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
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By Peter Votsch “You don’t have a grievance” and “our members are apathetic” are two seemingly disconnected complaints heard at various times in unionized workplaces. A union executive delivers the first one to members seeking relief from an abusive manager or change in work rules. The other is muttered by local executives in frustration with Continue readingBuilding a strong union in the workplace: a few thoughts
“The opposite of everything the labour movement should be doing” By Dan Darrah and Doug Nesbitt On January 27, Uber Canada and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) announced they reached a “landmark agreement” covering 100,000 Uber workers in Canada. As the press release states, “UFCW Canada can provide representation if requested by drivers Continue readingUFCW signs controversial closed-door deal with Uber
By Tony Leah Pensions for retirees from GM, Ford and Chrysler/Stellantis were last increased in December 2007. There have been zero increases in the past 14 years. There will be no increases in the next two years. The CAW/Unifor agreed to 5 contracts in a row with no increases for past, present or future retirees. Continue readingAuto retirees fall behind as two-tier “cancer” spreads
By Ben Sichel A worker approaches a union staffer to discuss a problem in the workplace. The staffer has heard about this problem before. “We’ve brought this to the labour-management committee,” they sigh. “We can try to bring it up again.” The worker is disappointed. Is there something else we could do? Can the workers Continue readingBuilding a caucus to rebuild union power
Rankandfile.ca readers have voted! The people of Saskatchewan and Sudbury have delivered the prestigious honour of Scumbags of the Year to Gil Le Dressay and Robert Haché. The voting was exciting, but don’t fret if your choice lost. They’re all winners. They’re all scumbags. Once again, we’ve saved some space for dishonourable mentions: Graham Lloyd, Continue reading2021 Scumbags of the Year
By Jeremy Appel Faculty and academic service officers at Concordia University of Edmonton beared blistering cold temperatures on Jan. 4 to kick off the first-ever post-secondary strike action in Alberta outside a mansion the employer purchased while they were negotiating a new contract. The 82-member Concordia University of Edmonton Faculty Association (CUEFA) voted to go Continue readingA small university strike sets big Alberta precedent
Rankandfile.ca readers found no shortage of union-busters, profiteers and corrupt politicians to nominate for this year’s competition, so pull up your hip waders and get ready for this human sewage. We’ve narrowed the field down to 8 candidates. There are 4 public sector and 4 private sector scumbags. As usual, past Scumbags of the Year Continue readingVote for 2021’s Scumbag of the Year
It’s that time of year again… …to gather with co-workers, friends and family and share our stories of the boss class. 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 comment section below, nominate Continue readingNominate 2021’s Scumbag of the Year!
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 Jeremy Appel Rankandfile.ca’s Cargill correspondent The new agreement won by workers at Cargill’s High River, Alberta meatpacking plant is a significant improvement over its previous iteration and could provide a template for labour struggles in the industry, according to labour relations experts. Members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 voted 71% in Continue readingWorkers’ gains at Cargill set stage for JBS bargaining
By Jeremy Appel Cargill correspondent for Rankandfile.ca Whether or not workers at Cargill’s High River, Alberta, plant go on strike Monday, there’s no question the past 20 months have been a long, painful journey. Jamie Welsh-Rollo has worked at Cargill since June 2018. She is a cryovac operator and serves as a liaison between the Continue readingStories from the inside: Cargill workers speak