Vancouver's passport office behind picket lines due to federal strike
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 26 Apr, 2023 01:22 PM
Vancouver's main passport office is behind picket lines today as the Public Service Alliance of Canada ratchets up job action to back contract demands.
1/ Due to the labour disruption, passport delivery is currently limited to clients in humanitarian or emergency situations. These services are only available at specialized passport sites and will be assessed on a case by-case-basis: https://t.co/N8Ljqb1LYtpic.twitter.com/joudAYG9lY
More than 100-thousand federal employees have been on strike since last Wednesday, demanding improved wages, benefits and more opportunties to work from home.
Treasury Board officials and the union continue to meet but a statement from the union says there has been no progress on key issues.
Picket lines are up in many cities across B-C but P-SAC has said it is trying to increase pressure on the government while minimizing disruption to the public.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board issued an urgent safety recommendation Thursday, calling on Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to require immediate inspections of De Havilland Canada DHC-3 airplanes, better known as the DHC-3 Otter.
Health Canada officials, who gave a briefing on the condition they not be named publicly, said that would help the government refine the program before hiring a company to do the work. The Liberals committed to some form of federal dental-care coverage for low-income Canadians in its March confidence and supply agreement with the New Democrats.
The fiscal update, to be presented in the House of Commons, will also share the government's outlook for an economy facing high inflation and staring down a potential recession in the coming months.
The incoming storm is also expected to deluge parts of Metro Vancouver, including Coquitlam and Maple Ridge, with more than 100 millimetres of rain before it eases late Sunday and the weather office says rainfall warnings are likely to be issued as the forecasts are refined.
Dental care is a pillar of the supply and confidence deal between the Liberals and the NDP. The Liberals promised to launch a federal dental care insurance program by the end of 2022, starting with coverage for children from low- and middle-income families.
Under the bail conditions, Polman is prohibited from possessing a cellphone or any other device capable of connecting to the internet, and from driving any motorized vehicle. She cannot possess any documents related to a terrorist group or leave B.C. without the consent of her bail supervisor, and she must be electronically monitored and abide by a 9 p.m. curfew.
