YCL BC eBulletin - April 2011

Check out the April 2011 eBulletin available online here.

On the Announced Increase to the Minimum Wage

Young Communist League BC Provincial Committee
March, 2011

The Young Communist League British Columbia Provincial Committee welcomes the recently announced increase to BC's dismally low minimum wage. At the same time, we note that the increase is far from adequate and does not represent a change in policy or direction on the part of the BC Liberal Party.

Any increase to the minimum wage is undoubtedly positive in terms of the immediate economic situation of hundreds of thousands of workers, many of whom are youth, who are currently working for wages that put them well below the poverty line. We note that action around the minimum wage issue has ebbed in recent times, it was the work of the BC labour movement, especially the young workers movement, which applied pressure to the anti-worker, anti-youth Liberal government around this issue and stimulated public outrage around the Liberal's shameful wage freeze. We are proud that some of our members were part of that work as well.

However, the minimum wage increase is designed to protect the interests of the BC Liberal Party's corporate backers. The increase is much lower than needed and is spread out over the course of more than a year; $8.75 this may, $9.50 on November 1st, and $10.25 in May 2012. But a worker would need to earn no less than $11.11 today to merely straddle the poverty line, and with inflation that number will increase even more by the time minimum wage workers achieve $10.25 next Spring. Keep in mind that this is merely the poverty line. An actual living wage would be around $18.81 in the Metro-Vancouver area, or $18.03 in Victoria. To make matters worse, the Liberal government has introduced a "server’s wage" which will put those who serve liquor on a second wage tier where they will make only $9 by next May. The Liberal strategy is one of keeping BC's workers, youth, and students, at sub-poverty level wages in order to ensure tidy profits to their corporate masters.

In this respect, it is clear that the minimum wage increase is no more than a public relations stunt by a new Liberal leader who is trying to re-brand and re-legitimize her party in preparation for the next round of elections. Clark's wafer-thin claims about a change in Liberal policy and "putting families first" are belied by the fact that she has the very same policies of her predecessor which led to his dramatic decline in voter support and eventual resignation. As the Communist Party's recent statement indicated, Christy Clark merely represents "the same club led by a different smile and a different gender."

The Young Communist League supports the ongoing efforts of young workers to fight for better wages, employment standards, and workplace safety. We demand an immediate increase in the minimum wage to $16 per hour and the elimination of the server’s wage. We oppose all forms of tiered wage systems such as "training" or "student" wages. Ultimately believe every worker deserves a living wage.

The BC Liberal Party will never offer a real alternative to the legacy it has left during the Gordon Campbell era. We call on youth, students, workers, left and progressive forces, and all those negatively affected by the results of Liberal corporate rule to come together and fight for a people's alternative to the anti-worker, anti-youth, and anti-student legacy of the BC Liberal Party.

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land

LEFT FILM NIGHT and Pasta Dinner

"Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land"
(Directed by Sut Jhally, 2004, 80 minutes)

Sunday, March 27, 2011, 7 pm
Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver

Our next film night features Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land (directed by Sut Jhally, 2004, 80 minutes). The film looks at how distorted media coverage reinforces false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This pivotal documentary exposes how U.S. foreign policy interests — oil, and a need to have a secure military base in the region — work in combination with Israeli public relations strategies. Scholars, media critics, peace activists, religious figures, and Middle East experts analyze the use of language, framing and context to explain how Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is made to appear “defensive” in nature. Interviewees include Seth Ackerman, Mjr. Stav Adivi, Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Hanan Ashrawi, Noam Chomsky, Robert Fisk, Neve Gordon, Toufic Haddad, Sam Husseini, Hussein Ibish, Robert Jensen, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Karen Pfeifer, and Gila Svirsky.

For this Film Night, come early at 6 pm to enjoy our annual Pasta Dinner - tickets $12, vegetarian or non-veg., with refreshments available. Proceeds to the People's Voice 2011 Fund Drive. Free admission to the film at 7 pm. Left Film Nights are presented by the Centre for Socialist Education, Young Communist League, and the Vancouver East and Montivero Clubs of the Communist Party of Canada. Call 604-255-2041 or email for further information.

South Africa Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

What was South Africa like under the Apartheid regime? What is it like now? How did it get here? Where is it going?

Join us for a discussion about the history and the future of the national democratic revolution in South Africa and what lessons this provides to those fighting for a better life in Canada.

The event will feature a special guest presenter who was involved in solidarity activities with South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle, and who knew/knows many others who were involved in that fight directly.

We will also hear a report back about the 17th World Festival of Youth & Students, held last December in Pretoria, South Africa.

Friday, March 11th, 7pm
Centre for Socialist Education
706 Clark Dr (Clark & Georgia)

Winter School Canceled

Dear friends and comrades,

The YCL BC Provincial Committee regrets that it must cancel the 2011 YCL BC Winter School. We will be looking at other options for providing skills development training to members throughout the year. We will also be holding our annual summer camp later in the year.

However, we will still be holding our discussion group on South Africa Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow on the evening of March 11th, 7pm, at 706 Clark Dr. (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100374346709564#!/event.php?eid=100374346709564) we will be discussing the situation in South Africa today, how it got here, and where it is going. It will also include a report back from delegates to the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students which was held last December in South Africa.

In Solidarity,
YCL BC Provincial Executive

Same club led by a different smile and a different gender, Communists say

The new leader of the BC Liberal Party, Christy Clark, may be the only person in BC who believes that Gordon Campbell left the province in better shape at the time of his departure than it was in at his debut. Sam Hammond, provincial leader of the Communist Party points out that, “This is more than naiveté. It is a declaration of more of the same old, same old.”

“Christy Clark claims to put ‘Family First’ but her vision of family values nicely skips over unemployment, homelessness, child poverty, education cuts and impacts of privatization., points out Hammond. “Her vision of family does not include the working people”.

Despite having portrayed herself during the leadership campaign, as an outsider, Christy Clark played a leading role in the first draconian term of the Gordon Campbell Liberals.

Her term as Education Minister was marked with unprecedented conflict and chaos. “Christy Clark made attacking the BCTF one of her main priorities, Hammond points out. “The imposition of collective agreement on teachers is the most glaring example of her hostility.” Clark made legislative changes, and changed the funding formula – the result increased class sizes and decreased supports for all students, but particularly those with special needs. She not only froze education funding, but also announced the government would not pay for the teacher salary increases (agreed to by the previous NDP government). School Boards were forced to cover the increases, resulting in unprecedented cuts. ($25.5 million in Vancouver- Even future Liberal Cabinet Minister, Mary Polak, then a Surrey School Board trustee, expressed anger at Clark’s actions.) She was famous for a flurry of policy announcements that the Board were expected to implement with little or no notice.

Clark’s short term at Ministry of Children and Families, was similarly marked by chaos.

It should also not be forgotten that Christy Clark was Deputy Premier for the scandal-ridden sale of BC Rail. “Clark championed the give-a-way of the publicly owned BC Rail to private ownership”, Hammond stated, despite having helped write the Liberal election platform that promised not to sell BC Rail.” Christy Clark has repeatedly stated her rejected calls for an inquiry into the BC Rail scandal.

“She is not an outsider. She actively participated at the Cabinet table in some of the worst attacks on working families in the history BC – including tearing up labour agreements, reducing welfare, to presiding over one of the greatest transfers of wealth from the public coffers to private hands. It is clear from her record that the family that really comes first for Christy Clark is the ‘Coalition of Corporate Interest’, Hammond says. “The Liberal Party in British Columbia has not changed leadership. It is the same club led by a different smile and a different gender.”

Christy Clark has promised to move the HST referendum up to June 24th. “It is imperative for Labour and its allies – for all progressive voters in BC to give the first signal of resistance to the new Premier”, Hammond states. “Defeat the HST!”

For more information contact Sam Hammond

cpinfo.bc@gmail.com

March eBulletin

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