When Prince George residents often think of Labour Day, the first thing that comes to mind is the long weekend and summer’s about to end.
However, what many northern residents take for granted is the role local unions play to make sure workers are treated and paid fairly.
On Monday, the North Central Labour Council and the Labour Day Organizing Committee hosted a rally through Canada Games Plaza to help recognize the value of unions in the north.
“There is still that struggle going on that working people get a fair shake and most importantly especially in the current context we shine a positive light on the Community Benefit Agreement to ensure that not just workers are treated fairly but in particular that British Columbians get work first,” said Aaron Ekman, Secretary-Treasurer with the BC Federation of Labour.
“For those of us up here in Northern British Columbia and in the rural areas that these residents are getting work first on projects that are close to them in their communities.”
Ekman adds a lot of people have the conception that if you pay someone a working wage, the money will evaporate, however, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“We quite often fall into that trap of thinking when British Columbians make fair wages and fair benefits that the money somehow evaporates out of the taxpayer coffers but it doesn’t, it gets circulated through small businesses who like to pride themselves on being job creators.”
Over 30 unions and community organizations including the United Steelworkers (USW) and the BCFED attended the rally.
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