by Emily Leedham In a move that shocked trade unionists across the country, the Regina Police Service arrested Unifor National President Jerry Dias and thirteen other Unifor members at Gate 7 of Regina’s Co-op Refinery Complex on Monday, January 20, 2020. About 730 refinery workers, members of Local 594, have been locked out for the Continue readingLabour unites around Unifor 594 after arrests at refinery lockout
News
Unemployment and income supports Holes in the safety net: CERB and EI coverage falls shortZaid Noorsumar, Rankandfile.ca, March 29 2020 Wage subsidy plan is full of big problemsNora Loreto, Rankandfile.ca, March 31 2020 Demand Compassion: Rent Strikes & Emergency BenefitsEmily Leedham, Rankandfile.ca, March 30 2020 Much stronger conditions needed on federal wage subsidy programToby Sanger, Continue readingWeekly labour news digest – April 5 2020
By Zaid Noorsumar On March 27, the Ontario government announced an emergency order making “sweeping changes” to staffing, training, and reporting requirements in the province’s long-term care homes. The order was issued in response to COVID-19’s disastrous impact in the sector. As of April 1, 29 deaths in Ontario nursing homes have been linked to Continue readingParty of Profits: Ontario Tories and the profit motive in long-term care
By Nora Loreto Justin Trudeau announced his government’s most significant aid package for Canadians workers on Friday. The Liberals will subsidize wages by 75% to convince employers to stop layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic. The measure will be available to all businesses, and eligibility criteria are slowly being released. The decision increases his previous promise Continue readingWage subsidy plan is full of big problems
by Jon Milton Denyse Joseph is helping to manage a crisis team for her union. “We’re looking at everything that comes out each day, each hour, regarding this pandemic crisis,” she tells RankandFile.ca. “What are the measures the government is putting in place? Is it respecting the safety and security of our members?” Joseph is Continue readingCOVID-19: We Should Have Been Listening to Healthcare Workers
by Emily Leedham So you want to organize a rent strike? On this week’s Rank & File Radio, Stefan Hodges discusses tenants unions, rent strikes & responding to evictions. Alvin Finkel discusses the future of the Canadian social safety net after COVID-19. Compassion: A Global History of Social Policy by Alvin Finkelwww.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/co…=9781352003093 Tenants Rights Provincial Continue readingDemanding Compassion: Rent Strikes & Emergency Benefits
Holes in the safety net: CERB and EI coverage falls short The federal government is moving at breakneck speed in the midst of the pandemic. Within a week, it announced two new income support programs, before replacing them with the newly legislated Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The redesigned social safety net is an improvement, Continue readingWeekly labour news digest – March 29 2020
By Zaid Noorsumar The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) introduced this week by the Liberal government is a vast improvement over the beleaguered Employment Insurance system but still excludes many people. The CERB applications are expected to be available online on April 6 with payments to be issued within 10 days. Recipients will be paid Continue readingHoles in the safety net: CERB and EI coverage falls short
By Doug Nesbitt Postal workers across the country are pressing Canada Post management to clean up its act. COVID-19 infections among postal workers have already led to the suspension of mail delivery in Newfoundland and most recently the closure of a mail depot in North Bay, Ontario. In Edmonton, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Continue readingHow Edmonton posties are fighting for health and safety
By Haseena Manek Since Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced restaurants would stay open for takeout and delivery during the COVID19 pandemic, bicycle couriers have ben deemed “essential” workers. Already a dangerous job, bicycle couriers working for food delivery apps like Foodora, Uber Eats, Doordash and Skip the Dishes have no sick leave, no health insurance. Continue readingEssential but precarious: Toronto bike couriers fight for a union
Editor’s introduction The following letter was received by Andrew Stevens, a Regina city councillor and co-founder of Rankandfile.ca. It was first shared publicly on Facebook. It relates to the scab camp established at the Co-op Refinery in Regina in which the employer has locked out refinery workers for over 100 days. Stevens writes of the Continue readingRN says Co-op Refinery scab camp “a disaster waiting to happen”
By Doug Nesbitt Postal workers are widely recognized as essential services during this crisis, but they’re sounding the alarm about working conditions which pose a glaring threat to themselves and the public. On social media and in the mainstream media, postal workers are frustrated with the failure of management to respond effectively to COVID-19 threat, Continue readingDelivering during COVID-19: Canada Post’s shocking working conditions
By Zaid Noorsumar Protective equipment shortages in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis are causing panic among home and community care workers and placing them on the verge of quitting, says an Ontario nurse who works in the sector. Janice Ackerman*, a registered practical nurse (RPN), says personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, Continue reading“We are dropping like flies,” says Ontario home care nurse