On Tuesday, May 12, 2009, British Columbians will take to the polls to determine our future political leadership. To ensure that each registered voter would have the opportunity to exercise his or her right to vote, the B.C Election Act was designed to ensure that employees would not be prevented by the terms of their employment from casting their votes.

Section 74 (1) of the Election Act states that an employee who is entitled to vote in an election or who, on registration, will be entitled to vote in the election is entitled to have 4 consecutive hours free from employment during voting hours for general voting. Section 74 (2) of the Election Act states that if an individual’s hours of employment do not allow for the consecutive hours referred to in subsection (1), the individual’s employer must allow the individual time off from employment to provide those hours. Section 74 (4) an employer must not (a) without reasonable justification, fail to grant to an employee sufficient time off as required by subsection (2), or (b) make a deduction in pay for the time off or exact any penalty from the employee for the time off.

Voting hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Therefore, dayshift employees who start work before 12:00 p.m. (noon) may not be required to work beyond 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2009. The provisions of the Election Act apply to all employees who are scheduled to work the dayshift on Tuesday, May 12, 2009.

The black spots on Premier Gordon Campbell’s resume are far too numerous to list but Campbell is the only Canadian Premier immediately recognizable by his Maui Police Department mugshot, taken following his January 10, 2003 drunk driving arrest in Hawaii, for which he was later convicted. In a press conference, Campbell denied he had been smiling while being photographed.

Prior to his 2001 election, Campbell promised to honour collective agreements. In 2002, Campbell introduced Bill 29, anti-union legislation which in effect tore up the collective agreement of the B.C. Hospital Employees Union, resulting in the largest single lay off of female workers in British Columbia history. On June 8, 2007 (several years after the affected health workers lost their jobs) the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that parts of Bill 29 were illegal and contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Upon his 2001 election, Campbell immediately froze B.C.’s minimum wage at $8.00. It is now the lowest in Canada. Campbell also introduced a sub-minimum wage that further reduced the minimum wage to $6.00 for the purposes of “training”. After establishing Canada’s lowest minimum wage, Campbell’s government later introduced Bill 37, which rewarded Campbell with a 54% pay increase.

In 2002, the Campbell government responded to employer lobby groups by gutting the WCB Act, virtually eliminating loss of earnings pensions and reducing wage loss entitlements and other benefits for injured employees.

Three months prior to the May 12, 2009 provincial election, Campbell passed Bill 42, legislation which was designed to limit third party spending and take away the right to free speech by effectively imposing a gag order on British Columbians. On March 27, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Frank Cole found the changes were unconstitutional because they limited the Freedom of Expression during an important period following the Throne Speech and the budget. The Campbell government’s subsequent attempt to have that decision stayed was unsuccessful.

Although Campbell pledged not to sell B.C. Rail, he did just that, in covert fashion. Several of the Campbell government’s ministerial aids are now in court facing charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in connection with the sale of B.C. Rail.

There is a common theme surrounding the history of the Campbell government. Please take the time to ask why Campbell has closed at least 177 public schools, why 26,000 forestry jobs have been lost due to the export of raw logs, why BC is now ranked Number 1 in Canada for Child Poverty and Tuition Fee hikes.

On May 12, 2009, fire Gordon Campbell!

 

In Solidarity,

Ken Mooney