By Doug Nesbitt On Friday, February 23 1996, the industrial centre of Hamilton, Ontario was shut down by a one-day general strike. If it wasn’t for the 300 picket lines across the city, Hamilton would be mistaken for a ghost town. The following day, a huge protest of 100,000 people marched through the city’s downtown Continue readingHamilton vs Harris: The 1996 Steeltown Shutdown
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Food courier Alexander Kurth discusses how Foodora workers in Toronto organized a union Introduction to the gig economy By Jordan House and Paul Christopher Gray The “gig economy” and the spread of app-based work have become prominent topics of conversation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foodora, an app-based food delivery company, has become particularly notorious Continue readingGig Workers, Unite! Inside the Foodora union drive
Rankandfile.ca readers have voted! After last year’s prairie sweep of scumbags Jason Kenney and Scott Banda, Rankandfile.ca readers have voted for two Ontario turds. We’ve also saved some space for two important Dishonourable Mentions: meatpacking multinational Cargill, and Alberta Minister of Health Tyler Shandro. Mike HarrisPrivate Sector Scumbag of the Year Proving Rankandfile.ca readers have Continue reading2020 Scumbags of the Year
“I took every shift I could get, up to 70-hours per week, to make ends meet. With wages that low, this is what you have to do.” Devon Bartlett, Halifax airport worker By Lisa Cameron In September 2019, Justin Trudeau promised “a federal minimum wage of at least $15 per hour, starting in 2020 and Continue readingHalifax airport workers and Trudeau’s broken $15 promise
Rankandfile.ca’s readers had no trouble finding scumbags among the healthcare profiteers, union-busters and bought politicians. There’s a big steaming pile of human waste to consider for this year’s Scumbag of the Year awards. We’ve narrowed the field to 10 candidates. There are five public sector and five private sectors scumbag. As usual, past Scumbag of Continue readingVote for 2020’s Scumbag of the Year
It’s been a hell of a year, so let’s get together with family, friends and co-workers and share our stories about the boss. We continue Rankandfile.ca’s annual tradition of nominating and voting for Scumbag of the Year. The Awards Private sector Scumbag of the Year Public sector Scumbag of the Year The Rules In the Continue readingNominate your 2020 Scumbag of the Year
If you’ll win the wars at home,There’ll be no fighting anymore– Phil Ochs By Doug Nesbitt Remembrance Day is one of the few times each year we all agree upon the importance of learning history. However, the vested interests of certain Canadians have led to some very dangerous myths being built around Remembrance Day. If Continue readingIf we win the wars at home
By Cole Rockarts Today, October 26 2020, hundreds of members of the Alberta Union of Public Employees (AUPE) walked off the job to protest ongoing attacks on health care by Jason Kenney’s government. The key issues include job security against outsourcing, addressing short-staffing, and stopping the privatization of public healthcare. On October 13, Health Minister Continue readingWILDCAT! Major Alberta strike against healthcare cuts
Acadia U study is looking at working conditions in retail, grocery, long-term care, education By Lisa Cameron Work has drastically changed for Nova Scotians during the COVID-19 pandemic. A group of researchers from Acadia University are studying work and health during COVID-19 through the experiences of grocery and retail workers, long-term care workers, and teachers Continue readingNova Scotia job study shows COVID-19 impact on workers
The new spokesperson for the health minister recently worked as a lobbyist for long-term care corporations
She reached out for support to build a union. And only CLAC gave a helping hand. Have you read Part One of this story? By Zaid Noorsumar Laura Borden* was determined to form a union at ParaMed’s Oshawa branch. The working conditions had deteriorated after ParaMed, owned by Extendicare, had restructured and expanded its government-funded Continue readingInside and outside a home care union drive
Conditions in home care were getting worse. One PSW decided to organize a union. By Zaid Noorsumar The drive north from Oshawa to Haliburton County in Central Ontario takes two hours. There were times when Laura Borden* would travel that distance to meet her co-workers – and end up sitting alone at Tim Horton’s. “Sometimes Continue readingShe wanted a union