After 16 years of an anti-worker agenda under the BC Liberals, the Horgan government made a number of improvements over the past three years, reversing many years of deliberate harm and neglect and achieving a fairer and more balanced environment for BC’s workers. 

The BC NDP have:

• raised minimum wage, with a further scheduled increase to $15.20/hr in June, 2021
• eliminated MSP premiums
• eliminated Port Mann Bridge tolls
• passed labour code amendments to ensure a worker’s right to join a Union by shortening the secret ballot vote time frame. Further beneficial improvements were opposed by the Green Party.
• passed “Mental Disorder Presumption” legislation to help first responders with mental disorders caused by traumatic working conditions receive the treatment and compensation they deserve (Bill 9)
• increased funding to support the Workers’ Advisers Office, enhancing independent advocacy and support with free advice and assistance to workers and their dependants for workers’ compensation issues
• established the Fair Wages Commission
• begun the phasing out of discriminatory lower wages for liquor servers
• added labour representation to Industry Training Authority
• restored BC’s Human Rights Commission
• improved and modernized BC’s Employment Standards bringing fairness and protections to workers
• ended “contract flipping”, improving worker job security
• increased minimum age for formal employment from 12 to 16
• updated Employment Standards to include up to five days of employer-paid leave from work in cases of intimate, personal and family violence (updated August 14, 2020) >
• legislated job-protected sick leave and worker supports during COVID-19 pandemic
• ended “self-help” kits brought in by the BC Liberals for worker complaints to Employment Standards
• established the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act 
• undertook a long overdue formal, independent review resulting in legislated amendments and improvements to the Workers Compensation Act
• levelled wages for care workers in seniors’ care homes
• cracked down on employer wage theft of tips designated to service, delivery and hospitality workers 
• in Budget 2020 introduced new resources to help women and under-represented groups to access skilled trades training

Please check in on a regular basis to read more information that will be posted on your Union website during the campaign.