Nav Malhotra and the Executive Board Are Failing Us

Our union leadership, led by Business Manager Nav Malhotra, has completely failed to protect our wages and benefits. Time and time again, they sign off on weak, sellout deals that undervalue our work—while they sit comfortably on their salaries.

The Latest Disgrace? The daily LOA rates.

•  In Golden (2024), our members were getting $200/day in LOA. 

• Since then, the cost of living has increased, but in Sicamous, LOA has actually been lowered to $140/day. 

• Meanwhile, the Carpenters—who are not the core workers on this project—are getting $200/day in LOA.

  
  

With the summer vacation and tourism season driving prices up, How does leadership expect our members to live off this? 

 This is not just a failure—it’s outright negligence.

And Let’s Ask the Real Questions: 

• Why are our members—the ones doing the vast majority of the work as Drillers and Blasters—getting lower LOA than the Carpenters? 

  
  

• Does Nav Malhotra not value the work of labourers? Does he believe our skills, sweat, and effort are worth less than other trades? Because that’s exactly what this deal suggests.

  
  

• Does our Business Manager truly believe that labourers can survive on less per day than a carpenter? Are our bills, rent, and groceries somehow cheaper?

  
  

• Does Nav Malhotra, Mark Olsen and your Regional Business Reps all think they could survive on $140 a day from April to October? Of course not. But they expect you to.

  
  

And Let’s Not Forget the Latest Slap in the Face from BCIB: 

If you miss a shift or take a four-day long weekend (Friday-Monday), you only get LOA for the days you work.

These are the kinds of garbage deals being signed on our behalf—deals that leave members struggling while leadership does nothing.

 This isn’t leadership. This is betrayal. We need a Business Manager and Executive Board who fight for labourers—not ones who sell us out for weak contracts.

This is why we need change. This spring, Your Voice is Your Power.

Take charge. Make a difference. Vote for Change. Vote for Your Future!

In solidarity,

The Voice of the Members