The 1983 movement reached revolutionary proportions. The reasons why it ended hold lessons for today.

Only by defying this anti-democratic measure can the workers beat back the bosses’ offensive.

In a similar way that Trump galvanizes anger against the failures of the Democrats in the United States, Rustad capitalized on the same mood, channeling anger into his self-proclaimed “anti-status-quo” Conservatives. 

Despite its unpolished character, the capitalists have chosen the Conservatives as the party of capital in the province.

The B.C. NDP’s slide to the right has made it possible for the B.C. Conservative Party to rise from the grave.

Since Dec. 10, Hudson’s Bay employees in Kamloops, British Columbia, represented by United Steelworkers Local 1-417, have been on strike in response to the company’s insulting $0.17 wage increase offer. 

Between Jan. 22-24, 180 transit workers from the Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) launched a 48-hour job action. CUPE 4500 representing Transit supervisors, indicated that if a deal cannot be reached by Friday Feb. 2, it will begin a 72-hour expanded strike. 

In August 1913, Vancouver Island was engulfed in class struggle. The coal miners strike of 1912-1914, the Great Strike as it is called, crippled Vancouver Island for nearly two years as workers flew the red flag on Canadian soil. Coal miners on Vancouver Island rose up against the mining bosses and defied the power of the Canadian state, taking over the town of Ladysmith for three days, and bringing the Island to the brink of an all-out class war. 

The Liberal gov’t is preparing to intervene to end the strike of 7,400 B.C. port workers. The union must reject binding arbitration and any other attempt to force them back to work.

We say: Don’t back down, strike to win!

On June 28, B.C. port workers gave a 72-hour strike notice. Earlier in June, the province’s 12 International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) locals, representing 7,400 workers across British Columbia voted to strike with a staggering 99.24 per cent mandate.