Shortage of professionals
puts B.C. in critical condition

B.C. FACES a crucial
shortage of trained profes-
sionals, says the president
of the B.C. Federation of
Labour who toured the
northwest recently,

Although the nursing
profession may be the one
with the highest profile at
the moment when it comes
to shortages, a multitude
of other occupations are on
the list, said Jim Sinclair.

“When -1- visit: plants
and worksiles I hear of-en-
ormous gaps between se-
nior licketed employees,
who are 45-50 years old
and apprentices,” he said.

“The apprentice pro-
grams are minimal at this
point. There’s a huge gap
in skills training.”

“What does it take to
get people back into a
training program?” *

Sinclair contrasts the
lack of skills training pro-
grams to the perennial pro-
blem of youth unemploy-
ment, saying young people
lose out because of the
shortage of apprenticeships
in B.C.

The B.C. Federation of
Labour is the umbrella as-
sociation for the majority
of unionized workers in the
province.

Sinclair’s tour, which is
taking him across the pro-
vince, is to highlight the
benefits of union wages in
the private and public sec-
tors.

Tt is also an attempt t to
bolster union membership
at a time when traditional
union occupations are dis-
appearing.

“Young people are the
lifeblood of the union
movement. If we don’t

have young people, we
won't survive,” said Sin-
clair.

Still, Sinclair. says ap-
proximatcly one-third of
B.C.’s workers are union-
ized and the percentage in
the northwest is higher be-
cause of logging, fishing
and industry.

“Everybody knows
union members get paid
more, The difference be-

‘tween union and non-union

wages in this region is
about $120 million a
year,” Sinclair estimated,
Unionized workforces
are good for the local
economy as “when there’s
a raise in the pulp mill or
Alcan, you also get a raise
on Main Street,” said Sin-
clair of the purchasing
power of union members.
Unionized workforces

also translate into stabili-
ty, particularly in the pub-
lic sector in smaller cities
in B.C., he added.

Money isn’t always the
main’ issue for workers
thinking about joining a
union, Sinclair continued.

“Actually, in our last
survey, money ranked
fourth,” he said. “People
want dignity in the work-

place They want pensions

and dental plans and de-
cent treatment.”

The B.C. Federation of
Labour opposes calls by
the B.C. Business Summit,
a coalition of business in-
terest, to luwer the mini-
mum wage for young
people.

He also questioned the
reliance of companies on
having their workers work
overtime: instead of hiring

Jim Sinelairy

more people.
“If we cut those over-

time hours, more people -

could be put to work,” said
Sinclair.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 31, 2000 - AT]

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runs longer

TWO EXTRA school days
: will be tacked on to Skec-
na Junior Secondary’s year
to make up for lost time
caused by bomb threats,
says the school’s principal.
f Rob Greenwood said re-
: gular classes at Skeena

were intended to finish on

June 21. But a siring of

bomb threats April 20,

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Each time a threat is
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had to shut down while
RCMP have searched the
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Greenwood said about
14 hours, or 2.5 days were
lost’ due to the string of

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his school’s timetable can-
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22, with provincial exams
- “running until June 29,

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