BRITISH COLUMBIA

Two Steelworkers take on
jobs in Victoria Legislature

VICTORIA Steelworkers Local
1-2171 member Harry Bains
(Surrey-Newton) and Local 1-
80's Doug
Routley
(Cowichan-
Ladysmith)
began their first
session as mem-
bers of the B.C.
legislature on
September 12. Both were were
elected with a great deal of
worker and community support
this past spring. The two broth-
ers are joining 31 other MLA’s
to keep the Gordon Campbell
Liberals’ feet to the fire.“ We
wish these guys all the best in
Victoria,” says District 3
Director Steve Hunt. “It can be
a pretty crazy place. With an
anti-worker government in
power, there are going to be
big scraps on the horizon.”

Bains has been designated
Opposition Critic for the 2010
Olympic Games. The former
mill worker and union rep will
also be offering Carole James
and NDP Forestry critic Bob

Simpson
(Cariboo North)
some first-hand
advice on issues
affecting forest
workers. Brother
Routley will be
Doug Routley — position Critic
for Housing. He's a former
civic worker and Cowichan
School District Trustee who
has a keen interest in social
and economic issues.

Brother Hunt says the
union is proud of both
Steelworkers for taking the
leap forward into political life.
“Both of them and their fami-
lies are making huge sacri-
fices,” he says.

Harry Bains

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JO) ETC LANE TTO)N|

= USW representatives met with BC NDP leader Carole James to discuss potential areas of

cooperation. PHoto NORMAN GARCIA

Building Power with NDP membership

BURNABY Steelworkers District 3 is
ramping up its political action campaign
across Western Canada.
District Director Steve Hunt
| says the union is encourag-
ing members to join the
party to ensure that workers’
voices are heard in all

Steve Hunt provinces.

“We want to build on the momentum we
developed in B.C. during the Steelworkers

Vote campaign this past spring and get as
many members as we can involved in all
aspects of the NDP across Western Canada -
from the riding associations to NDP provin-
Gal and federal councils and executives and
from constituencies to central campaigns,”
he says. “Whether it’s health and safety, forest
policy or education and health care, we will be
Building Power and speaking out.” Those
who join the NDP can participate in D3’s
Political Action Committee (STEELPAC).

FEDERAL NEW DEMOCRATS

Tensions grow in push
for federal election

UP ON THE HILL in Ottawa, an non-
confidence motion is closing in on the
federal government. A February, 2006
could be inevidable, in light of the first
Gomery Commission report and the
political impasses that have been taken
place between opposition parties and the
Liberals.

The Steelworkers’ political ally, the
New Democratic Party, has withdrawn its
support for the minority government
and has joined other opposition parties
to force a winter election, The majority
of parliament favours an election call in
the first week of January for a mid-

February voting date.

= Steelworkers’ favourite Ed Broadbent is
helping keep pressure on Liberals. nor poro

In 2005, the NDP forced the Liberals
to spend billions more on affordable
housing, post secondary education, pub-
lic transit and global poverty reduction.
It has also pushed for worker protection
in the event of corporate bankruptcies.

The union will run ground cam-
paigns in key New Democrat ridings.

34 T vecemper 2005 THE ALLIED WORKER