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
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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
By Gerard Di Trolio Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s volte-face on liquified natural gas (LNG) projects in British Columbia is a welcome development. The policy reversal seems to stem from the recent victory of the Green Party in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith by-election on May 6 which saw the NDP lose a seat they previously held. Whatever Continue readingThe Pipeline Divide
By Jason Edwards Professional soccer arrived in Halifax last Saturday. The Halifax Wanderers FC defeated Hamilton Forge 2-1 on an exciting second-half goal by Columbian striker Luis Alberto Perea. The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is in its infancy; this was the Wanderers’ second game, their first on the Wanderers’ Grounds. But while fans are enthusiastic Continue readingCanadian soccer players need a union
By Andrew Stevens For the first time in generations, international migration has helped to fuel Saskatchewan’s population growth. “Suddenly,” wrote Saskatchewan-based columnist Tammy Robert in Maclean’s in 2017, “Saskatchewan was the place to be — not the place to be from.” Starting in 2007, for almost a decade, a prolonged resource-led boom drew domestic and international migrants, reshaping the Continue readingYellow Vests and Migrant Worker Rights in Saskatchewan
By Tony Leah Did Jerry Dias make a deal to save the Oshawa plant, or did he give in and accept GM’s determination to end vehicle production in Oshawa? Just before Christmas last year, GM announced their intention to close Oshawa, meaning the loss of 5,000 direct jobs involved in the assembly of cars and Continue readingUnifor Settlement with GM: Footprint or Toe Tag?
The 1919 General Strike anniversary conference in Winnipeg kicked off on Wednesday, May 8, with labour activists and academics from across Canada congregating at the University of Winnipeg. The intention of the conference was to not only reflect on the lessons of the general strike, but understand where Canada’s labour movement is at today. Specifically Continue readingBoots Riley on labour organizing for social justice
By Leanne Pearce-Graham and Ryan Hayes A pitched battle is currently taking place in Niagara Falls with implications for the future of decent work in Ontario. On Clifton Hill, the heart of Niagara’s tourist district, a courageous group of nearly 100 restaurant workers are on strike against one of the region’s largest employers: Canadian Niagara Continue readingRainforest Cafe workers strike against Ford’s race to the bottom
By Chloe Rockarts Today, March 21, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, bringing together migrant justice organizations, activists and communities to unite against racism and call for permanent status, an end to deportations, and decent work and fair wages for migrant workers. The Caregiver Program In November, migrant care workers in Toronto, Continue readingCare workers organize: Landed status now!
By Donna Burman TTC worker and ATU Local 113 member Having a state or province run the subways is a big mistake. In Baltimore, Maryland they already have such a system they are trying to move away from. After multiple incidents in Baltimore, including safety issues, a report made it clear that the only way Continue readingDon’t steal our subway!
As Ontario faces a new round of neoliberal attacks on workers, the poor, racialized, and other marginalized communities it is important to draw lessons from past struggles. For two days in October 1996, Toronto was shut down with massive protests against the harsh new policies of Mike Harris’ Conservative government. That was one of eleven Continue readingRemembering the Metro Days of Action
By Justin Kong, Edward Hon-Sing Wong, and Veronica Yeung During the 2018 Ontario elections, a campaign pamphlet for Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate Raymond Cho was distributed with the words “為人民服務” – “Serve the People” – in bold. The phrase is one of the most iconic Maoist slogans – but in this case, it was used Continue readingOrganizing the suburbs