By Doug Nesbitt Three notable labour policy changes were made in the first week of April, 2022: April 4: The federal government announced a significant loosening of Temporary Foreign Worker restrictionsApril 6: British Columbia’s government announced Bill 10 to deliver “card check” or single-step union certificationApril 7: Ontario’s government Bill 88 became law, imposing sub-minimum Continue readingLabour laws in Canada do the Backwards Shuffle
By Doug Nesbitt On Saturday, April 2, 900 workers went on strike at the massive Metro Distribution Centre in Etobicoke. The facility supplies all of the Metro and Food Basics stores between Windsor and Kingston, including the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Niagara. That’s 10+ million people. It’s the latest fight by union workers to Continue readingLabour tensions are rising as inflation cuts wages
The Ocean Ranger was the world’s biggest offshore oil rig. Located in the North Atlantic over 250 kilometres east of Newfoundland, the rig went online in November 1981. On the evening of February 14 1982, the platform was battered by a storm. By the time rescuers arrived in the early hours of February 15, all Continue readingRemember the Ocean Ranger
By Doug Nesbitt Editor of Rankandfile.ca If you want a union in your workplace, it’s hard to know where to start. Talking union on the job will get you shushed by co-workers, or worse, fired my management. The fear of retaliation is real. So here’s some basic advice on how to get things started. The Continue readingCrash course: Starting a union in your workplace
By Doug Nesbitt The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) ended, October 23, 2021. The CRB is the continuation of the Canada Emergency Recovery Benefit which was first implemented in April 2020, only weeks after the COVID-19 Pandemic was declared. CERB proved a lifesaver for millions. Within four months, an estimated 8.5 million Canadians had accessed the Continue readingA farewell to CERB and the future of EI
By Doug Nesbitt It’s a sad state of affairs when a Conservative Party leader comes across as the champion of workers and unions. Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole has started the election by making big announcements. His plans are said to be pro-union and pro-worker. After his Labour Day 2020 address, we made the case: Continue readingCorporate O’Toole’s bait and switch scheme