to public interest.

It's clear we're dealing with a systemic issue. 2/
For example an @RCYBC report found that only 14% of its recommendations had been implemented by this government.

In this case, failing to act has allowed hundreds of children to go missing each month, while hundreds more face trauma & abuse. 3/ #bcpoli
theprovince.com/news/local-new…
Read 6 tweets
May 2
Misogynistic beliefs underlie all of Canada’s recent mass shootings, including the massacre that took place in Halifax 3 years ago.

As elected officials, there are steps we can take to stop these terrible events from happening & support women. 1/ #bcpoli

thetyee.ca/Opinion/2023/0…
Nearly half of Canadian women experience intimate partner violence, yet the federal government plans to cut funding for women’s shelters.

BC must act to fill any necessary gaps, while delivering on the several unmet promises made by the @bcndp. 2/ #bcpoli
A multi-year action plan to address gender-based violence was due by the end of 2022 & is nowhere to be seen.

The @bcndp continue to defer promised funding for sexual assault centres, while calls for on-campus resources from @students_bc continue to fall on deaf ears. 3/ #bcpoli
Read 6 tweets
May 2
Last year an average of 432 children went missing each month from BC's foster care system.

This is evidence of multi-level failure. Our kids aren't safe under government care.

The @bcndp promised "transformational" change but continues to prop up this failing system. 1/ #bcpoli
.@RCYBC states "a lack of action has resulted in a welfare system that functions as a pipeline to child exploitation, sex trafficking & murdered/missing Indigenous girls."

This gov't has been warned that their care is unacceptable, yet problems continue to worsen. 2/ #bcpoli
Inadequate conditions lead hundreds of youth to go missing or disappear from care every month.

How can the @bcndp ensure the safety of the children it cares for without knowing where they are?

I asked @MitziDeanBC this today in Question Period & she gave a non-answer 3/ #bcpoli
Read 6 tweets
May 2
We’re calling on the @bcndp to immediately regulate the #ShortTermRental industry in order to reduce its effects on the #housingcrisis & improve safety for renters & hosts.

Our call is a 2-pronged approach to improve:

1) Data gathering/sharing.
2) Bylaw enforcement.

1/ #bcpoli BC Greens Call for immediat...
Currently, BC has no system to accurately identify the number or type of housing units in the short-term rental market

Even in municipalities with existing bylaws and business license programs, hundreds if not thousands of units listed on these sites are unlicensed. 2/ #bcpoli 1.Introduce legislation tha...
According to Independent watchdog Inside Airbnb there are just under 6,000 listings in Vancouver alone with 82% of them being entire homes or apartments.

And almost 30% of them are unlicensed. 3/ #bcpoli #ShortTermRentals
insideairbnb.com/vancouver/ 3. Support compliance and e...
Read 5 tweets

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