Labournauts Podcast

BC Federation of Labour President (Laird Cronk) and Secretary-Treasurer (Sussanne Skidmore) join Carlos to talk about Labour Day 2020, the work the BCFED is doing and has been going to advocate for workers during COVID and much much more! Please follow @bcfed to find out more about the work they do and also follow Sussanne (@SussanneRS) and Laird (@laird4bcfed) on Twitter to stay updated on the important issues they are tackling on a day to day basis. Thanks for watching & listening :) please share! Happy Labour Day!!

Trevor Davies, Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Union of Public Employees British Columbia, joins Carlos via zoom to discuss the work CUPE Members are doing to keep public services functioning during COVID19. They also talk about the work CUPE is doing to ensure there is appropriate and important municipal funding provided to the municipalities that need it most and the current political climate connected to the Black Lives Matter Movement. To learn more about CUPE BC and the work they do check out their website at CUPE.bc.ca

Long time friend of the Labournauts, Crystal Warner from the Canada Employment and Immigration Union, joins Carlos to talk about the new reality her members are facing at work, the responsibilities unions have during COVID19, and the current state of the Phoenix Pay System. Make sure you check out Crystal’s new podcast “Point of Privilege” .... they live stream on FaceBook every Friday and will be posting to podcast apps soon!!!

President of CUPE 7000, Tony Rebelo, joins Carlos via Zoom to talk about the every day scenarios his fellow members are facing on the frontlines of Metro Vancouver’s Transit System, the ripple effects of Translink’s most recent decision to cut services and lay off workers, and the potential hazards workers and the public are now facing while using transit during COVID19.    to learn more about the work CUPE 7000 (Rapid Transit and Rail Workers) does visit: CUPE7000.ca    To sign on to the “fund transit now” campaign visit: https://moveuptogether.ca/fundtransitnow/

Vice President of the Movement of United Professionals, Christy Slusarenko takes the time to call in and talk to Carlos about the recent layoffs and services cuts at Translink. They talk about the ripple effects these types of decisions have on essential workers and people that need access to transit to work and live. How MoveUp is “stepping up” during COVID19 and how important it is to maintain focus on union led campaigns during this pandemic. Please support MoveUp members by taking action at: https://moveuptogether.ca/fundtransitnow/ learn more about their union at: https://moveuptogether.ca Follow Christy at @christylee35 on instagram or @christyLslusare on twitter.

Kim Novak, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518, joins Carlos via zoom to talk about the working conditions for many of the @ufcw1518 workers during COVID19, the role her union is playing to organize workers in the “gig” economy, the importance of unions having a proactive strategy as we move towards a “post-covid world,” and much much more. To learn more about UFCW 1518 make sure to check out their website: ufcw1518.com or on social media: @ufcw1518

Zoomcast Ep. 2 “Doing Digital” Jack Milroy from Pacific Digital zooms in all the way from Newcastle, Australia to talk about the effects COVID 19 is having on the way unions are communicating with their members, the opportunities and responsibilities unions have to provide “networking platforms” to their members and the types of digital tools that are proving to be useful (new and old) during this Pandemic. If you’d like to connect with Jack you can find him through:  https://www.pacificdigital.ca if you want to sign up to his newsletter click here: http://pacificdigital.ca/newsletter

Sussanne and Carlos sit down with Federal New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh. These 3 talk about the role unions play both within the NDP and politics generally. The recent introduction of Federal Anti-Scab Legislation by the NDP and the current Wet’suwet’en protests and blockades. Follow everything Jagmeet is up to @theJagmeetSingh or if you want to know more about the Federal NDP you can find them at NDP.ca.

Chair and Co-Chair of the BC Federation of Labour Young Worker Committee, Milena Kollay and Alex Gendron join Carlos to talk about the work the Young Workers Committee is doing on behalf of young workers in this province. They discuss the upcoming “Grant’s Law Sit In” scheduled for Saturday, May 25th, the Grants Law Plaque Unveiling planned for June 1st and their upcoming Young Workers’ School at Camp Jubilee. To follow the work Milena and Alex are doing follow Milena on Instagram @milenakollaymoveup and Alex @alexgendron89 To find out more about Young Worker Workers’ School check out: https://conference.bcfed.ca/youngworkerschool/

James Pratt, Executive Assistant to the President of the Canadian Labour Congress, joins Carlos to talk about digital strategies, why politics matter, Jack Layton, tattoos and even a little Johnny Cash. It’ll all make sense, we promise! To learn more and follow the work that James is doing find him @jamesdouglaspratt on Instagram or @jamespratt on Facebook.

Coleen Jones, Canadian Union of Postal Workers Alternate National Union Representative and 1st VP of the Fraser Valley West Local Joins Sussanne and Carlos to discuss Postal Banking, Delivering Community Power, back to work legislation and many of the issues CUPW is fighting for as they start the arbitration process with Canada Post.   Please show your support of these hard working union folks by following them on twitter @cupw or @friends_PS and go to their campaign websites at postalbanking.ca and deliveringcommunitypower.ca  

Crystal Warner, National Executive Vice President from The Canadian Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU) joins Carlos for the 4th time with James Brierley, Young Worker Representative from  CEIU and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). Crystal and James give us an in-depth look at the disastrous effects the Phoenix Pay System has had on Federal Government Workers, their Families, and their Communities and also discuss the upcoming bargaining landscape as Federal Government Unions prepare for bargaining and what type of strategies may be needed. Please visit http://www.ceiu-seic.ca for more information on upcoming actions and follow Crystal Warner @crystalmwarner on Twitter or email James at Brierlj@psac-afpc.ca

Jack Milroy from Pacific Digital joins Carlos to talk about all things digital! Jack has a long history using modern and digital tools to engage and organize union members both in Australia and now in Canada. He gives us some useful advice on how to create a digital strategy in your organization, the importance of creating a digital culture and a whole bunch of do’s and don’ts. If you want to learn more about Jack and the work he does, follow him @jack_milroy on Twitter or check out his website pacificdigital.ca

Carlos sits down with Shireen Clark, President of CUPE local 374 to discuss the recent book she was a part of authoring titled “Simply Woman”.  Shireen’s story is inspirational, as is many of the stories are in this book. Have a listen and if you’d like to learn more about the “Simply Woman” book or more about Shireen story check out her website at Shireenclark.com  Listen.Like.Share 

Joey Hartman, retired Vancouver and District Labour Council President and Amber Leonard, President of the CUPE Vancouver Island District Council join Carlos to talk about the VIDC Leadership Conference, the importance of Municipal Elections and how they got started in the Labour Movement.    Listen.Like.Share

Sussanne chats with Morna Ballantyne and Henry Lee from the Canadian Labour College.  They talk about the renewal and relaunch of the Labour College and discuss the new format of the labour college and the exciting opportunities for up and coming labour leaders to learn and develop leadership skills, understand our history, and examine the challenges we face as a labour movement with the ever-changing workforce. To follow Morna & Harry find them at @mornaballantyne and @hsimon to learn more about labour college visit: http://canadianlabour.ca/labour-education/labour-college-canada

When did the Day of Mourning start? Who started it? Answers to these questions, and much more, as Al Bieksa invites us into his living room to talk about his experiences while creating a short documentary on the origins of the Day of Mourning. To watch the short Day of Mourning Documentary Al created go to: https://youtu.be/gOywfT64qYg

Aaron Ekman sits down with Dennis Pilon, Associate Professor, Department of Politics, York University to talk about the right and wrong ways to campaign for a change to our voting system. If you want to learn more about proportional representation and have your voice heard go to @  https://engage.gov.bc.ca/howwevote/ To learn more about the work Dennis does and if you’d like to check out his book ... check out his blog @ http://wrestlingwithdemocracy.blogspot.ca/?m=1

In Part 2 Carlos sits down with participants from the United Steel Workers “Be More Than a Bystander” weeklong workshop to unpack and discuss what they’ve learned from the workshop and how they plan on advocating for the elimination of gender-based violence in their workplaces and communities. A big thank you to Steve Kallies, Vice President of USW Local 9346 (and @steelmegaphone host), Bernie Wood, Vice President of USW Local 9074 and Iain Thistlewaite, Recording Secretary for USW Local 7619 for sitting down and taking part in this honest discussion regarding such an important topic. For more information on the work the Steelworkers are doing, follow them @usw_district_3 and please find ways to support the work being done by @endviolenceBC

“Being more than a Bystander” Part 1  Carlos is joined by Tracy Porteous, Executive Director for the Ending Violence Association of British Columbia, Retired BC Lion and Grey Cup winner JR LaRose and Matthias Goossen, Lineman for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  Tracy, JR and Matthias share their stories and talk about the importance of being spokespeople for the “Be more than a Bystander” program, and how transformative the work they do is.  This is Part 1 of a 2 part series we are launching to promote and talk about the inaugural “Be more than a Bystander” Training hosted by the United Steel Workers. (@steelworkersCA)  To learn more about this campaign follow the work Tracy and the End Violence team are doing @EndViolenceBC . You can also follow JR and Matthias on twitter @j_tonto27 and @MatthiasGoose

Sussanne takes the opportunity to chat with ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton and ILWU activist Joulene Parent about all things longshore. They cover the importance of engaging the Women of ILWU, Bill c23, longshore history, organizing the unorganized and much more. Thanks to @ilwu502views_jag for the awesome picture we used for show art! To find out more about the work ILWU Canada is doing to protect our Coasts follow them @ilwucanada on twitter

The original Labounauts crew gets together and wastes no time digging into the good and not so good. Labour College, Site C, BC Liberals new Leader and Raiding are just a few of the topics covered on this controversy-filled episode.  Makes sure to follow Aaron Ekman on all things social media @aaronekman, Sussanne Skidmore @sussanneEVP and the labournauts @Labournauts

Crystal Warner, National Executive Vice President of the Canada Employment and Immigration Union, joins Sussanne and Carlos to talk about the Phoenix Pay System, #metoo and Sex Workers Rights.  Please listen, like and share this podcast! If you’d like more information about the topics discussed on this podcast follow Crystal on twitter  @crystalmwarner or @crystalwarner on Facebook Listen. Share. Subscribe. https://goo.gl/EyjrxA

Sussanne sits down with Adrienne Smith and Natasha Tony to talk about the sexual violence against women in the film industry, in the workforce and around the world.  Covering everything from #metoo, misogyny, societal norms and ways to battle sexual harassment and violence against women not just at work but in broader society as a whole.   Check out metoomvmt.org for more info on this subject or follow @metoomvmt on fb. This episode may be triggering for some.    

Just one year after the Supreme Court of Canada decision to restore bargaining rights to the British Columbia Teachers Federation, Glen Hansman -President of the BCTF, sits with Sussanne and Carlos to unpack the ripple effects 16 years of BC Liberal governments have had on the public education system in BC, how School Districts are handling the current teacher shortages, the importance of SOGI education in High Schools and what the future may look like as education sector unions get ready to bargain with a new Provincial Government.  

Sussanne spends the afternoon hanging out with Lisa Langevin from IBEW 213 talking all things “women in trades”, Lisa sits as an executive member with Build Together BC where she promotes, supports and mentors women in the skilled construction trades. Joining us to talk about their individual experiences as women working in non-traditional jobs are: Julie Sawatsky BCRCC, Julia Ballantyne UA516 and Ashley Duncan IAHFIAW. Listen in as they share their personal stories along with advice to new women looking to the Trades as a career.   To learn more about “Build Together” check out http://buildtogether.ca/   Listen.Like.Share  

Sussanne is joined by BC Government and Service Employees Union Director Doug Dykens to discuss a recent trip he took to Morocco for an organizing forum. The group Doug was a part of traveled to Morocco this fall to meet with workers and social justice groups to learn about the political climate and the context of unionization in the country.   We hope you enjoy Doug’s stories about the cultural awakening in Morocco, the treatment of political prisoners and the progress being made around both Human and Woman’s Rights.  Listen.Like.Share.

Sussanne and Carlos are joined by outgoing BC Building Trades President Lee Loftus.  The good times, the scattered times and the times to come - these three discuss everything from the history behind BC Building Trades, Lee’s roots in the movement, the importance of health and safety regulations and why it’s important to attract diverse workers to the trade sector.  Follow Lee on twitter @LoftusLee and if you haven’t already please follow us on Twitter and Instagram @labournauts

With the topic of Electoral Reform becoming more and more relevant both Provincially in British Columbia and Nationally across Canada, the Labournauts thought the timing was right to sit down with Alex Hemingway, Public Finance Policy Analyst from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Alex and Carlos do their best to unpack and explain what a change to our voting system could look like, the potential challenges policy changes like this one could create and some of the recent history this topic has in British Columbia. 

Sussanne joins Delta school board trustee and musqueum community activist Rhiannon Bennett and BC Federation of Labour indigenous workers rep Shelley Saje Ricci join sussanne to talk about the March for Reconciliation, inequality, white supremacy and moving reconciliation into “reconciliACTION

Ana Avendaño, Vice President of Labour Participation at United Way Worldwide joins Carlos to talk about community. From her work in Workers Action Centres to being the AFL-CIO Assistant to the President for Immigration and Community Action it's clear that Ana has a passion for her community. She provides some first hand perspective on what Washington, D.C. looks like with Trump as President, the ripple effect this administration is having on community and how the United Way & Labour are stepping up to make a better America for all.  

BC MLA Ravi Kahlon joins Carlos to talk about his experiences as a Olympian, the important work he's now doing as the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Multiculturalism in British Columbia, and why Labour Day is important to Ravi, his Family and all British Columbians.   

Labounauts regular Adrienne Smith joins Sussanne Skidmore and Carlos To talk about all things "Pride" related.  This episode navigates through the good and not so good parts of being a activist in today's political landscape. We talk about Sussanne's experiences as she travels across Canada taking part in Pride Marches as well as Adrienne's recent experiences dealing with hate speech directed at them after being the spokesperson in a video posted on Facebook.   

  Enjoy this 3 in 1 bonus episode as Carlos occupies the BC Building Trades Council 19th Annual Charity Golf Tournament.  First, Executive Director of the Build Trades Council, Tom Sigurdson sits down and gives us a brief history lesson on how this council came to be, as well as why it's so important that unions give back to the community.  Next, Chris Lowe from Variety talks with Carlos about the important work his organization does to support children all over the world.  Lastly, Bruce Verchere, Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia sheds some light on the work he and his team are doing to address child hood diabetes. Bruce also drops some knowledge on Carlos as he discusses some of the fascinating break throughs scientists are making with gene modification.  Enjoy! And thanks for listening!!

Trevor Davies, Secretary Treasurer- Canadian Union of Public Employees British Columbia, joins Carlos to discuss all things Government at the BC Building Trades 19th Annual Golf Tournament.

It's the summer and we are posting one of our early epsiodes to give our hosts some time off. This is our episode 5. In this episode we are joined by Diane Irvine and Rachel Roy. They talk to us about Uber, privacy law in the internet age, and what it is like to be a progressive in law school.    Hope you enjoy! Like Rachel's firm on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AQWLaw

Shelina Merani, one of Canada's rising stand up comedian stars and Public Service Alliance of Canada Communications Specialist, sits down with Carlos to discuss her experiences as a Muslim comedian making a name for her self on the stand up scene. Born in Kenya, raised in Calgary Shelina brings a unique perspective to the stage using humour to bridge serious topics with laughter and consideration. Recently invited to try out for America's Got Talent and now being featured in a CBC Documentary titled "Shelina: Stand Up!" Shelina is dynamic activist destined for greatness.

Episode 33 - "Attack on Vegreville" this episode takes off from Toronto as Carlos is joined by Crystal Warner, National Executive Vice President of the Canada Employment And Immigration Union and Michelle Henderson, NVP for Alberta/NWT/Nunavut CEIU to talk about Trudeau's ongoing attacks on going Vegreville, Alberta. After campaigning on promises to respect  and support rural Canada, Trudeau's government has, without warning, decided to "relocate" the  IRCC office which processes temporary and permanent residency applications, studies permits and other immigration files away from rural Vegreville to Edmonton. This decision has had a ripple effect across the small community of Vegreville  and these folks aren't backing down without a fight. Listen to Michelle and Crystal describe the challenges their members are facing and the effects this "relocation" would have on this small town.

We launch a special episode covering the recent decision made by the BC New Democratic Party and BC Green Party to sign a 4 year "Confidence and Supplying Agreement" likely making John Horgan the next Premier of British Columbia. First time guest Rob Duffy, Sustainable Communities Initiative Coordinator and former Legislative Assistant, sits down with Carlos and Sussanne Skidmore, BCGEU Executive Vice President and former BC NDP MLA candidate, to discuss some of the key policies this agreement commits to, as well as next steps and possible outcomes as we wait and see what the BC Liberals decide to do next.

Ryan Cochrane is one of Canada's most decorated swimmers. With 2 Olympic Medals and 8 world championships in his rear view mirror Ryan sits down with Carlos to talk about where he's been and where he's heading. At 28 years old Ryan has been labeled as "the Man who saved Canadian Swimming" by the CBC. He talks about the attitude and habits that made propelled him to becoming one of the worlds best swimmers; and how he plans on using those habits to continue to be successful as he transitions away from life as a professional athlete.

Episode 31 "Let's Talk Child Care" - The $10aDay Child Care Campaign grew out of partnership between the Early Childhood Educators of BC and the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC to create a affordable, accessible and quality child care system for British Columbians. Carlos sits down with Sharon Gregson, spokesperson for the $10aDay campaign, to discuss the history of this campaign, how the plan works and why it has now become one of the key election issues politicians are now being forced to address.

Carlos explores the minimum wage as he interviews Canadian Centre For Policy Alternative's Senior Economist and Public Interest Researcher Iglika Ivanova. Iglika and Carlos discuss the complexities of minimum wages, the real cost of having so many British Columbians working below the poverty line and how wages fit into the poverty reduction strategy proposed by groups such as the @Poverty Reduction Coalition. Check out the work Iglika and the CCPA are doing @iglikaivanova and @ccpa or at policyalternatives.ca Please follow, like and share Sub on iTunes at https://goo.gl/4Ak8J6

Sussanne is joined by Amandeep Nijjar, Regional Representative from the Canadian Labour Congress and Stephanie Dobler, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Activist and @dockerpodcast team member. These 3 talk about all things leadership. From Amandeep's experiences teaching women in leadership courses in Ottawa and BC to Stephanie's experiences being a young female leader in a male dominated work force, this episode is a great reminder of how important education and networking opportunities are to grow and groom a movement of activism.

Carlos interviews Steve Hunt,District 3 Director of the United Steelworkers They cover how Steve got started in the movement, the importance of the upcoming provincial election and the launch of Tom Sandborn's book "Hell's History" which outlines the work USW has done to prevent workplace deaths and injuries after the Westray mine disaster in 1992. Check out the work the USW is doing to make workplaces safe @steelworkers and also follow them on Twitter @USW_District_3  

Carlos is joined by Tiffany Binder and Patricia Recinos, two organizers from the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organization. They discuss some of the challenges when organizing in a 'right to work' state as well as their opinions on the inauguration of President Trump. Check out the work the AFL-CIO is doing at @aflcio

Sussanne is joined by  Sonia Singh from Labor Notes , a media and organizing organization, to discuss the strength of grass roots leadership and different organizing models being used in the United States. Check out @labornotes to learn more about the work these folks do and please subscribe and rate the Labournauts Podcast    

Gord Lechner, Director of the BC Federation of Labour Health and Safety Centre sits down with Carlos to discuss the work he and his team do all over British Columbia  as well as the new Workers Compensation Board Regulations regarding new mandatory education for Joint Health & Safety Committees. Check out healthandsafetybc.ca for more news and updates about your rights as workers and upcoming training opportunities.

Episode 24 - RCMP Labour Liaison Sgt. Dave Smith sits down with Carlos and Dan Kask from the @thedockerpodcast to talk about the work he does as Canada's only RCMP/Labour Liaison. We discuss the parts of Canadian and British Columbian Labour Code that apply to union members rights to leaflet, strike or rally as well as some of the misconceptions employers and/or unions may have regarding public demonstrations.  

Michael Brunson, Secretary Treasurer for the Chicago Teachers Union sits down with Sussanne and Carlos to talk about his experience within the public education system in Chicago, organizing, and Trump's inauguration.  

Rob Ashton, International Longshore & Warehouse Union National President invites Carlos to the ILWU office to podcast with Jim Given, Seafarers International Union of Canada President and Jason Woods, ILWU Local 400 Secretary Treasurer. The Comprehensive Economic And Trade Agreement (CETA) and it's potential impact on workers and the environment is the topic of discussion on this episode.  

Sussanne Skidmore and Adrienne Smith sit down with Carlos to talk about the Rise Up! human rights conference, which was hosted by the Canadian Labour Congress in October. From keynote and panel speakers to 'going paperless' and engaging millennials we do our best to cover all things human rights during this one.