Harland Bird

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Whose Streets? Towards People-Friendly Cities

Oct 15, 2024 | socialistalternative.ca | Harland Bird |Tim Heffernan |Amanda Woods

Cities are the world remade by society. So why are they so inhospitable? The high cost of living, air and noise pollution, the many barriers to accessibility, the scarcity of communal gathering places and green space, the high rate of traffic accidents, washrooms and drinking water for customers only, narrow or no sidewalks — all of this adds up and imbues cities, which are home to over 55 percent of humanity, with a hostility towards human well-being. Why are they like this?
The War in BC’s Woods

May 1, 2023 | socialistalternative.ca | Harland Bird |Bill Hopwood

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the climactic battle in the long simmering “War in the Woods” in Clayoquot Sound. On March 12, 1993, protesters stormed the legislature building to demand that the BC NDP fulfill their election promise to protect what was — even back then — some of BC’s last remaining old growth forests.
A Big Win for BC Workers — and for Socialist Alternative! - Socialist Alternative (Canada)

Mar 12, 2023 | socialistalternative.ca | Harland Bird |Bill Hopwood

BC’s NDP government recently announced a $12 million budget increase to the Employment Standards Branch (ESB) — an 85 percent boost! This is a win for BC workers, who depend on the ESB to enforce their rights: without it, they are often at the mercy of their bosses, who profit from exploiting them. And this is a win, too, for Socialist Alternative and Socialist Alternative Youth, who energetically campaigned with the Worker Solidarity Network to increase funding to the ESB.
Show BC Workers Some Love

Feb 13, 2023 | socialistalternative.ca | Bill Hopwood |Harland Bird

Tell the NDP to Enforce Employment Standards!Socialist Alternative, alongside groups like the Worker Solidarity Network, recently waged a campaign in BC for ten paid sick days per year for workers in the face of the ongoing COVID pandemic, in the end, winning five. This partial victory represents an incremental step toward a truly fair and just society, but it is nonetheless a significant improvement in the lives of BC workers, and a hard-won concession from employers.