By Mike Parker and Martha Gruell Membership meetings are not simply places for members to get information and cast votes, which could also be accomplished through newsletters and mail referendums. Meetings should give members a sense of power by bringing them together. They can see and feel that they are not alone, that others have Continue readingHow to make union meetings interesting and useful
strategy & tactics
By Nora Loreto Feeling down? Don’t worry: we have the tools we need to fight back against the politics that delivered Donald Trump’s victory. We just need to readjust our priorities. 1. Mobilizing within the membership. The most basic tenet of union organizing is often the one that gets forgotten the fastest. Unions need to Continue reading10 things Canada’s labour movement can learn from Donald Trump’s victory
By Alan Hanson, mobilization director for UFCW Local 400 in Washington, D.C. The last time you organized a petition or voted to strike, were any of your co-workers caught off guard by the way the boss reacted? Was someone disciplined—or promoted? Did the CEO send out a misleading letter, or show up on night shift Continue readingInoculate Your Co-Workers against the Boss’s Tactics
By David Bush The Rally for Decent Work on October 1st is an important moment for Ontario’s labour movement. After years of legislative attacks and austerity directed at workers, the rally is a chance to build the movement for $15 and Fairness, push for positive legislative change for workers, and put real pressure on both Continue readingOntario! All out for October 1st!
Has your union ever faced an employer that treated bargaining as a sham? Such employers have no interest in reaching a compromise; they’re intent on forcing concessions or breaking the union. Often they never move off their concessionary proposals. Finally they declare impasse and implement their “last, best, and final offer.” Winning against an employer Continue readingBargaining on the offensive
By Evan Johnston If you’ve never heard of bossnapping, it’s exactly how it sounds: workers kidnapping or detaining their bosses with the aim of pressuring them to concede to their demands. But who, exactly, are the targets of bossnapping, and what does it look like? It varies depending on the context, but the “bosses” being kidnapped range Continue readingThe wonderful world of bossnapping
On February 18, the Ottawa & District Labour Council held its biannual election. Sean McKenny was re-elected as president for a seventh consecutive term but a strong challenge was mounted by a campaign group that put forward Joel Harden for president. Harden, chief steward for CUPE Local 4600, received 44 percent of the vote. Rankandfile.ca’s Continue readingShaking up Ottawa’s labour council, Part Two
On February 18, the Ottawa & District Labour Council held its biannual election. Sean McKenny was re-elected as president for a seventh consecutive term but a strong challenge was mounted by a campaign group that put forward Joel Harden for president. Harden, chief steward for CUPE Local 4600, received 44 percent of the vote. Rankandfile.ca’s Continue readingShaking up Ottawa’s labour council, Part One
by Doug Nesbitt If you see Covered Bridge potato chips, don’t buy them. Tell the store manager why. And if you’re anywhere near Hartland, New Brunswick, head down to the picket lines and support the workers who have been forced to strike after two years of trying to negotiate a first contract. The boycott against Continue readingBOYCOTT! Sharpening a workers’ weapon
By Andrew Stevens Workers at the Best Western Seven Oaks Inn in Regina have been walking the picket line since December 28. In a show of solidarity, at least a hundred supporters joined the strike on the evening of January 6. Despite the support, however, Seven Oaks is still operational, even though workers and union Continue readingSolidarity with UFCW 1400’s Seven Oaks workers
By Chris Grawey, CUPE 4207 member and Vice-President Niagara Regional Labour Council for Niagara South I attended my first Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) Convention in Toronto last week as a young worker delegate representing the Niagara Regional Labour Council. The convention was an eye-opening experience that revealed the good, the bad, and the ugly Continue readingOFL Convention 2015: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Support for resettling Syrian refugees from the Canadian Labour Congress and the wider labour movement is to be commended. The Labour movement has stood strongly against the Islamophobia and racism that reactionary forces inject into the issue. But the calls to welcome refugees and fight racism aren’t enough. The labour movement must take a principled Continue readingThe labour movement should say NO to war!