Kevin Bittman from Unifor 594 in Regina, Saskatchewan discusses impending lockout for Co-op refinery workers. www.unifor594.com/ Mike Espenell, from IBEW 2034 discusses how Brian Pallister’s cuts to Manitoba Hydro have impacted Hydro’s ability to respond to last week’s snow storm, which knocked out power for nearly 50,000 Manitobans. www.ibew2034.com/ Jeff Traeger, President of UFCW Local Continue readingBuilding worker solidarity across sectors
climate crisis
It is a tragic irony that General Motors (GM) chose its hundredth anniversary in Oshawa to announce the December 2019 closure of its Oshawa assembly plant. This means the loss of over 15,000 jobs in Ontario: 2,200 GM assembly jobs, 300 salaried positions, 500 temporary contract positions, 1,000 inside and 1,000 outside supplier jobs, and Continue readingTake the Plant, Save the Planet
On September 27, workers across the world went out on strike in the largest global climate strike in history, walking out of their classrooms and workplaces to protest government inaction on climate change. This comes following the September 20 ‘School Strike for Climate’, which saw millions of young people and students in over 150 countries Continue readingCanadian Unions and a Green New Deal
On Friday, September 27th, an estimated 12,000 people met in front of the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg to participate in a global climate strike, organized by Indigenous youth and students. But where was organized labour? After the rousing conference and events marking the 1919 General Strike Centenary earlier this year, is labour leadership more interested Continue readingWhere was Organized Labour at Winnipeg’s Climate Strike?
When asked why he’s planning to support the Global Climate Strike slated for September 20, Larry Hopkins, a rail crew driver for the transportation and maintenance company Hallcon, says the reason is simple: “I want to help preserve and protect our personal safety. Because right now, we’re in a climate emergency that is very bad Continue readingWhat Backing The Climate Strike Means For Unions
Guest: Jamie Kirkpatrick, Program Manager, BlueGreen CanadaBlueGreenCanada.ca Blue Green Canada is an alliance between Canadian labour unions, environmental and civil society organizations to advocate for working people and the environment by promoting solutions to environmental issues that have positive employment and economic impacts. Student Climate Strikes Are Structure Testsbriarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view…ructure-tests Help RankandFile.ca get a new website!www.gofundme.com/f/rankandfile
by Emily Leedham On Rank & File Radio – Prairie Edition, Avi Lewis, Co-founder and Strategic Director of the Leap, shares the untold story of the Leap Manifesto, labour and the 2016 Federal NDP convention in Edmonton, Alberta. We also talk about the pressing need to bridge the labour and climate justice movements, and what Continue readingThe Untold Story of the Leap, Labour & the 2016 Federal NDP Convention
Avery Edwards is a community organizer, gender freedom fighter, and a co-founder of PYROS, the Prairie Youth Radical Organizing School, located on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton. In 2018, PYROS launched Queer Scouts, a cohort style leadership development program that empowers queer and trans youth to challenge injustice in their schools and communities through collective Continue readingLGBTQ Rights are Workers’ Rights, Climate Justice is Labour Justice
Chloe Rockarts reflects on conversations with public sector labour leaders in Alberta for a RankandFile.ca article called The Past, Present and Future of Workers’ Power in Alberta. We reflect on tangible steps needed to build worker capacity to fight public sector cuts and privatization, build solidarity between unionized & non-unionized workers, and fight white supremacy. Continue readingFighting Back in Jason Kenney’s Alberta
Workers in the oil and gas industry have been used as a talking point by the Alberta NDP and United Conservative Party, both parties say they are the best choice for workers to get the Trans Mountain pipeline built and create more jobs in the industry. Albertans go to the polls on Tuesday, April 16. Continue readingWhat is it actually like to work in Alberta’s oil patch?
By Emily Leedham Amelia Deneka, a student and first time organizer disrupts a United Conservative Party meet and greet at the University of Alberta on Wednesday, March 6. In what could be a result of the protest, UCP leader Jason Kenney ended up not speaking at the event. Deneka shares why they organized the event Continue readingManitoba’s Austerity Budget & Protesting Jason Kenney
By Nora Loreto On December 2, 2010, the Ontario government promised that a new wind turbine plant in Tillsonburg would deliver 900 jobs to the southwestern Ontario region. The government release said that the plant was part of a $7-billion investment made by Samsung to invest in clean energy. Siemens would build the plant. Half Continue readingOntario’s green energy strategy: Billions wasted, jobs lost