By Tony Leah There are two important resolutions submitted to the Unifor Constitutional Convention being held in Toronto from August 8-12. One calls for Unifor to fight for Equal Wages and Pensions (R-13), and the other calls for Improved Pensions Now (R-14). Can the companies afford this? The figures here are from General Motors, but Continue readingCan GM afford Equal Pay and Increased Pensions?
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A Rankandfile.ca editorial Well, Ontario, that was a shitty election! This is an important occasion to go back to basics and think about how organized labour is going to fight Doug Ford and the Ontario PC Party. First, let’s dispense with a story being spun by the mainstream media. As the votes were still coming Continue readingBack to basics for Ontario labour
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
“Work in the West” Podcast Series Interview participants wanted! With support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Drs. Shelagh Campbell and Andrew Stevens at the University of Regina, are facilitating a webinar and podcast series that focuses on the state of work and employment in Western Canada. This is an opportunity for Continue reading“Work in the West”: interview participants wanted!
By Rawan Abdelbaki It has been just over two months since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. It was only a few days after that when the Conservative government of Ontario passed Bill 186, Infectious Disease Emergencies amendment to the Employment Standards Act. Bill 186 was designed to offer job protections to those workers who Continue readingEven in a Global Pandemic, Workers in Ontario Still Don’t Have a Right to Paid Sick Leave
Something that gets left out not just in industry propaganda, but in much labour reporting, is the fleet of thousands of minimum wage and contract workers who tend to suffer most from the industry’s exploitative practices – while accounting for a significant chunk of “job creation” thanks to the subsidy.
For nearly four months, the five Filipino janitors at the Icon condominium in downtown Toronto were locked out of their workplace. For almost four months, Emma Llanes, a cleaner at the building with six years of service, was forced to purchase her heart medications out-of-pocket, because she didn’t have access to her benefits plan. For Continue readingToronto Janitors Beat Lockout
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
On Sunday night hours from a strike deadline, CUPE representing 55,000 Ontario education workers, announced they achieved restored services for students and a fair contract for workers. For months, the government has been playing hardball with workers, students and parents in the education system. But workers, students and parents are fighting back. CUPE’s incredible win Continue readingWalk-in to Fight Ford’s Education Cuts
What is an “essential service” anyway? How does this designation impact a public sector union’s ability to strike? This has been a point of contention in Saskatchewan for over a decade under the Saskatchewan Party government. First, we’ll hear from CUPE 1975 President Craig Hannah, representing 2,000 workers at the University of Saskatchewan who work Continue readingUnderstanding Sask’s new essential services legislation
By Chris Brooks It was a bad sign. On the day voting began at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the shift change suddenly turned blue. Throngs of workers were passing through the factory turnstiles in both directions, as the day shift ended and the night shift began. On the preceding days, handfuls of union Continue readingWhy the UAW Lost Again in Chattanooga
By David Newberry and Sarah Neath In Ontario’s current climate of extreme austerity, you might think that injured workers have little to celebrate. And yet, on Saturday, June 1, that is exactly what they will be doing. For the 36th year in a row, injured workers and their allies from all over the province will Continue readingInjured Workers Day: Resistance Continues