By Doug Nesbitt At least half of Hamilton’s sanitation workers initiated a health and safety work refusal on Monday March 23 at 7am. By 11:30am, the Ministry of Labour was contact to address the ongoing work refusal. The seventy sanitation worker involved are members of CUPE Local 5167, the union representing City of Hamilton employees. Continue readingBehind the work refusal by Hamilton sanitation workers
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by Lana Polansky UPDATE 3/23/20: Since the publication of this piece, RankandFile.ca has learned that Keywords has suspended penalties for permanent QA testers. We have also learned that after our piece was widely circulated, Keywords has responded by speeding up “social distancing” measures in their offices, which has resulted in project cancellation for a number Continue readingVideo game sales are up while testers work in dangerous conditions
Federal government to legislate $82bn aid package The federal government announced a $82 billion aid package as a temporary measure to provide relief to businesses and workers, as Canada reacts to unprecedented job losses. The package includes $55 billion in tax deferrals for businesses alongside direct payments of $27 billion. The latter includes $10 billion Continue readingWeekly labour news digest – March 22 2019
by Emily Leedham You can’t pay while staying six feet away. So cities across Canada are implementing free public transit and back door boarding to encourage social distancing and curb the spread of COVID-19. Free transit reduces operator interactions with riders entering and exiting the vehicle and limits operator exposure to infection. Free transit also Continue readingCities across Canada implement free transit to curb COVID-19
By Zaid Noorsumar Ontario’s home care workers are facing uncertainty due to the challenges posed by COVID-19 in a sector that is already under stress due to decades of privatization and underfunding. Workers across the sector who serve over 700,000 clients appear to be hampered by the shortage of personal protective equipment such as surgical Continue readingHome care workers face new health risks and financial hardships
By David Bush Oh there goes gravity. In short order the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an unprecedented global economic downturn, whose full force we have not even begun to register. Global supply chains — in ruins. Industries like airlines, tourism, hospitality, railways, entertainment, retail, restaurants, manufacturing, auto — smouldering craters. Stock markets — a carnival Continue readingThe Viral Crash
By Doug Nesbitt On Monday March 16, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford delivered press conferences on the crisis only to confirm that it’s business as usual for these silver-spooned sons of comfort. Hopes for emergency safety net measures were dashed, along with the prospect of such measures counter-acting the spread of Continue readingFlatten the curve, flatten the boss
Carolina Jimenez from the Decent Work & Health Network discusses the fight for paid sick days, while Marika Prokosh talks fighting Winnipeg’s austerity budget during a pandemic. We also look at attacks on public health sector across the prairies that has left our public health care providers under staffed and under resourced.Can we wrestle wins Continue readingHow do we organize during a pandemic?
By Jon Milton Simon Jolin-Barrette, Quebec’s Minister of Immigration, was inside the Montreal Chamber of Commerce on November 22, speaking to a who’s-who of Quebec’s business owners. The atmosphere, inside, was tenser than it usually is between the business sector and representatives of Quebec’s ruling right-wing party, the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ). In his speech, Continue readingThe CAQ is treating immigration like a Temp Agency
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney tabled Bill 1: The Critical Infrastructure Defense Act on February 25, 2020. The bill would crack down on Indigenous land defenders supporting Wet’suwet’en sovereignty, but also have implications for labour and other social movements – especially in light of Kenney’s recent austerity budget. University of Alberta professor James Muir explains more. Continue readingWhat does Kenney’s Bill 1 mean for Indigenous, labour and social movements?
Panel also criticized for having no union representation By Zaid Noorsumar The Ontario government’s recently constituted long-term care staffing advisory group includes the owner of a for-profit chain that donated $20,000 to health minister and deputy premier Christine Elliot’s campaign to lead the Ontario Progressive Conservatives in 2015. James Schlegel, the CEO of Schlegel Villages, Continue readingOntario PC donor and nursing home CEO appointed to Ford’s long-term care panel
By C. Rockarts On Thursday, February 27, over 7,000 teachers, students, and public sector workers rallied in Edmonton in support of maintaining quality public services. The ‘March for What Matters’ was hosted by a coalition of teachers, parents, artists and students. It was organized in response to cuts to education, health care and the looming Continue readingChallenging Alberta’s Austerity