By Doug Nesbitt and Andrew Stevens With near unanimous support from the membership, Unifor Local 594 provided the Co-operative Refinery Complex (CRC) with job action notice on December 4, 2019. The employer immediately responded by locking out over 700 workers – from process operators, building trades, lab technicians, to administrative support workers. The battle is Continue readingLocal 594 and the Lost History of Oil Worker Unionism
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Today, members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) walk off the job to protest ongoing attacks to the education system by Doug Ford’s government. Key issues for the teachers’ job action include preserving jobs, lowering class sizes and rejecting mandatory e-learning courses for students. The one-day province-wide walk-out will close secondary schools across Continue readingOntario teachers begin one-day strike against Ford’s cuts
The Ontario Federation of Labour’s biennial convention starts on Monday. In addition to the hundreds of resolutions that will be voted on and the action plan that will be hotly debated, this convention will see an open election for the position of OFL President as outgoing president, Chris Buckley, will not be seeking another term. Continue readingQ&A with OFL Presidential candidate Barry Conway
Over the past summer, Montreal had heatwaves. Temperatures approaching 40 degrees with humidity prompted the city to issue warnings—stay hydrated, don’t spend too much time outside. Mohamed Ahmed was working during one of them, as a driver for Aux Vivres Cuisine. His job was to bring the company’s well-known vegan food to retailers across the Continue readingUnionizing a Montreal Kitchen
Winnipeg’s city council proposes an austerity budget which would close libraries, pools & cut public transit. Meanwhile, police still receive the bulk of public funds.
For nearly four months, the five Filipino janitors at the Icon condominium in downtown Toronto were locked out of their workplace. For almost four months, Emma Llanes, a cleaner at the building with six years of service, was forced to purchase her heart medications out-of-pocket, because she didn’t have access to her benefits plan. For Continue readingToronto Janitors Beat Lockout
Democracy in Bolivia is under attack. A military coup has ousted the democratically elected President, Evo Morales. Now, trade unionists and Indigenous peoples are facing violent attacks from the military and the right wing. Our government has shamefully supported this coup. These are two draft resolutions you can use in your union to raise awareness Continue readingNo to the Coup in Bolivia Draft Resolution
At 48-hours, Nova Scotia has one of the longest workweeks in the country. Before a worker is legally entitled to earn an overtime rate of pay (one-and-a half times their regular wage), they generally have to have worked 48-hours over a one-week span. The Canadian labour movement began advocating for a 9-hour work day during Continue readingReduce Nova Scotia’s Work Week
Workers in the “gig economy” are organizing to transform the precarious working conditions in their sector. On November 6, Foodora couriers and Uber drivers hosted a morning rally outside of the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to draw attention to their respective union drives with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and United Food Continue readingGig workers rising: Foodora couriers and Uber drivers organizing for justice
CUPW Local 730 has sent a letter to CUPW’s national office asking for support in defying back-to-work legislation. CUPW was legislated back to work nearly one year ago, which broke the postal workers’ rotating strike across the country. CUPW Local 730 President Roland Schmidt explains what lead up to this point. —- Alberta’s Bill 20 Continue readingEdmonton posties willing to defy back-to-work
On Thursday, October 24, the Alberta government released the provincial budget, which was nothing short of a brutal frontal assault on province’s public services, workers and the poor. The government outlined it would cut program spending by 2.8% over the next four years. This 2.8%, the largest cut to provincial program spending in 25 years, Continue readingKenney’s cuts
Alison McIntosh, Research Manager at the Parkland Institute breaks down Alberta’s new austerity budget from the United Conservative Party government. A short excerpt from the Chicago Teachers Union podcast CTU Speaks with CTU Chief of Staff Jennifer Johnson explaining the core issues 25,000 Chicago teachers are out on strike for. Lori Bossaer from the Saskatchewan Continue readingFrom Chile to Chicago to Calgary, it’s the same austerity