Key Issue: Jobs & Labour

VANCOUVER, B.C., August 24, 2022 — Further to the open letter signed by 18 hospitality and business associations in response to the British Columbia General Employees’ Union’s (BCGEU) labour action and contract negotiations with the Government of B.C., Fiona Famulak, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement: “The labour […]

To maximize the benefits of taxpayer dollars spent on public infrastructure projects and ensure that all qualified BC companies and employees can work on and benefit from these projects, an open and fair tendering must be the process by which governments implement public projects. Background In July 2018, the BC Government announced a new approach […]

British Columbia’s economic growth depends on having enough skilled and qualified people to meet labour market needs. The B.C. Provincial Nominee Program (B.C. PNP) supports B.C. employers to attract and retain needed talent. It acts as a critical tool to meet B.C.’s labour market and economic development needs and priorities. Background Immigration to B.C. through […]

The lack of diverse and affordable housing across British Columbia is having a significant impact on employers and employees. To ensure future economic sustainability, governments must work together to increase the supply and diversity of the housing stock without delay. Background The cost of housing continues to rise across British Columbia, with increases ranging from […]

British Columbia’s non-ticketed event industry including but not limited to weddings has shifted and molded to adhere to the everchanging Public Health Orders (PHO’s) implemented by the BC Provincial Government throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. All businesses are struggling through the recovery phase of the pandemic; however, the wedding and event industry in BC has yet […]

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, both the provincial and federal governments have seen, in real time, the importance of domestic bio-manufacturing capacity to produce tests, vaccines and therapeutics to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and pandemics of the future. However, before a test, vaccine or treatment can ever be manufactured, the constituent parts and ingredients must be […]

Aviation and aerospace are highly integrated industries, both with strong roots in the Central Okanagan region. Rapidly recovering from the negative impacts pandemic, these sectors are rebounding, due to the re-emergence of the growing global demand for commercial aircraft[1]. Leveraging regional strengths in these sectors will go a long way to create additional economic activity, […]

On its smoothened accounting basis[1], the BC WorkSafe Board of Directors has set the target funding level of assets over liabilities at no less than 130 percent. As set out in the WorkSafeBC December 2020 Annual Report, this indicator was 153 percent (2019: 152 percent). The current policy lacks an upper limit rule. The WorkSafeBC […]

Work is changing due to automation and globalization. Literacy is not just the ability to read, it is the ability to read and understand well and then apply what has been read to a range of problems. According to international literacy assessments, more than 40% of Canada’s workforce do not have adequate levels of the […]

As Canada and the world emerge from two years of restricted health care access due to Covid and its resultant changes in the numbers of available physicians and senior health care workers, the notion of utilizing Physician Assistants/Physician Extenders makes more sense than ever. Physician assistants are educated under the same medical model used to […]