Dave Bush speaks with Kyle Buott, President of the Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council, about trade unionism and worker activism. Kyle addresses the political importance of local labour councils in regional labour movement struggles and building solidarity between workplace issues and social movements. [audio:https://www.rankandfile.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/kyle_buott_final.mp3|titles=Kyle Buott, Halifax-Dartmouth District Labour Council]
strategy & tactics
by Doug Nesbitt On June 14 1872, the Trade Union Act, introduced by Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, became law. Unions were now legal in Canada. How did this happen and what did it take for unions to achieve legal recognition? Was it enlightened and benevolent politicians looking out for the masses? Backroom deals between Continue readingThe Nine-Hour Movement: How civil disobedience made unions legal
by David Bush originally published at Rabble.ca, August 6 2013 As the Canadian labour movement stumbles from defeat to defeat in this crisis period it is worth asking why this is the case. What accounts for the trade union movement’s inability to mount an effective political resistance to austerity? Is it the poor and unimaginative Continue readingThe missing piece: The far-left in the workplace
by David Bush and Doug Nesbitt On July 5, Nova Scotia’s New Democratic government reconvened the legislature to pass a special law revoking the right-to-strike for 800 ground and air ambulance paramedics of Local 727 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. The paramedics are employed by EMC Inc., a private for-profit company involved in Continue readingNova Scotia’s NDP revokes paramedics’ right-to-strike
by David Bush Since the economic crisis the union movement in Canada has faced a number of defeats at the bargaining table and on the picket line. On top of that the union movement has had to do battle with a slew of regressive legislative attacks on collective bargaining at the provincial and federal level, Continue readingRank and file power and union reforms
by Doug Nesbitt Recent Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) president Ken Coran shocked many teachers, education workers and trade unionists this past week when it was announced he would run as an Ontario Liberal in the London-West by-election later this summer. Why would Coran run for the same party that had used the authoritarian Continue readingKen Coran: Anatomy of a Sellout
by David Bush and Doug Nesbitt Over a month has passed since Bill 115 was repealed by the Ontario Liberals, but the contracts imposed on the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation and Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario remain intact and effectively unchallenged. This has led to several incidents of open dissent from the ranks of Continue readingDissent brews in the OSSTF
In this week’s labour news update: Bill 115 & Ontario teachers OLRB ruling: Ontario government vs ETFO Idle No More Porter Airlines strike Walmart challenge in Saskatchewan New Brunswick nurses CAW drive at Toyota “New Normal” in Canadian IR Right-to-Work in Ontario Employment Insurance Temporary Foreign Worker program The Great Walmart Walkout UAW organizing at Continue readingLabour news update – January 15 2003
A group of rank-and-file OSSTF members have released this video highly critical of their union’s campaign against Bill 115 and relations with political parties. Associated with the video is a petition to push the OSSTF executive in a different direction.
[audio:https://www.rankandfile.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/RFR_Jun20_17301.mp3|titles=June 20 2012 episode] Click here to download This show features an interview with David Bush, a community and labour activist based primarily on the East Coast. David is currently finishing his Master’s in Labour Studies at McMaster University. His blog will be exploring the theoretical and strategic debates facing left-wing activists who are trying Continue readingRFR: June 20 episode
This article was written by David Bush and originally published at Rabble.ca “David Bush is a community and labour activist based primarily on the East Coast. Currently he is finishing his Master’s in Labour Studies at McMaster University. His blog will be exploring the theoretical and strategic debates facing left-wing activists who are trying to Continue readingBuilding the power to win: learning from last year’s lockout at Canada Post