By Andrew Stevens For the first time since the mid-1990s Saskatchewan’s population growth has tapered off, advancing a trend that began around 2018. That’s what makes the federal government’s recent, ambitious immigration targets so important for our province. By 2024 around 1.3 million permanent resident admissions have been planned for at the national level. It’s Continue readingOp-ed: Saskatchewan’s migrant future
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By Lee Gilchrist Facing a major strike vote on Saturday April 30, eleven cleaning companies offered 2,500 Toronto cleaners a huge wage settlement on Friday April 29. The Saturday strike vote by SEIU Local 2 members turned into a ratification vote as hundreds of cleaners endorsed the new three-year deal with a 16.6 percent wage Continue readingJustice for Janitors forges ahead in Toronto and Vancouver
By Doug Nesbitt Three notable labour policy changes were made in the first week of April, 2022: April 4: The federal government announced a significant loosening of Temporary Foreign Worker restrictionsApril 6: British Columbia’s government announced Bill 10 to deliver “card check” or single-step union certificationApril 7: Ontario’s government Bill 88 became law, imposing sub-minimum Continue readingLabour laws in Canada do the Backwards Shuffle
Two workers detail management’s dirty tricks during a union drive Editor’s note: We have kept the authors’ names anonymous Steamworks is a chain of five bathhouses across Canada and the USA, catering primarily to gay men. The Toronto location opened eighteen years ago in the heart of the gay village, taking over a space previously Continue readingBoss Fight at the Bathhouse
By Doug Nesbitt On Saturday, April 2, 900 workers went on strike at the massive Metro Distribution Centre in Etobicoke. The facility supplies all of the Metro and Food Basics stores between Windsor and Kingston, including the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Niagara. That’s 10+ million people. It’s the latest fight by union workers to Continue readingLabour tensions are rising as inflation cuts wages
By Jeremy Appel CP Rail workers and management entered binding arbitration to resolve their labour dispute on March 22 — three days after workers were locked out by the employer. Binding arbitration means the new contract will be decided by a third-party arbitrator rather than through negotiations between employer CP Rail and Teamsters Canada Rail Continue readingCP lockout ends but business propaganda continues
Editor’s introduction As the housing crisis deepens in Canada, tenant unionism has re-emerged in many cities across Canada. In British Columbia, where the housing crisis is enormous, collective bargaining for tenants has become a central demand of Rent Strike Bargain (RSB). RSB is an organization coming from the new tenant unionism in British Columbia. Rankandfile.ca Continue readingThe challenges of tenant unionism in British Columbia
By Jeremy Appel A wave of post-secondary job action is sweeping across the country, with the faculty at Acadia University, University of Lethbridge and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology striking for improved working conditions. Other faculty associations, from those at major universities such as York University and the University of Alberta to the Continue readingFaculty strikes take on deteriorating conditions at universities
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
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