• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Rank and File

Rank and File

trade unionism from below

  • News
  • Support
  • Subscribe
    • About
    • Contribute
    • Contact Us
Close
  • About
  • Contribute
  • Contact Us

organizing

3/20/2019

How to Use Grievances to Organize

By Mike Parker and Martha Gruelle The difference between a truly democratic union and one that follows a servicing model is stark when it comes to grievance handling. In a strong democratic union there may not even be many grievances; members organize to convince supervisors to stop violating the contract without having to use the Continue readingHow to Use Grievances to Organize

2/6/2019

Where do good organizers come from?

By Ellen David Friedman We know good organizers when we meet them. They’re accessible. They listen and show respect. They react calmly to all kinds of people, take their time to size up a situation, and engage people on their own terms. They brim with suggestions for action, but they’re open to new ideas. They’re Continue readingWhere do good organizers come from?

12/13/2018

Here’s the Secret to Getting Young Workers Involved

By Alexandra Bradbury “How can we get young workers involved?” That’s the question on everyone’s lips, with union density at near-record lows. Many unions have begun holding summits for young members or forming local committees, which is great. But too often they’re missing a step that’s more essential: don’t sell young workers out. When you Continue readingHere’s the Secret to Getting Young Workers Involved

8/28/2018

London employer flouts new labour laws during union drive

By Daniel Tseghay When workers at the Original Cakerie in London, Ontario, who manufacture frozen desserts, showed an interest in joining the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, they prepared for the usual challenges to forming a union. However, these workers were also supposed to benefit from recent legislative changes in Bill 148, the Continue readingLondon employer flouts new labour laws during union drive

8/1/2018

Sorry To Bother You. See this movie.

Sorry to Bother You (2018) Boots Riley, director and writer Annapurna Pictures 105 minutes Review by Patrick Corbeil Sorry to Bother You doesn’t do subtlety. Its comedy is broad and in your face, and the movie wears its inescapable political message proudly on its sleeve – or as enormous, sloganeering earrings in the case of Continue readingSorry To Bother You. See this movie.

7/20/2018

Organizing against racist attacks in your workplace

By Doug Nesbitt Going viral this week was a video of a white man in a London, Ontario Sobeys grocery store blocking a young brown man from leaving the store. Pushing him and and threatening a “citizen’s arrest” for being an “illegal alien”, the racist attack is now being investigated by police. With nearly two Continue readingOrganizing against racist attacks in your workplace

7/18/2018

How We Marched on Our Boss

By Auriana Fabricatore Fear is one of the most potent tools that bosses use against us. Fear that we’ll be disciplined, have our hours reduced, get fired—they rely on it to keep us from stepping out of line. By taking group action, workers can turn the tables and aim that fear back at our employers, so Continue readingHow We Marched on Our Boss

7/17/2018

Plan Your March on the Boss

By Ryan Olds Marches on the boss come in different flavors. Some are spontaneous, as in Auriana Fabricatore’s story where a “mini-march” got great results. She was smart to encourage her co-workers to confront their manager immediately, while they were fired up with righteous anger—if they had set a date for next week, nervous jitters Continue readingPlan Your March on the Boss

6/27/2018

Organizing increases in wake of Alberta labour law changes

By Bob Barnetson Last week, CBC ran an article with some preliminary data about how Alberta’s new labour laws are affecting unionization. In 2017, Alberta allowed organizing drives with the support of 65% or more of workers to be certified without a vote (called card-check certification). Previously, any organizing drive required a vote of all the Continue readingOrganizing increases in wake of Alberta labour law changes

4/17/2018

Raiding over organizing for Unifor?

By James Napier Unifor claims to be the “largest private sector union” in Canada. It would be more accurate to describe them as the largest union-raiding organization in Canada. Unifor now spends more time and money raiding other unions than they do organizing un-organized workers. Almost 60% of “new” members in the first 3 months Continue readingRaiding over organizing for Unifor?

3/2/2018

Neoliberal campuses have millenials going union

Brad Walchuk On a cold and snowy February day, some 250 Teaching Assistants in the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3902, one of the oldest teaching/graduate assistant unions in North America, held a rally in support of their bargaining team on the last day of negotiations before they expected to trigger a countdown to Continue readingNeoliberal campuses have millenials going union

1/11/2018

Bad boss, no donut: Workers strike back

By Doug Nesbitt, David Bush and Gerard Di Trolio For the last week Ontario has been ground zero over the struggle for a higher minimum wage. On Wednesday workers struck back against greedy employers and inequality with 17 coordinated protests across the province. The actions were directed at the most high profile offender, Tim Hortons, Continue readingBad boss, no donut: Workers strike back

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to page 4
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 6
  • Go to Next Page »

Support rankandfile.ca

RankandFile.ca is committed to building a network of rank-and-file labour activists across the country. We believe sharing stories, experiences, debate, and analysis around our collective struggles strengthens our movement and builds solidarity.

Donate now

Join our
mailing list

  • Find us onTwitter
  • Find us onFacebook
  • Find us onInstagram

Rand and File logo
Copyright © Rank and File, 2022. All rights reserved.