News
Read the latest news in BC post-secondary education.
National Day of Mourning, April 28
Last year, 131 workers were killed on the job or died from work-related illnesses in B.C. That’s nearly three workers every week – and thousands more were injured at work. Losing a loved one due to unsafe work conditions is unacceptable. We mourn for each of the 131 workers we lost, and for the family, friends, and…
Budgets, bargaining and a better future
On March 19, the pre-election federal budget was released. It included measures to “improve access in post-secondary by: lowering interest rates on student loans, expansion of the graduate scholarship program, and new funding streams for Inuit and Metis learners and minimal increases for First Nations students,” as noted by the Canadian Association of University Teachers…
Women deserve dignity and equality
The theme for International Women’s Day this year, “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change,” is exemplified by women around the world who are removing barriers for generations of women and girls to come. They inspire us with their determination to create a future where every woman and girl will experience freedom from discrimination at…
Budget 2019 – what does it mean for post-secondary?
Today’s provincial budget continues to make life more affordable for British Columbians. The government has eliminated student loan interest and increased funding for tuition-free Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English Language Learning (ELL). They’ve also introduced a historic First Nations revenue-sharing agreement as part of their work in advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. For too long,…
Open letter regarding the Unist’ot’en Camp
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Sent via email: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca January 30, 2019 Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, On January 7, RCMP officers arrested and forcibly removed 14 Unist’ot’en and Wet’sewet’en land defenders on their traditional, unceded territory. These arrests are…
Wrapping up 2018 – Happy Holidays!
It’s only half way through our annual cycle at FPSE, but we’ve already accomplished so much this year. Our combined efforts as educators, advocates, and members of the labour movement are yielding results, and I wanted to take a moment to celebrate our successes with you. First of all, one of our top priorities has…
December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women
December 6th marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, a day marked by the tragic Ecole Polytechnique mass shooting in Montreal in 1989. These women were killed because of their gender. While acts of mass violence are rare in Canada, women in every province and territory are affected by the…
FPSE endorses Cronk and Skidmore
Vancouver, BC, Nov 19, 2018 – The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC have endorsed Laird Cronk and Sussanne Skidmore in their bid for the positions of BC Federation of Labour president and secretary-treasurer. “I can’t think of a better team to be able to continue the work of the BCFED under outgoing president and…
We Remember
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of World War 1. On Sunday, I’ll be joining with thousands across the province at Remembrance Day ceremonies to mark this milestone and remember the sacrifices of so many service people. Remembrance Day prompted profound dialogue in my history classrooms centred around the question: “How Canada…
Bill 36 changes everything
Two weeks ago, the BC NDP government introduced Bill 36, allowing faculty union executive members to sit on their institution’s board. Despite opposition from the BC Liberals, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Melanie Mark held firm. The bill passed after a week of debate, and is now in effect. This is a huge…
