FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2006

VANCOUVER – Canadian Labour Congress President Ken Georgetti today welcomed a visit by a top union leader from Costa Rica who is here to support foreign workers on the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver rapid transit line attempt to win a first union contract.

Both Georgetti, and BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair, warned Canadian employers that the labour movement here and around the world will not allow foreign workers to be exploited with low wages and poor working conditions while undercutting Canadian labour standards.

Mario Rojas Vilchez, an Executive Member of the Costa Rican Workers Federation (C.T.R.N.), came to Vancouver to meet with about 40 RAV line foreign workers, most of whom are from Costa Rica, to encourage their effort to win a first collective agreement.

Georgetti said that as employers increasingly apply to bring foreign workers into Canada, the Canadian union movement will work to protect their rights.

“We are not going to allow unscrupulous employers to exploit foreign workers or to try and slash the fair wages and working conditions unions have won in Canada,” Georgetti said. “The Canadian Labour Congress will work with the international labour movement to protect workers rights and help all workers be treated fairly.”

Sinclair said British Columbia is becoming the focus for several challenges involving foreign workers.

“From the RAV line construction to an attempt to replace unionized care aids in Kelowna with foreign workers, to applications to bring in foreign ironworkers to build the Golden Ears Bridge in Maple Ridge, when local workers are available, this issue is becoming a huge one for the labour movement,” Sinclair said.

Rojas Vilchez said the situation facing the RAV line workers is a big issue for the labour movement in Costa Rica.

“Costa Ricans are watching to see if these workers are treated fairly in Canada after being brought here and told to work for substandard wages,” Rojas Vilchez said. “We are very thankful to our brothers and sisters in the Canadian labour movement for helping the RAV line workers and we will do all we can to support their effort to win a fair union contract.”

Mark Olsen, Business Manager for the Labourers Union Local 1611, which represents the RAV line workers, said the visit by Rojas Vilchez has been a huge moral boost for the Costa Rican and other Latin American workers.

“For the RAV line workers to see that they have not only the support of the BC and Canadian labour movement but also the Costa Rican labour movement is enormously helpful to encourage them in their fight to win a fair first contract,” said Olsen, who is also a BCYT officer.

Rojas Vilchez met with RAV line workers privately and will be in Vancouver through the weekend to lend assistance to the Labourers Union, Olsen said.

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For more information: Call Joe Barrett BCYT at 604-291-9020 or cell 778-888-5493; Jessie Uppal BC Fed at 604-430-1421 or cell 604-220-0739; Jean Wolff CLC at cell 613-878-6040; or Bill Tieleman, West Star Communications, at cell 778-896-0964.

For background: www.bcbuildingtrades.org

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For further information contact 

the BCYT-BCTC office:  604-291-9020

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