June 9, 2014 BC Chamber Public Affairs Update

To find solutions to this challenge, the BC Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the B.C. government to launch Competitiveness BC Forums. Through these forums, the BC Chamber is canvassing businesses’ ideas about what problems they’re facing, and any solutions that can help businesses can better compete.

These forums will hone in on barriers to B.C.’s competitiveness and productivity. It is important to understand that improving these metrics is not about getting employees to work harder.  Productivity is actually about finding innovative ways to meet customer needs.  It’s about creating an atmosphere in the workplace that makes work more satisfying for all.  It’s about being more efficient – learning to use less effort, space, equipment and time to produce goods and deliver services.

The first of the forums, generously funded by the B.C. government, was held Thursday, June 5 in West Kelowna.

“Business leaders from Kelowna and the Central Okanagan region kicked off this consultation process with strong engagement and great ideas,” said John Winter, president and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, who was in Kelowna for the forum. “As always, B.C.’s businesses bring critical insights to policy challenges, and the Kelowna forum demonstrated that. We look forward to hearing more great ideas from more business communities as we continue our cross-B.C. forums.”

Upcoming forums are scheduled for:

• June 18: Vancouver
• June 19: Terrace
• June 25: Prince George
• June 26: Fort St. John
• Fall: Additional forums will be announced that will include events in the Kootenays, Vancouver Island and Thompson Regions.

Today and tomorrow, teachers will vote on escalating labour action to a full-scale strike.

Internal BCTF communications, however, indicate that the union’s Collective Bargaining Defence Fund does not have enough money to give teachers strike pay after next week. As such, if teachers continue the rotating walkouts past next week or if they increase their job action they will not receive compensation.

The agreement outlines the delivery of approximately 1.9 billion cubic feet of gas per day for the Merrick Mainline project. The proposed pipeline would run 260 kilometres, from northeastern B.C. to Summit Lake in the interior. It will also connect with Kitimat LNG’s proposed Pacific Trail Pipeline, anticipated to run from Summit Lake to a planned export terminal in Kitimat.

This weekly report produced for the BC Chamber of Commerce by Fleishman-Hillard.  While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this publication as of the date of issue, events and government policies are subject to frequent change.  Therefore, the BC Chamber of Commerce and Fleishman-Hillard cannot assume any responsibility for actions taken solely or principally on the basis on the information contained herein.