Premier Christy Clark has made families and job creation her top priorities. But since Clark first entered government a decade ago, B.C. families have suffered from years of job losses and stagnant wages.

Job losses under the BC Liberal government have been significant. Since 2008, in fact, B.C. has lost 90,300 full-time jobs. Between 2000 and 2009, B.C. had a net loss of 12,400 resource industry jobs and 38,700 manufacturing jobs. The transportation and warehousing sector saw zero growth. The average annual growth in jobs between 2001 and 2010 was just 1.5 per cent, compared to an average of 2.3 per cent from 1992 to 2001. B.C.’s unemployment rate increased in February to 8.8 per cent, the highest rate west of the Atlantic provinces.

British Columbia’s rate is 3.5 points higher than Manitoba, and 3.1 points higher than Saskatchewan and Alberta. While jobs have dwindled, wages have remained stagnant. Between 2001 and 2010, B.C. had the lowest growth in average hourly wages and the third-lowest growth in weekly wages in Canada. For a decade, the BC Liberal
government kept the minimum wage stagnant while every other province in Canada raised theirs. Premier Clark has recently reversed her government’s long-standing wage freeze on the lowest paid workers in Canada, but she has not committed to indexing the minimum wage to the cost of inflation, creating uncertainty for businesses and families. Clark’s government must also justify why it is proposing a separate
minimum wage for beverage servers.

Although raising the minimum wage and eliminating the unfair training wage are good first steps, if Clark is serious about addressing and the concerns of workers, she will follow up this announcement by restoring the Employment Standards Act. Since it was gutted a decade ago, vulnerable workers, including children and farm labourers, have increasingly been put at risk.

My colleagues and I will continue to push for more protection for workers, and a strong
economy that works for everyone.

Disaster in Japan highlights need for
earthquake preparedness at home

The recent tragedy in Japan serves as a stark reminder that B.C. is expecting an earthquake of similar magnitude sometime in the future. Being prepared can help you survive the aftermath of an earthquake or other major disaster. The following tips will help you get started. You can also stop by my office to pick up Earthquakes: What to Do, a bilingual publication in English and French from the government of Canada.

Your plan

❑ Know safe and dangerous places at home:

Safe: under heavy tables or desks; inside hallways; corners of rooms or archways.
Dangerous: near windows or mirrors; under any objects that can fall; the kitchen, where the stove, refrigerator or contents of cupboards may move violently; doorways, because the shaking may slam the door on you. Practice taking cover.

❑ Plan and practice evacuation.

❑ Make plans for what to do and where to meet if a quake separates your family. All family members should carry an out of town contact number with them.

Your supplies

Be prepared to be on your own without help for 72 hours or more. Store these supplies in a secure place.

❑ First aid kit and instruction booklet.

❑ Shelter: a plastic tarp, a small tent, emergency blankets, or large garbage bags.

❑ Water: at least 4 litres of water per person, per day. Replace stored tap water at least every 6 months. Keep water purification tablets in your emergency kit.

❑ Food: keep non-perishable food, such as canned and dehydrated food, dried fruit and
canned juices. Rotate periodically to keep fresh. Remember a can opener.

❑ Money, including coins for telephones; banks and credit cards may not be usable.

Preparing your Home

Go through your home, imagining what could happen if it were shaken violently. Repair weak foundations, chimneys and loose roof tiles. If you live in an apartment, you may experience more sway and less vibration than in a single-storey building. Work with your building manager or strata corporation to quake-proof your home.

❑ Secure top-heavy furniture to prevent tipping. Keep heavy items on lower shelves.

❑ Fix mirrors and hanging objects so they won't fall of hooks.

❑ Locate beds away from chimneys, windows, heavy pictures, etc. Closed curtains will help keep broken window glass off occupied beds.

More information:

City of Vancouver Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program
http://vancouver.ca/emerg/NEPP/

British Columbia’s Provincial Emergency
Program http://www.pep.bc.ca/index.html

Read the rest of my March newsletter by clicking on the pdf below: