Air Canada outsourcing – a joint letter from the federal NDP BC Caucus

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Posted on 2010.03.10

Air Canada outsourcing – a joint letter from the federal NDP BC Caucus

Libby and her BC colleagues sent the following letter to Transport Minister John Baird
March 3, 2010

The Hon. John Baird, P.C. M.P.
Minister for Transport
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Baird,

In your January 12, 2010 letter in response to our colleague Bill Siksay and co-signatories regarding the future of Air Canada and its employees, you recognized the strategic importance of Canada’s air transportation system, of which Air Canada constitutes a critical component.

In addition to referring to the federal government’s role in helping ensure the financial viability of Air Canada, you highlighted Air Canada`s role in connecting Canadians from coast to coast to coast and beyond.

A key component of maintaining the integrity of Canada’s transportation system is ensuring that a critical mass of technical and maintenance aviation servicing expertise remains in Canada. This is, of course, in addition to safety and security concerns.

Regrettably, in spite of Air Canada receiving federal funding support, Air Canada’s management has been relentlessly outsourcing the servicing and maintenance of its aircraft in low-cost developing countries. This is an issue that we have raised many times in the House, and at committee as well as in previous correspondence with your department.

Once again technical and heavy maintenance personnel at Air Canada are facing large numbers of layoffs scheduled to begin in April 2010. There will be 435 permanent layoffs system-wide, with an additional approximate 400 temporary layoffs over the summer months of 2010. In total about 1000 highly-skilled jobs are at stake.

These layoffs will have huge impacts on Air Canada stations in Vancouver as well as Winnipeg and Montreal. To date, Air Canada has remained unwilling to cooperate with its employees in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

We once again urge you to work in the best interest of Canada and our workers by taking swift action to stop the hemorrhaging of good, family-supporting Canadian jobs. The outsourcing of highly-skilled and well-paying Canadian jobs to lower-cost maintenance facilities must be stopped, and your government has the leverage to do just that.

The federal government has already invested significantly to protect this strategic asset. Most recently your government has provided support for a $600-million-collateral-backed loan which was key in helping Air Canada improve its financial position.

Therefore, not only is there a moral and policy obligation to make sure that these efforts protect Canadian jobs, but it is also imperative that your government play a key role in facilitating the discussion between Air Canada’s management and its workforce to reach a workable solution.
We strongly urge you to work with Air Canada to ensure that jobs stay in our country. Please rest assured that you have our full cooperation in this regard.

Bill Siksay (MP Burnaby Douglas) Alex Atamenenko (MP BC Southern Interior) Jean Crowder (MP Nanaimo Cowichan)
Nathan Cullen (MP Skeena-Bulkley Vally) Don Davies (MP Vancouver Kingsway) Libby Davies (MP Vancouver East)
Peter Julian (MP Burnaby-New Westminster) Denise Savoie (MP Victoria)

Drug shortage shows failure of federal leadership, critics charge

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Drug shortage shows failure of federal leadership, critics charge

OTTAWA — The prospect of Sandoz profiting from a nationwide drug shortage caused by its Canadian subsidiary shows a “shocking” failure of federal leadership, critics charge. “It’s shocking that the very company that caused the immediate crisis is the one that could benefit,” said Libby Davies, the federal NDP health critic. “Patients and Canadians are being held captive, and I just don’t think people will tolerate this.”

The original article, Drug shortage shows failure of federal leadership, critics charge was published on March 20, 2012 in The Ottawa Citizen. Author(s): Pauline Tam

Outside in available as an Ebook! And more: two upcoming events in Vancouver and on Denman Island

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Posted on 2020.03.2

Outside in available as an Ebook! And more: two upcoming events in Vancouver and on Denman Island

I’m delighted to share that Outside In: A Political Memoir is now available as an ebook! So if this is your reading niche – I hope you will order from your favourite supplier, such as Amazon, Kobo, or wherever you usually buy ebooks. You can also go to the BTL website page for Outside In, our website

In other news – there are two events coming up that I will be participating in: 

The Carnegie Centre Writers Festival celebrating the 40th Anniversary of The Carnegie Centre. This place has been a big part of my life and the story of it’s re-birth as a desperately needed community in the Downtown Eastside is very much a part of my book. I look forward to being there the evening of SATURDAY MAY 9th. 

I will also be attending the DEMMAN ISLAND READERS AND WRITERS FESTIVAL July 16-19 th on the fabulous Denman Island. I’ll be doing 3 events, a workshop on political activism, a solo reading and a Panel Discussion. 
Find the info here: https://denmanislandwritersfestival.com/

Canadian Labour Congress 50th Anniversary

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Posted on 2006.04.27

Canadian Labour Congress 50th Anniversary

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP): – Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Labour Congress celebrates its 50th anniversary this week. As the national and democratic voice of the labour movement, representing over 3 million workers, the CLC has much to celebrate. They have a proud record.

Over the last 50 years, the CLC has played a pivotal role in bringing in essential benefits for Canadian workers, which are now an important part of our Canadian work culture. The Canada Pension Plan, student loans, universal public Medicare and laws promoting health and safety, were all brought in through the work of the CLC.

In recognition of these incredible accomplishments and in celebration of the CLC’s 50th anniversary, Canada Post has issued a commemorative stamp.

We in the NDP stand in solidarity and congratulate the CLC, and commend its dedicated members for the immeasurable work it has done, and continues to do for the rights and equality of all working Canadians.

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